Before Saturday night at Angel Stadium, Albert Pujols had hit 22 career homers in 90 games against the Royals.
Pujols, 37 years old and aging, is not the superstar he once was. His power has diminished. His legs are basically shot. As he started another game at designated hitter for the Los Angeles Angels, his OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging) sat at .656, nearly 300 points below his career average.
Pujols, a graduate of Fort Osage High School, does not strike fear in opposing pitchers like he once did. But for a swing here, or a swing there, he can resemble his old self.