Albert Pujols got a taste of managing during the World Baseball Classic, and it sure seems like he’s caught the fever.
The St. Louis Cardinals legend could have sat pretty after blasting 703 home runs in his illustrious career, but he loves the game and continues to be around it.
But he wants to be in it deeper, and given the recent managerial firings in Major League Baseball, Pujols said he is waiting for the right opportunity.
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“My name is in the hat,” Pujols told Fox News Digital. “I mean, listen, I’m not gonna force it. I think when the opportunity is right — I never was the player that I forced things. I let things come to me and prepared myself.
“My dad used to tell me, control what you can control. Don’t try to control the things that are out of your control. So I’m waiting for an opportunity. If it happens, great, I’ll be ready. If it doesn’t happen, then I’m really excited and happy with the career that I have.”
Pujols knows, though, that being an MLB manager is a thankless job.
“When you win, the team wins. When you lose, the manager loses,” he joked.
But other parts of managing, Pujols said, “have changed a lot,” notably with front offices increasing their say in daily lineups.
“I played in three periods: ’01 to ’10, ’10 to ’20, and then ’20 to ’22. So, I saw everything. I have seen this game strange so much, but I think at the end of the day, I think the communication, whether it’s with the front office, as a manager, your communication with your GM is so important, because that’s gonna transfer into the ballplayers,” he said.
If Pujols’ first managerial job is anything like his stint in the World Baseball Classic, he’d be pretty happy.
“Having all that talent that we had, representing our country in the World Baseball Classic, it wasn’t about teaching this guy how to play the game. These guys were professional. They know how to play the game,” Pujols said. “It was more about their responsibility, and little things that I can help them out, and, you know, writing that lineup, and try to be there, make decisions, and make the best lineup to win games.”
The Boston Red Sox fired Alex Cora, and days later, the Philadelphia Phillies relieved Rob Thomson of his duties. New York Mets fans have been clamoring for Carlos Mendoza to get the axe, but he remains in his post.
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