Pujols ties Musial on all-time RBI list, will give ball to legend's family

Albert Pujols may be several years removed from his heyday in a St. Louis Cardinals uniform, but he's never lost emotional ties to the franchise's most iconic player.

That was most evident on Saturday night when Pujols - now a member of the Los Angeles Angels - launched a solo home run that moved him into a tie with the great Stan Musial on baseball's all-time RBI list with 1,951.

Following his team's 2-1 win over the Minnesota Twins, an emotional Pujols told the Angels broadcast he plans to give the home-run ball that moved him into a tie with Musial to the legend's family, along with his bat and jersey from Saturday's game.

(Courtesy: MLB.com)

Pujols and Musial are forever linked in Cardinals lore as two of the greatest hitters not just in the team's history, but in the game itself.

The pair became especially close during Pujols' 11-year tenure in St. Louis, and he's always made sure to convey his utmost respect for the Hall of Famer - perhaps even more so because of what Musial stood for away from the diamond.

At points during his career, Pujols has even requested both the Cardinals and Angels stop referring to him as "El Hombre," a Spanish version of Musial's iconic nickname, out of respect.

"Albert has the utmost respect for what Stan Musial was about," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said Saturday, according to Maria Guardado of MLB.com.

"He respects his legacy tremendously, so for him to be in the same sentence as Stan Musial, I know it's a nice feeling for Albert."