Albert Pujols

Albert Pujols didn’t define the St. Louis Cardinals franchise.

Sure, he was one of many cornerstone players to ever don the birds on the bat. But this rich and historic organization won before him and with him, and now they are winning without him.

There are just six days left in the 2013 regular season, and while four teams have clinched their divisions, there is still a lot left to be decided in the season's final weekend.

As October approaches, a few teams in the playoff hunt are vying for better playoff position: Three teams in the National League Central − Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Cincinnati − are separated by just two games, while one game separates three teams for two American League wild-card berths.

If the owner of your favorite baseball team has a "win at all cost" attitude, that's usually a good thing, right? Yes! Being aggressive and spending money has paid off for many eventual World Series champions. But it's also resulted in some very dire situations, notably in the case of Arte Moreno and the Los Angeles Angels. 

Albert Pujols' bothersome left foot injury is about to cost the Los Angeles Angels slugger significant time out of the lineup.

According to Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times, Pujols has left the team and returned to Southern California to have his foot evaluated after suffering another setback Friday night:

The St. Louis Cardinals will spend Independence Day in 2013 remembering the day Albert Pujols became independent from their team.

After a dominant 10-0 victory on Saturday, for the first time this season, the Los Angeles Angels bats and pitching came together for their most complete win of the season, bringing them to 6-10. 

A number of players in the big leagues can wow fans with their performances on the field, but some of them also have incredibly interesting backstories about their road to the major leagues.

Many players have had to deal with personal issues or injuries and have persevered to reach the MLB. Movies have been made about players like this in the past, such as The Rookie, which was based on Jim Morris' career.

There aren’t many instances where an 0-for-3 batting performance—even in spring training—creates a positive outlook, but Los Angeles Angels first baseman Albert Pujols’ preseason debut may be the outlier.

After an early exit from the playoffs last season, the Washington Nationals won't have an easy road back this year, with a number of teams in the MLB poised for a trip to the World Series.

Arguably the best team in the regular season in 2012, the Nationals are ready to make a deep push into the playoffs, but several other teams have that same goal.

Spring training is rapidly approaching and Opening Day is on the horizon. Teams will begin flocking to their respective training camps with a clear mind and with hopes of winning their respective divisions and make a deep push into October.