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In St. Louis, the fans, his teammates and the Cardinals PR people learned that Albert Pujols did not want to be known as El Hombre. It was a play on The Man, the longtime nickname for local legend Stan Musial. Pujols felt that Spanish-izing the name for him did Musial a dishonor. So now he comes to the Angels in Anaheim, and just before the start of spring training this week, 20 billboards go up in Southern California marketing Pujols as El Hombre.
"Like I say, I haven't talked to them, but I prefer not to use [El Hombre]," Pujols told a reporter at Angels camp on Wednesday. Says Angels VP Tim Mead: "We're more aware of his feelings about that now...."
Photo: Molly Knight/ESPN Los Angeles