Sports

Albert Pujols joins St. Louis MLS expansion bid

By BRIAN LEWIS

Add St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols to the list of big-time sports stars looking to get into MLS. He added his name to a group working to bring an expansion team to St. Louis. The announcement came on Tuesday, a day after he won his second NL MVP award. His cachet, plus his cash _ he has two seasons left on a seven-year, $100 million deal _ should help St. Louis Soccer United’s odds of getting an expansion club in 2011.

“I am very proud and excited to join the effort to bring Major League Soccer to the St. Louis area,” Pujols said in a statement. “This means a lot to me and my family, as we all love football and we believe in MLS.” Seven markets are vying over two spots, with MLS expected to announce winners in March. The other contenders are Atlanta, Miami (Fla), Montreal, Ottawa, Portland (Ore) and Vancouver. The Wilpons were reported to be interested, but the Mets’ owners never put in a bid.

The Vancouver group includes Phoenix Suns star Steve Nash, the two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash. And the two-time MLS Cup champion Houston Dynamo _ eliminated by the Red Bulls in the Western Conference semifinals this year _ count Oscar De La Hoya as a minority owner already.

“It is frankly impossible to imagine a better partner in our effort than Albert Pujols,” said SLSU chairman Jeff Cooper, who’ll be at MLS Cup this weekend. “Albert’s commitment is a testament to the strength of the league, the interest and promise of Major League Soccer in St. Louis, and the overall quality of our team, stadium and youth complex plan. In Albert Pujols, we have someone who will be terrific not only for St. Louis, but for all of MLS and the global soccer community.”

They hope to build a complex featuring an 18,500-seat stadium with the St. Louis downtown skyline and Gateway Arch in view to the west. It’s been a couple years since I’ve been in St. Louis, but I’m wondering if I could get any action on an MLS team in those riverboat casinos they have there. Just curious….

What do you think of Pujols throwing his hat in the ring? Is it great all these star athletes are trying to get into MLS? Help the league? Check in with your thoughts….