ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP)—Every time Albert Pujols got close to the metal crowd-control barriers, fans shrieked and shoved forward for autographs and high-fives. With his new red cap shielding his eyes from the brilliant Southern California sun, Pujols soaked in the cheers and the rays on his first day in his new home.

Baseball’s most feared slugger has arrived in Southern California, and his staggering new paychecks aren’t the only reason he left St. Louis for the Los Angeles Angels.

Pujols and left-hander C.J. Wilson made their first public appearances with their new team Saturday at a raucous pep rally under the two giant hats outside Angel Stadium. Thousands of fans showed up to celebrate the Angels’ audacious signing of two elite free agents in their primes for a combined $331.5 million, forever changing the club’s identity and expectations.

Pujols pulled on his new white No. 5 jersey to adoring chants of “We got Albert!”

“It was really emotional,” Pujols said of his decision-making process, which moved quickly over 36 hours earlier this week. “But when you feel there’s somebody out there that wants you really bad and was doing everything he could to bring you to the ballclub, it’s pretty special.”

That somebody would be Arte Moreno, the Angels owner who landed the biggest free agent on the market with the second-biggest contract in baseball history, surpassed only by Alex Rodriguez’s reworked deal with the Yankees. Moreno’s offer of $254 million over 10 years was enough to persuade a three-time MVP who had spent his entire 11-year career in St. Louis to leave the Cardinals shortly after winning his second World Series title.

Moreno didn’t win Pujols’ services just with that jaw-dropping contract, both men claimed. Pujols had a near-sleepless night while he pondered leaving the Cardinals during his lightning courtship.

“I know people in the city of St. Louis think it’s all about money,” Pujols said. “I have all the offers out there where people are throwing me a bunch of money, and they’re calling me (a) liar, and that’s all good. … It was tough, and I know what they’re going through. They’re losing somebody that’s been a part of the community, and I feel for that. Me and my wife, we felt that pain, too. But at the same time, when that decision came, I was being obedient. I didn’t want to go to a place that God wasn’t calling me to go.”

Moreno swayed Pujols and his wife, Deidre, during a lengthy phone conversation in which the outdoor advertising mogul emphasized the Angels’ commitment to charity work, the Orange County lifestyle, and a family atmosphere that will embrace Pujols long after he retires—along with the Angels’ elite pitching staff and solid roster run by veteran manager Mike Scioscia. Pujols’ deal also includes a no-trade clause and a personal services deal that could keep him bound to the Angels for life.- http://sports.yahoo.com