Oliver Marmol may have saved the 2022 season (and a future Hall of Famer)

The 2022 season for the St. Louis Cardinals was memorable. Albert Pujols returned to his former stomping grounds for a farewell tour, Yadier Molina's time behind the plate was coming to a close, and Adam Wainwright was chasing history.

That season had its fair share of milestones and reasons to celebrate. Yadi and Waino set the Major League Record for appearances as a battery, the Cardinals won the division for the first time in three years, and Albert Pujols surpassed the illustrious 700 home run mark.

However, at least one of those milestones may not have been met without manager Oliver Marmol. The much-maligned manager saved Albert Pujols's on-field legacy and possibly even the Cardinals' season.

Tom Ackerman of KMOX interviewed the future Hall of Famer recently, and Ackerman asked Pujols about the effect Marmol had that year on the team. Remember, this was Oli Marmol's first season as a manager, so he was still earning his stripes. The relationship between Pujols and Marmol dates back many years via baseball.

Ackerman asked Pujols if his 700 home runs would have happened without a mid-season sitdown. Pujols responded in a glowing way about his former manager.

"I think a lot about our relationship ... This is a guy who knows the game really well ... I respect the way (Marmol) treated me. I respect the way that we went about my last season. There was a time before the All-Star Break that I went into the office in Atlanta, and I was like 'Hey, man, I'm done. I just want to go home. I don't think I'm doing any good for the team.' He really was the guy that kind of like talked me into finishing the season."

Albert Pujols

Pujols said that there were a few people in 2022 who encouraged him to finish out the season and that Marmol was one of his staunchest defenders. It ended up being serendipitous that Pujols stayed. He went on a torrid run in the second half of the season, slashing .323/.388/.715 in the final 56 games of the year. He hit 18 home runs including his 700th in Los Angeles on September 23rd, and he helped lead the Cardinals to a division title and postseason berth that year.

Oliver Marmol has been reamed by Cardinal fans for years now, but his conversation with Albert Pujols in the doldrums of the summer of 2022 saved that season and the legacy of Albert Pujols on the field. If Marmol hadn't convinced Albert to finish out the year, the team might not have made the playoffs, and Pujols would have fallen short of the 700-home run milestone.