Albert Pujols has an MVP award and a World Series ring.

What the St. Louis slugger really wants is to be remembered for his charity work.

He was yesterday when he was presented with the 2008 Robert Clemente Award, given annually to a major league player who combines community service with excellence on the field.

"It doesn't matter what you do on the field, it's what you do off the field and the lives you touch," Pujols said.

Pujols received the award in a ceremony at Citizens Bank Park before Game 3 of the World Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and Philadelphia Phillies. He was selected from 30 nominees, one from each major league team, by a committee that included commissioner Bud Selig and Vera Clemente, Roberto's widow.

Selig called the award baseball's "symbol of our social awareness."

He was honored for his work with the Pujols Family Foundation, which helps the lives of children and young adults with Down syndrome. The foundation has helped more than 500 families affected by Down syndrome in the St. Louis area, with various programs and fundraising events.

Pujols has a daughter who was born with Down syndrome.

Clemente was a Hall of Fame right fielder with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He died in a plane crash on New Year's Eve 1972 while trying to deliver relief supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. He finished his career with exactly 3,000 hits.

YANKEES

AGENT: MUSSINA NOT FIRM ON RETIREMENT

Most people expect Mike Mussina to announce his retirement sometime in the next month, but agent Arn Tellem said Mussina hasn't made up his mind yet.

After winning 20 games for the first time in his 18-year career, Mussina indicated at the end of the season that he was strongly considering retirement. But Tellem said in an e-mail: "Mussina has not made a decision." He also said he has had no conversations with the Yankees regarding Mussina's future.

The Yankees will be thrilled if Mussina decides to pitch again in 2009, as he would give them one more solid member in a shaky rotation. The soon-to-be 40-year-old was 20-9 with a 3.37 ERA this season.

WORLD SERIES

SELIG WANTS TO KEEP FIRST-ROUND FORMAT

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig opposes extending the first round of the playoffs from best-of-five series to best-of seven.

"I think that exacerbates the problem," he said. "If you add two more in the first round, it just makes the playoffs longer."

Next year, Game 7 of the World Series wouldn't be until Nov. 5 under the current format.

"I've been worrying about that all day today," Selig said.

Selig admits the length of the postseason increases the likelihood of playing in cold weather.

"I won't do what Bowie used to do, though," he said, referring to former commissioner Bowie Kuhn. "I will not sit outside without a coat."

Speaking last night, Selig repeated that he doesn't envision playing World Series games in the daytime anytime soon because the television networks aren't interested and ratings are lower. There hasn't been a World Series day game since 1987.