ST. LOUIS -- Dexter Fowler is headed from the World Series champions to their biggest rival.After helping the Chicago Cubs end their long championship drought, he finalized an $82.5 million, five-year contract with the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday. Fowler fills the last big hole left in the Cardinals lineup after moves made earlier in the offseason to shore up the bullpen.It was an honor just to be considered to be in the Cardinals organization, said Fowler, who will wear No. 25 in honor of his mentor, Barry Bonds, because his usual 24 is retired by the Cardinals.You play against the Cardinals, Ive been playing against them for eight years now, Fowler said, and they always come out fighting. Always fighting. And then being with a rival, being the Cubs however many times we play them a year, you see them and -- its always good a winning team wants you.Fowler was also a free agent a year ago, when he spurned a $33 million, three-year offer from Baltimore, which refused to offer an opt out after one year. He signed a $13 million, one-year deal with the Chicago Cub and hit .276 with 13 homers and a career-best .393 on-base percentage that landed him in his first All-Star Game. He had a pair of home runs in helping the Cubs win their first World Series title in 108 years.Playing over there, and playing against the Cardinals, you see them and you saw that they werent far away, Fowler said. Obviously they beat up on us, we beat up on them. It was almost even. It was one day or another. I cant put my finger on one thing or another, but were definitely close.His new deal calls for a $10 million signing bonus, payable in $1 million installments each July 1 and Oct. 1 for the next five years, and annual salaries of $14.5 million.He gets a full no-trade provision, $50,000 bonuses for making the All-Star Game and winning a Gold Glove, a $25,000 bonus for a Silver Slugger, $100,000 for League Championship Series MVP and $150,000 for World Series MVP. He would get $250,000 for NL MVP, $150,000 for finishing second in voting and $100,000 for third through fifth. He would get $50,000 for Division Series MVP if the award is created.One of the goals this offseason for St. Louis was to get more athletic, both defensively and on the base paths. Fowler was identified early in the process as someone who filled that role.He was always someone we were hoping to sign, Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said, but after this past week at winter meetings ... we certainly wanted to get this done. And were excited we got this done.The lanky 30-year-old from Atlanta is a .268 career hitter over nine seasons with Colorado, Houston and the Cubs. Hes expected to slot into the Cardinals leadoff spot, giving St. Louis a switch-hitter in front of lefty-hitting Matt Carpenter and righties Aledmys Diaz, Stephen Piscotty and Yadier Molina.You obviously have great presence at the top of the lineup, manager Mike Matheny said. The athleticism, the excitement of bringing in a player that has all those physical attributes, I think its been well-said, this is the guy we were hoping to be sitting up here with.Fowler said negotiations with the Cardinals were easy with one notable exception.We were on a 2-hour time difference, and I guess he wanted to get in touch with me, Fowler said, but I was in the dentist chair, so he couldnt get in touch.So, Fowler sent his agent Casey Close a photo of him to pass along to Mozeliak -- That was a first for me, that kind of photo, the GM said -- and everything proceeded smoothly after that.The news of his signing started breaking while Fowler was on a plane to St. Louis, and that also created some problems: namely, with his sleep. People started coming up to him while he was trying to take a nap and asking him whether the news was true.I was like, `Uh, you know, I dont know, Fowler said with a grin. It was definitely funny.Fowler is eager to help the Cardinals add their 12th World Series championship.This is a baseball city, said Fowler. The fans, every time you come here, you see red everywhere. Thats awesome to see. Even going through our parade (in Chicago), you saw Cardinals fans out there. Theyve won World Series (and) theyre poised to be back in the World Series and win again. That was a big part of my decision.The Cardinals were investigating the trade market for an outfielder during the winter meetings, but decided Fowler was their best option. Because Fowler did not accept Chicagos $17.2 million qualifying offer, St. Louis forfeits its top draft pick next June, No. 18 overall, and the Cubs get an extra selection after the first round as compensationIt was a sacrifice the Cardinals were willing to make to not only improve their lineup, but snag a piece away from their biggest rival in the NL Central.Theres always the baseball angle in all decisions, but theres also the human element, Mozeliak said. We think about him as a leader. He wants to have a voice in that clubhouse. When you think back to wanting to change the culture of what we have going on -- we like what we have, but now its even better.---AP Sports Writer Dave Skretta and AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report. Wholesale NFL Jerseys South Africa . Paul Pierce couldnt believe he missed at the end. 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Cheap Jerseys South Africa For Sale .Y. -- Marcell Dareus and the Buffalo Bills defence made life miserable for Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco.Mark Sampson believes Girls Football Week will help continue the growth of the womens game in England. The England Womens head coach has shown his support for the Football Association initiative, which is focused on encouraging primary and secondary schools to provide football sessions for girls. Football clubs, community groups and educational establishments are among those being invited to run female specific sessions this week. Sampson, who led England to third place at last years World Cup in Canada, believes the knock-on effects of the initiative can only be positive. What we always want to do within womens football is to get more players and make those players better, he said. But the big challenge has always been opportunity. Sampson has won 23 of his 36 matches since taking over as England Womens head coach The support we had last summer made us realise that there were tons of girls out there who would love to start playing the game.dddddddddddd Weve just got to open the door for them.Girls Football Week will give every girl the opportunity to have a game of football, in whatever format they want, even if it is just messing about with their mates.The knock-on effect of initiatives like this just means that womens and girls football keeps growing, and hopefully we get to the point where every young girl in the UK, if they want to, gets an opportunity to play football. 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