Article on Pujols

[IowaAngels27]

http://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2013/7/1/4481642/albert-pujols-the-bullet-the-st-louis-cardinals-dodged

 

Found this article on a Cardinals fan forum.  My first thought on this article was how incredibly biased this is.  The writer had nothing negative to say about Pujols playing with the Cardinals, and absolutely nothing positive to say about him playing with the Angels.  My second thought was as he mentioned the decline in production he failed to mention that in 2012, excluding April, Albert hit roughly .297, which I would consider very respectable.  And my third and final thought is that as the writer mentions how "bad" Albert has been in 2013, he fails to mention the fact that he is playing with an injury that he could have easily gone on the DL for and missed time.  These articles fire me up and I really hope Albert plays well these next 3 days and for the rest of the season.  He will be a big part in continuing to right the wrongs of the season so far.  I'd love to hear others thoughts on this.

[mancini79]

Fans aren't the only one's in St Louis that are still butt hurt he left. These kind of articles are for entertainment purposes only.

[tdawg87]

I don't get it. The Cards have one of the best franchises in sports, and have shown that they can and will be successful without Pujols. Yet we have articles like this, and the butthurt Cardinal trolls coming here for no reason whatsoever. It's like an angry ex girlfriend who has to keep checking up on what her old flame is up to, and when she sees how miserable things have gotten for him and his new girlfriend, she still has to rub it in both their faces

[Bruce Nye]

Last year in Tempe, I ran into a husband and wife from St. Louis dressed in Cardinal gear.  I asked them where they lived and when they told me, they also said they always attend SL spring training games in Florida, but this year they couldn't bear not to watch Pujols play.  The were the epitome of butt-hurt Cards fans.

[Ohtaniland]

Allen Craig 1B .318 / 9hr's / 63rbi's / .838ops

Matt Adams 1B .316 / 6hr's / 20rbi's / .933ops

Albert Pujols DH .249 / 13hr's / 49rbi's / .752ops

I don't think the Cardinals miss him anymore.

[mancini79]

Allen Craig 1B .318 / 9hr's / 63rbi's / .838ops

Matt Adams 1B .316 / 6hr's / 20rbi's / .933ops

Albert Pujols DH .249 / 13hr's / 49rbi's / .752ops

I don't think the Cardinals miss him anymore.

 

The CARDINALS don't miss him...

[Ohtaniland]

That fan that wrote the article is probably still butthurt but he's spot on about Albert's production. I still don't understand why Albert Pujols started declining so early.

Interesting to note; Hank Aaron at age 39 hit .301 / 40hr's / 96rbi's / 1.045ops

[YouthofToday]

The Cardjnals are substantially better off -- not even factoring salary -- with either The Wrench or Matt Adams at 1B this and for the next 6 years...

[Hoops McCann]

You guys need to understand the psyche of a Cardinal fan in order to understand the impact the Pujols departure had on some fans.

 

Many Cardinal fans believe that they are the best fans in baseball.  Playing is St. Louis is an honor as they have the most storied history in the NL, the games are almost always sold-out and the fans/media in St. Louis tend to give the players a lot of leeway.

 

Pujols was supposed to be the second coming of Stan Musial (who was almost god-like in St. Louis).  He was supposed to be the heir apparent to the organization.  For 10 years the fans showered him with love, never questioned him and always were willing to support him.  So, when he decided to split town, the fans were stunned. 

 

How could he ever leave baseball Heaven?  Most fans didnt think it was probable, let alone possible.  Feelings got hurt (both the fans, Pujols and the organization), things were said and emotions got in the way.

 

I love Pujols, always have, always will.  What he meant to the town and the team can not be overstated, but you must move on.  Many Cardinal fans cant (or dont want to) move on as they still cant believe Pujols would leave Baseball Heaven and an organization like the Cardinals for a few more million.

 

Looking back on it, the team is vastly better off without Pujols.  I didnt think, at least for the first 3-4 years, I would be able to say that, but they are.  Contributions from Craig and Adams have been greater than Pujols' output. 

 

I wish Pujols nothing but the best..he deserves it.

[70runner]

After "finding himself" in early June, he has returned to Albert Pujols, hitting .163 over the last 10 games.  He resembles an overpaid Abreu at the plate.  Will he turn it on against the cards?  I think the more realistic question is can he still turn it on against anyone? 

 

Trout should be hitting 3rd, this Albert should be down in the lineup with Hamilton.

[CaliAngel]

Even though he hasn't been playing up to expectations, it still makes me smile when I think Albert Pujols plays for the Angels. 

[Ohtaniland]

You guys need to understand the psyche of a Cardinal fan in order to understand the impact the Pujols departure had on some fans.

 

Many Cardinal fans believe that they are the best fans in baseball.  Playing is St. Louis is an honor as they have the most storied history in the NL, the games are almost always sold-out and the fans/media in St. Louis tend to give the players a lot of leeway.

 

Pujols was supposed to be the second coming of Stan Musial (who was almost god-like in St. Louis).  He was supposed to be the heir apparent to the organization.  For 10 years the fans showered him with love, never questioned him and always were willing to support him.  So, when he decided to split town, the fans were stunned. 

 

How could he ever leave baseball Heaven?  Most fans didnt think it was probable, let alone possible.  Feelings got hurt (both the fans, Pujols and the organization), things were said and emotions got in the way.

 

I love Pujols, always have, always will.  What he meant to the town and the team can not be overstated, but you must move on.  Many Cardinal fans cant (or dont want to) move on as they still cant believe Pujols would leave Baseball Heaven and an organization like the Cardinals for a few more million.

 

Looking back on it, the team is vastly better off without Pujols.  I didnt think, at least for the first 3-4 years, I would be able to say that, but they are.  Contributions from Craig and Adams have been greater than Pujols' output. 

 

I wish Pujols nothing but the best..he deserves it.

Hoops, nicely put but we haven't seen the Albert you've seen since he's put on an Angels uniform. When the Cardinals visit Anaheim this week I'm sure they won't recognize Albert like they remembered him either. I just hope he doesn't embarrass himself by trying to swing for the fences to show the Cards fans that he's still the same Albert.

[Angelsjunky]

Understand first that Pujols was to the Cardinals what Trout is becoming to the Angels: not simply a superstar or franchise player, but one of the three greatest players to ever put on a Cardinals uniform (the others being Rogers Hornsby and Stan Musial). Musial in particular was THE Great Cardinal - unlike Hornsby not only did he play his entire career in St Louis, but he was a gracious, loved player. Musical retired in 1963 and the Cardinals had decades of good and very good players, but no one to replace Stan the Man. Then Albert came along and the Cardinals had their next Great Cardinal. That explains the so-called "butthurt."

 

But the sad part is that nothing the article says is wrong. The Cardinals DID dodge a bullet with Pujols and the Angels ARE faced with a seriously declined player. The joke is not on the supposedly "butthurt" Cardinals fans but on the Angels fans and franchise, who are stuck with Pujols for another eight and a half years. Sure, Albert could magically get over his plantar fasciitis and turn back the clock, but the fact of the matter is that Albert's overall numbers have declined in each of the last four years.

 

The simple fact of the matter is that Albert stopped being an elite player in 2010 - that was his last great year (and it was noticeably diminished from 2009). For the last two and a half years, 2011-2013, he's seen further decline from very good (2011) to good (2012) to mediocre (2013). I think there's a good chance that his 2013 ends up being somewhat similar to 2012, but the trend is rather disturbing and even if 2012 is his new norm, its still well below what the Angels expected when they gave him a ten-year contract.

 

So, in the end, we're the ones who are screwed. The Cardinals should rest easy because they did dodge a bullet.

[nando714]

F*ck the cardinals

In my book they're in the category of red sox, yankees, dogs and we never play them

I hope pujols shoves it in their face

[Angelsjunky]

Evidently nando714 hates baseball.

[bloodbrother]

Even though he hasn't been playing up to expectations, it still makes me smile when I think Albert Pujols plays for the Angels. 

 

I'm already over it.

[Jay]

F*ck the cardinals

In my book they're in the category of red sox, yankees, dogs and we never play them

I hope pujols shoves it in their face

 

Talk about butt-hurt

[fan_since79]

Even though he hasn't been playing up to expectations, it still makes me smile when I think Albert Pujols plays for the Angels.

 

You'll be crying in a couple years time.

[wopphil]

When I hear the word "Pujols" the term that immediately comes to mind is "shell of his former self."

I don't understand it...plenty of hitters have remained excellent well into their late 30s. How is it that at 33, the greatest player of his generation is no longer a threat? Everyone talks about A-Rod's deal being an albatross, but Pujols is owed almost double what the Yankees owe A-Rod.

Pujols's deal is horrible, but thankfully the team appears to have enough budget room to where it shouldn't prevent us from being competitive.

[m0nkey]

A-Rod with his hip is probably better than pujols right now

[moccasin]

I don't understand the Cardinal's feelings towards Albert either.

He gave the Cardinals one of the best 10 year productions in history, and contributed to 2 WS rings.

All this while he cost the team only about 100MM over 10 years, which is absurdly being underpaid.

Not to mention that he was a 13th round draft pick, and gave the franchise a 1st round pick when he left as well.

 

And yet, the Cardinal FO insulted him with an initial 5 year deal, and tried to make the man a villain for not accepting another well below market deal.

You fans should either be mad at your own franchise for not signing the next coming Stan, or thank the franchise for moving on and making a wise decision.

[Angelsjunky]

When I hear the word "Pujols" the term that immediately comes to mind is "shell of his former self."

I don't understand it...plenty of hitters have remained excellent well into their late 30s. How is it that at 33, the greatest player of his generation is no longer a threat? Everyone talks about A-Rod's deal being an albatross, but Pujols is owed almost double what the Yankees owe A-Rod.

Pujols's deal is horrible, but thankfully the team appears to have enough budget room to where it shouldn't prevent us from being competitive.

 

I feel your pain and confusion, wopphil. First of all, while plenty of hitters remain excellent into their mid to late 30s, most start seriously declining in their early 30s; actually, the 32-33 range is a very common time to take a major step down, and note that both Pujols and Hamilton were entering their age 32 seasons when signed to mega-contracts (as was A-Rod, I believe).

 

There's also the question of Pujols' age. While I'd like to take his word for it, he very well could be two or three years older. His numbers would make a lot more sense for a 35 or 36 year old.

 

It could also simply be that he's only lost a half-step and has simply been suffering a variety of ailments, mental and physical:

 

2011 - started slowly due to contract issues, then he started killing the ball

2012 - started very slowly, perhaps due to being in a new environment, then away from his family, then started killing the ball

2013 - has suffered from bad plantar fasciitis

 

Now theoretically with a year of rest and recuperation he should be healed up for next year and at least return to something vaguely similar to his former self (we'd be happy with .290/.900 at this point). But its hard to ignore the fact that he's had plantar fasciitis before and while it might be worse this year, its been with him pretty much since the beginning of the year - which isn't a good sign. Plantar fasciitis only heals through complete rest - that is, not putting weight on your feet. I don't believe there's a magical surgery cure.

 

All in all its hard to be hopeful.

[yk9001]

My second thought was as he mentioned the decline in production he failed to mention that in 2012, excluding April, Albert hit roughly .297, which I would consider very respectable

 

Except for the iceberg, the Titanic was a pretty nice cruise.

[yk9001]

Even though he hasn't been playing up to expectations, it still makes me smile when I think Albert Pujols plays for the Angels. 

 

What does Pujols do to make you smile?

[Angelsjunky]

My second thought was as he mentioned the decline in production he failed to mention that in 2012, excluding April, Albert hit roughly .297, which I would consider very respectable

 

Except for the iceberg, the Titanic was a pretty nice cruise.

 

Other than that, how was the show Mrs. Lincoln?