Albert Pujols

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  • #83412
    bicyclemike
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    Interesting Pugs. In terms of stats, Albert was the better player. But I am not sure how much Albert contributed to a team beyond the lines. He certainly contributed a lot on the field, so even if he was neutral as far as the intangibles, he did a lot to contribute to winning ball games.

    Pete probably did as much to win games beyond the stat line as any player in history. He has some character flaws, but he was a winner during his playing career. He was a prime contributor to what I consider the greatest National League teams to ever play the game, the 1975-76 Cincinnati Reds.

    #83414
    Brian Walton
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    I dunno about this comp. Rose won one MVP, had one second, two fourths and a fifth. That is five top five finishes.

    Albert has three MVPs, four seconds (thanks to Bonds), a third, fourth and fifth. That is 10 top five finishes. Doesn’t look all that close to me.

    It would be interesting to see their comparable team W-L records as a player.

    #83416
    stlcard25
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    Albert was a clunky foot and the advent of the shift away from being possibly the greatest right handed hitter this side of Hank Aaron. Rose was great, but like Brian, the comparison isn’t all that close.

    #85893
    Brian Walton
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    I have not had time to watch this, but it is generating a lot of social media discussion….

    #86110
    1982 willie
    Participant

    well brian, I did watch it or a lot of it. here is my take on it. to me, the cardinal organization did him wrong. yea he turned down a fairly good offer but obviously pujols wanted some securities after his playing days which the angels provided. right after the 2011 season ended, they should have been calling him right then to talk about things but no. then when they did offer him a contract, it was a total disrespectful 5 year deal. sure the money was fine but pujols obviously wanted and deserved the security of a contract that took him to the end of his career. now should he have taken the nine year deal when it was offered a year earlier, maybe, but im not privy to all the details plus I think pujols wanted some security after his playing days which the angels offered him. pujols had given the cardinals a huge break on his first contract. he got paid far less than he deserved and far over produced for what he got. so when it was the cardinals turn to reward him, they low balled him and disrespected him. I never blamed pujols for leaving cause ive always known the cards to be ultimately cheap in the big picture of things. im still puzzled by the nine year offer and why he didn’t sign that, but I believe he wanted some securities and the cards weren’t interested. pretty sad when you see what pujols did on and off the field for this team.

    #86114
    Brian Walton
    Keymaster

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    1982 willie said:

    “…im still puzzled by the nine year offer and why he didn’t sign that, but I believe he wanted some securities and the cards weren’t interested…”

    Why would a nine-year offer not provide more than enough security? Age 31 plus nine would have taken him up to 40 or almost to it. Seems more like he may have overplayed his hand, hoping for more later on, but he was offered less.

    His stats had already started to trend down before he left St. Louis, as the foot injuries worsened. His final season, 2011, was his worst as a Cardinal. Still great, but not Pujols great. It was his age 31 season. Seems quite likely this went into the later contract offer thinking by the team.

    #86115
    UConn Card
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    Quoting Lance Beckman when discussing the decision-making process for potential free agents: “No matter what they say, it’s always about the money.”

    #86118
    bicyclemike
    Moderator

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    That whole thing took on quite a soap opera persona. The interview glossed over the 9 year, roughly $200M offer the Cardinals made in January 2011, before deciding to table any further talks until after the season. As Albert said, at that point it became a business deal, and he was out to get as much as he could.

    Then after the Marlins were the primary pursuers for Albert’s services, the Cardinals did go 10 years/$220M. But in the interview, the Cardinals slow approach after the end of the 2011 season was the thing that started the bad blood between the Pujols’ and the ball club, followed by the lesser offer than they had made in January.

    It is interesting to speculate what might have transpired had Arte Moreno not suddenly stepped up with his lifetime offer. Had it been just Miami and St. Louis, the Cards would have retained Albert on that 10 year $220M deal, which was just a little more than he was offered in January. Moreno bailed the Pujols’ out.

    #86120
    1982 willie
    Participant

    well bwalton, there is more to a contract negotiation than money. like I said, its puzzling to me why he didn’t take that offer if more money wasn’t the main consideration like he was saying. was one year worth turning downing the contract. so more clarity on that would help me understand. I don’t abide by the club offering him five years based on him slowing down due to injuries. when he signed a contract that gave the club a favorable deal, and then was performing as great as or better than the greatest that ever played, I don’t remember the club coming out and giving him an extra 5 to 10 million dollars after the season that they easily could have afforded. a contracts a contract so I don’t have a problem there but when that player that gave you a favorable deal and then easily over performed for it, comes up for his new contract, you reward him even if it may turn out to be an overpay later. its one of the reasons I feel the cardinals have problems getting big name free agents. this wasn’t a normal free agent that had a couple of great years, he was all time for a good long while and did great things off the field as well for the cardinals. like I said, more information on the nine year offer would be nice but the five year deal, that’s just an insult no matter the zeroes you put after the other numbers on the offer.

    #86122
    Brian Walton
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    His justification was that he was disrespected. No one but him and the Cardinals know the truth. But even if we had all the details of exactly what was offered and said when, respect and disrespect is in the eye of the beholder. And as Berkman suggested, respect is nothing more than a politically-correct term for money.

    It will probably take until well after his playing career and personal services contracts conclude, but I am confident that one day Albert will finally admit that he made a mistake by not staying.

    However, he certainly isn’t going to say it while he has almost 13 years remaining on Arte’s payroll. Step back and think about how that would play in Anaheim.

    Albert got his money and his respect from Arte and Arte got a player who was nowhere near as good as he once was and has brought him zero playoff success. I still say, good for Albert, as he made his choices and came out just fine.

    But still, folks have to expect he is going to represent the events to put himself in the best possible light. Give him his deserved standing ovation, but don’t be fooled into thinking he couldn’t have stayed. Instead, be respectfully glad he left.

    #86136
    mudville
    Participant

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    Poor Albert. How humiliated he must have felt when the Cardinals only offered him $200M, then reduced the offer to a paltry $130M! Look at all he’s done for everybody, and then to be treated like that! Miraculously, God got him the $230M that he deserved. (No explanation as to why God wanted to punish the Angels with a $230M bad contract.)

    #86142
    NJ315
    Participant

    355 million and call it a career. Not bad. Especially how bad he has been for the angels.

    #86150
    Euro Dandy
    Participant

    Free

    It was a win-win-win. Cards and Albert won a couple WS together, Albert squeezed the extra millions he wanted into his final contract, and the Cards didn’t have to wear the albatross.

    #86217
    1982 willie
    Participant

    well its my opinion I would be happy to still have pujols. while his numbers are far from days gone by, they aren’t really terrible by the standards of the players the cardinals have had on their team since. hes had a lot of injuries, that is true. but having him as a lifetime cardinal was the right thing to do if it was possible based on what he did. sometimes sports or anything for that matter has to be more than about the money. elsewise just turn it all into the wwe. now maybe pujols should have signed the nine year deal but I would like to know more than what I know now to justify that. im not gonna take the cardinals managements word cause they are even more likely to lie than pujols. far as disrespect goes, im sorry it isn’t always about money. it may be the case here but you cant say its a given. I know a lot of people are glad he didn’t get signed because hes not near the same player. but its not how I look at it. at least with him I could say that he did some great, all time great things for us and deserves some respect and earned the money hes making now back when which with most of the current lot, I cant say they deserve much of anything at all.

    #87092
    Brian Walton
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    #87141
    gscottar
    Participant

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    Albert still has the Wrigley magic as he hit a homer there yesterday. Unfortunately it was a loss as Mike Trout is missing the series with an injury.

    I was at Wrigley in 2004 when Albert hit three bombs in one game.

    #89917
    Brian Walton
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    Seems an ideal day to remember Albert with the top no. 5’s of all time per Sporting News.

    https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/on-cinco-de-mayo-the-10-best-mlb-players-ever-to-wear-no-5/guca1ys6uebu1a11ui5uopdjh

    #89919
    bicyclemike
    Moderator

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    I was at Wrigley in 2004 when Albert hit three bombs in one game.

    I will never forget that game. I was not there, but listening to the broadcast. Matt Morris started, and was shelled as we were down 7-1 in the early innings. But Albert proceeded to hit three out, and lead us to a big comeback win. That was the kind of game where you know your team is the real deal.

    We will see if this 2019 squad has anything like that in them.

    #90309
    Brian Walton
    Keymaster

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    Pujols collected his 2000th career RBI today.

    #90320
    1982 willie
    Participant

    pretty cool thing there pujols. he was an rbi machine. I cant compare him with guys I never saw or those like mays and arron who were old when I saw them but best hitter I ever saw.

    #90329
    Bob Reed
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    Free

    Ruth. Aaron. Pujols.

    Now THAT is one prestigious club.

    #90330
    stlcard25
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    It’s water under the bridge at this point and the Cards were very likely better off without him, but it’s a little sad to see Albert passing all these milestones away from the team that he was so dominant with. Still, good for him. The saber guys may say he’s a liability, but his teammates still seem to think he’s an asset to the club and he still has some pop. I hope he hits 763+, unrealistic as that is.

    #90331
    Brian Walton
    Keymaster

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    The man who caught Pujols’ ball did not bend to the pressure to give it back. He is going to give it to his brother, a Cardinals fan. Some were critical, but Pujols said it is the fan’s right to keep it.

    https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2019/05/09/i-dont-want-money-tigers-fans-turns-down-four-offers-keeps-albert-pujols-2-000-rbi-baseball/1158866001/

    #90337
    stlcard25
    Participant

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    Is the man’s brother thejager?? Haha

    Neat story, and I’m glad he’s keeping it. He’s got the right.

    #127980
    Brian Walton
    Keymaster

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    Brendan Schaeffer from KMOV has put several thoughts together. The DH coming to the NL. Molina likely staying. Albert in his career decline, but still wanting to keep playing.

    Conclusion: The Cardinals should sign Albert for 2022, his age 42 season.

    What do you think?

Viewing 25 posts - 101 through 125 (of 424 total)
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