So, it's official, Albert Pujols is leaving the Saint Louis Cardinals. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim swept out of the blue and grabbed him last night
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This is basically how I feel about it. In a lot of ways, I think it is good for the Cardinals (seriously). I was kind of dreading them having a $220 million albatross on their payroll 3 - 5 years down the road. I'm one of those that isn't sure Pujols is even 32, so I kind of expect him to start really breaking down pretty shortly (3 years?). That is just too much money for them to absorb given their payroll for someone who about to enter a rapidly declining part of their career.
All that said, I agree with you about Pujols. He is far more mercenary than I thought and I think he'll miss the St. Louis market, which is much more forgiving the the major markets. He really couldnt' have pulled that stunt where he left the clubhouse without talking after a major error in (game 5?) of the world series in a major market without being heavily scrutinized, for just one example.
Apparently, he just wanted to say he had a big contract. Well, he got one. I'm disappointed in him, but I do think the Cardinals are actually better off.
Bernie Miklasz such much the same thing in his Post-Dispatch column today. Apparently Albert's trying to spin a nakedly mercenary move, and is overlooking all the ways the club and the fans forgave and defended their sometimes moody and always brittle star.
In his Friday column, Bernie also points out something that I hadn't thought much about: Albert is probably giving up his chance to be a legend. Sure, he's guaranteed Cooperstown, and will continue to be one of the greatest players the game has ever seen, but he has given up the chance to be the second greatest player ever (after Stan the Man) on a team with some of the most devoted fans in baseball. People play the game for a number of reasons, but I find it odd that $44 million on top of $210 million is worth loosing that. At some point, most people start looking for something beyond money. I guess if Pujols does look for something more, being immortalized by some of the greatest sports fans in the world is not it.
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All that said, I agree with you about Pujols. He is far more mercenary than I thought and I think he'll miss the St. Louis market, which is much more forgiving the the major markets. He really couldnt' have pulled that stunt where he left the clubhouse without talking after a major error in (game 5?) of the world series in a major market without being heavily scrutinized, for just one example.
Apparently, he just wanted to say he had a big contract. Well, he got one. I'm disappointed in him, but I do think the Cardinals are actually better off.
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In his Friday column, Bernie also points out something that I hadn't thought much about: Albert is probably giving up his chance to be a legend. Sure, he's guaranteed Cooperstown, and will continue to be one of the greatest players the game has ever seen, but he has given up the chance to be the second greatest player ever (after Stan the Man) on a team with some of the most devoted fans in baseball. People play the game for a number of reasons, but I find it odd that $44 million on top of $210 million is worth loosing that. At some point, most people start looking for something beyond money. I guess if Pujols does look for something more, being immortalized by some of the greatest sports fans in the world is not it.
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