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Albert Pujols

5K views 13 replies 5 participants last post by  tator 
#1 · (Edited)
Ok, I just got the news and I'm very highly upset. This is not something that I expected and it sort of feels like someone close to me has died, in a weird way. By now you've probably heard that Pujols (arguably the best hitter in baseball) has signed with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for a reported $250 million for 10/years. This deal could extend up to as much as $260 million when all is said and done.

Here's my problem with this whole thing. I am a Christian and Albert is a Christian athlete. Always done the right thing, always made sure he was watching what he said and what he did. He doesn't drink, swear or cheat. He's a man's man and a HERO to many here in Missouri and the surrounding areas (including myself). He's not only a good baseball player, he's a great person. He played 11 seasons with the Cardinals with not a word said about wanting more money or wanting a trade or anything like that. Didn't stir up trouble or problems for 11 years.

We all knew this day would come, that he'd have to make a decision on whether to go or stay. As time went on this season many were upset here in Cardinals Nation about the low-ball offer the Cardinals were offering him to stay. Many had their doubts about whether he'd be worth that much money in 10 years or not. Why take that gamble? Well the Cardinals reportedly offered Pujols 9 years and a little under $200million to stay in the greatest baseball town EVER with the greatest baseball fans EVER.

Here's my grief: If he's truely a Christian and truely a baseball fanatic like he says he is, why would you up and leave a team that you just won a world series with, when every game (AND I MEAN EVERY GAME) is sold out constantly all season long, and the fans love you to death! Why would you leave? You have charities set up here for down-syndrome children because your wife has a child with this disability. That charity is based out of ST. LOUIS. Your home, your friends, your family are all here (Pujols is originally from Kansas City area). So why? That's all I want to know. The only thing I can come up with is MONEY. GREED. GETTING WHAT'S COMING TO HIM. This is NOT the Pujols we know. This is not the athlete I know as a hero. This is not someone I want to wear on my shirt anymore.

Why not be the bigger person and go on national TV and say, "you know what, I love it here in STL and we just won a World Series and everyone of importance is coming back, I'm going to take this offer even though I could make more, and I'm going to sign for the FANS who have supported me through thick and thin." WHY NOT? MONEY, that's why.

Comon' seriously, if there is a BIG difference to you between $200 million and $250 million then you have too much DANG money to start with. As long as I live I will never make $200 million. HELL I'll never make $2 million. Probably never even $1 million! But it's worth it to him, to get what he has coming to him. He doesn't want to be made fun of by other major leaguers for taking less money. He doesn't want that image.

I'm guessing Mr. Pujols has made a lifestyle change because he's no longer the Pujols that I rooted for. He's not the hero that I have on a FATHEAD in my basement with WWJD on his baseball cleats. Nope, he's a money-hungary spoiled baseball player.

Sorry to say this, but I hope he fails in Cali. I hope he fails Miserably and regrets leaving the best city for baseball (THAT INCLUDES NEW YORK OR BOSTON). I'm also sorry to say, that everything Pujols in my house is coming down. The fathead in the basement, the posters on my son's wall, the bobbleheads, the jerseys, that neatly wrapped poster I bought on EBAY that my son WAS going to get for Christmas this year, and YES even my cat (whom we named Albert a little over 6 years ago) will be getting a new name.


Greed is an evil thing. Good riddance, Mr. Pujols, thanks for letting us down.:sad:
 
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#3 ·
How come our HEROs always seem to fail us? I mean, I know Pujols is my age, but he's been around since he was 20 and I've followed him ever sense and admired him for NOT being like the Jeters, A-Rod's, Manny's, Ortizs, and other COCKY players. Now, I'm not so sure he isn't more like them than I thought, just in another way... GREED.

You know what this brings to mind? The whole LeBron James thing that ultimately made him look really bad and destroyed his image to many people who looked up to him. It's not for switching teams, but because of HOW he did it (national TV on a SPECIAL show just all about him).
Well in a sense, Pujols kinda did the same thing. Except it wasn't on national TV and it wasn't all about him.. but it was for the SAME reason... MONEY!

Think about it, what else could it be about? HE JUST WON A WORLD SERIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We have Berkman, Holliday, Furcal, Wainwright, Carpenter, Freese, Jay plus everyone else COMING BACK. LaRussa left, but Mike Matheny is the new skipper (WHOM PUJOLS HAS PLAYED WITH AND LIKES PERSONALLY). John Mabry (WHOM PUJOLS HAS PLAYED WITH AND ALOS LIKES PERSONALLY) is going to be the assistant hitting coach. Mark McGwire (WHOM PUJOLS HAS PLAYED WITH AND ALSO LIKES PERSONALLY) is the hitting coach... COMON'... this is BLACK and WHITE. It's money. There's nothing more. I personally can't wait till I get home tonight and watch sportscenter to see what he says about this. I want to hear his excuse. OF COURSE he's not going to say MONEY, but I want to hear his stupid reason.

The more I think about this the more it makes me mad. :ranting:
 
#4 ·
WHOA.... Maybe he didnt like how management treated him through the whole negotians deal? Maybe his wife wanted to move.. Maybe his kids will have better schools.. Maybe its been his life long dream to play for the Angels.

Maybe he prayed about it and the Lord told him it was time to move on. Maybe the Lord has a plan for that extra 50 million to be used on HIS work. Can you imagine the tithe check on that?

With all that being said I would be ill if I was a die hard Cardinals fan like you. It is frustrating how it has became just about the money (99%) of the time. Use to it seems folks like building a team and staying there.

Like M. Jordan said on the Lebron deal when they stacked the Miami Heat last year. He said he would never had wanted to play with L. Bird or M. Johnson. It was always his goal to beat them. The old timer baseball players always hated the other teams. There was no chitchat patting on the butt everytime the other team was standing on the bases.
 
#6 ·
Bryan Burwell (some MLB guy) thinks the Cards dropped the ball on this... Claims they didnt show respect to Albert and what he has accomplished..

He thinks he left because he didnt like the way he was treated.. Only did 1 phone interview with him while Marlins and Angels were beating his door down beggin him to come play with them and backing up their beggin with money..

Near the end he did say it would be stupid for him to turn down that kind of money..
 
#7 ·
Yeah but some things in life are worth more than the money. And that was the type of player he was. He's not anymore. Sorry, I'm not changing my opinion, he let us down for money (you said he even said so at the end of the interview). The Cardinals know his worth. He's not going to last another 10 years, that's the problem. They know by year 7 or 8 he's going to start that downward decline. To be quite honest, the Angels paid way too much. I guess I have A-Rod to thanks for setting the bar so high... or maybe the danged Yanks.

Bottom line is, he's gone, it sucks, and Cardinal's fans are upset.
 
#9 ·
I have a problem with athletes being called heroes,people who defend and fought for this country are heroes to me.Now the loyalty Tator feels as a fan is commendable but we assume the athlete feels the same way and time and time again it comes down to money.I cant grasp a player being insulted and low balled,i would love to be insulted like that.Just like when Jeter cried he was being insulted they signed him to money he isnt worth anymore and its hurts me to say that as a yankee fan but its the truth.This deal for Albert is too long of a deal hes already 31 so will have to see.
 
#10 ·
I use the term "HERO" loosely. Yes I agree soldiers are more HERO's than what athletes are.. but at the same time, a HERO is someone you look up to. Someone you admire. For doing the right thing and acting the right way. Hero's can be anyone you want, they don't have to be someone in a uniform or someone in a high office or even someone you personally know. They can be anyone. I thought he was someone I could look up to for his morals. Now, unfortunately, I'm second guessing that decision.
I know many of you think I'm crazy for talking like this... but that's because you don't understand. Albert meant more to us that what LeBron did to Cleveland. He "grew up" here. His fan base is better than any other athlete in the WORLD, I guarantee it. Is he the most popular, no, but fans YES. He IS STL Cardinals baseball. He's the reason why so many kids love baseball in this state and part of the country.
He did it for the money, and that's what hurts the most. We all didn't think he would be this way. We thought higher of him. It's not about the money, it's about having fun with what you're doing... playing a game called baseball. You are playing in a city that absolutely adores you and you walk away from it because someone throws cash at you. We just thought we meant more to him than that. It's going to take awhile to get over this for all Cardinals fans. I've been to hundreds of games in my life and I can honestly tell you walking up to the stadium and seeing all the pujols jerseys and pujols shirts, signs and everything else- he was loved here. And he threw it all away.
As for his wife wanting to possibly live in Cali? I doubt it.... like I said, she has a child with down syndrome and they have a HUGE charity in STL that they run. I didn't think they would want to leave that behind. Pujols has a restaurant in STL that is very successful... Who knows. Maybe he didn't like having everyone love him so much. some people are like that?? Maybe he wanted to move elsewhere and try something different. Maybe is WAS the money. Whatever it was, it sucks and we're all kinda uneasy about how this all went down.


btw- for what it's worth.. i just read that pujols living out in cali (the cost of living change) and making $250mil over the next 10 years would be the equivilent of him staying in STL and making $170 mil over the next 10 years. BASICALLY LESS THAN THE CARDINALS OFFERED HIM TO STAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Guess math wasn't a strong subject.
 
#14 ·
This is true- but it's just hard to see someone you admire and look up to turn to greed. The more and more I hear on sportscenter the more and more it's confirmed.... money. The thing I can't stand is that there is NO loyalty anymore in anything. I mean, the Cards fans treated him with so much respect, love and care and he just walks away from it without even saying good-bye.
I know there's many people out there saying he has the right to take more money because he's worth it- I'm NOT arguing that... he IS worth more than any player in MLB (including AROD), but you're missing the point. The STL cardinals DO NOT have the payroll the yanks, sox, dodgers, angels have. They don't have that kind of money to spend. If we offered that same deal to pujols we'd lose half the team because we couldn't afford to pay them. That's what we were hoping he would keep in the back of his mind. THis is more than just baseball. This is his team, his home. He knows the cards couldn't pay him $254 mil in 10 years. HE KNEW THAT from day one. Remember, before the season started he was asking for 10 years/$300 mil from the cards and he'd sign right then and there. That's absurd! We are not in the BIG martket like those other teams listed. That's why our tickets to a Cards games aren't like $200 just for a nose-bleed seat. If you go to a Yanks game, you're going to pay out the WAA-ZOO just for a ticket. I like the Cards and the way they do things. I in NO way think they dropped the ball on this. They offered what they could and what was FAIR. He was offered more, and took the money over the fans, the team, the friends, the home, and most importantly the city.

like I said, Good riddance.
 
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