Tag: Albert Pujols (Page 8 of 14)

      2010 MLB Preview: NL Central

      March 26, 2010 /

      In order to help get you ready for the MLB season, we’re doing division-by-division rankings with quick overviews on how each club could fair in 2010. Next to each team, you’ll also find a corresponding number written in parenthesis, which indicates where we believe that club falls in a league-wide power ranking. Be sure to check back throughout the next two weeks leading up to the season, as we will be updating our content daily. Enjoy.

      All 2010 MLB Preview Content | AL East Preview | AL Central Preview | AL West Preview | NL East | NL Central | NL West

      Next up is the NL Central.

      1. St. Louis Cardinals (4)
      Albert Pujols, Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright and Matt Holliday could help the Cardinals win this division sauced out of their minds on a nightly basis. That said, would anyone really be surprised if Carpenter’s arm falls off and the starting pitching (which is among the best in the league) suffers? It’s happened before, so if you answered “yes” to the proposed question then you sir or madam, have not been paying attention. Still, the addition of Brad Penny (who pitched well in the second half last year) will strengthen the club’s starting pitching and Kyle Lohse is a fine middle of the rotation guy. Pujols and Holliday will ignite the offense again, although Colby Rasmus might be the key to whether or not this team makes a serious World Series run. Skip Schumaker is a solid table setter, but how Rasmus fairs hitting in front of Pujols and Holliday could be the difference between the Cards winning the NL Central again and playing for a championship. David Freese better produce too or else the club will regret not acquiring a veteran third baseman in the offseason. All in all, the Cardinals are the best the NL Central has to offer and should make another postseason appearance this season. But how far they go beyond that depends on whether or not Carpenter and Wainwright can continue their magic and if Pujols and Holliday receive help from the rest of the lineup.

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      MLB

      Albert Pujols calls trade talk “stupid”

      March 16, 2010 /

      Cardinals’ slugger Albert Pujols was a little miffed when he discussed the recent trade rumors involving him and Phillies’ star Ryan Howard.

      From FOXSports.com:

      “There’s people, stupid, that like to write something when it’s not the truth, and that’s all I have to say about that,” he said as the Cardinals visited the New York Mets for an exhibition game.

      “If I’m getting traded, they need to come to me. That’s not my job to go to them,” Pujols said. “I’ve been saying all along I want to be here, but whatever, it’s not up to me. I just think somebody tried to be funny, but it’s so stupid when somebody takes something like that serious.”

      Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. denied his team had discussed a trade and used “lies” and “ridiculous” and “irresponsible” to describe the report, which ESPN based on unidentified sources.

      “I really don’t have anything to say about it,” Howard said at the Phillies’ camp in Clearwater.

      “Truthfully, I can go back to all the stuff that happened when I was in Double-A — all the talk about trade rumors. I don’t know anything about anything. I’m not really focused on it. If that were the case — I don’t know if it is or not — it is what it is. You just keep going out there and doing your thing. If you get a call saying you’re traded, then you’re traded. Until that happens, I’m still a Phillie. I’m still here. Let’s ride it out.”

      Per the ESPN report, the Cardinals and Phillies would swap the two stars before each of their contracts are up. But it sounds like an absolutely ridiculous notion and I don’t think fans should get too riled up over the possibilities here.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      MLB

      2010 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: First Basemen

      March 2, 2010 /

      All 2010 Fantasy Articles | 2010 Position Rankings

      Before the onset of a draft, many fantasy owners believe that they better select their first baseman in one of the first three rounds. If they don’t land Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, Miguel Cabrera, Mark Teixeira or Ryan Howard early, then their entire draft could be ruined.

      There’s certainly nothing wrong in subscribing to this theory. Making first base a top priority is a wise decision given the production you’ll get across the board from someone like Cabrera, Teixeira and of course, Pujols. That said, there are many owners that don’t mind waiting to address first base, instead choosing to stockpile players at more scarce fantasy positions. That’s not a bad way to go either, especially if other owners are focusing on first base in the first couple rounds.

      We don’t need to re-hash how good guys like Pujols and Fielder are. Instead, here are seven first basemen that you can nab in the middle rounds if you choose to address other positions early. You won’t get the same out-of-this-world numbers that you would from a Pujols, Fielder or Cabrera from these seven, but chances are you’ll be quite satisfied by your first base production by the end of the season.

      Mark Reynolds, Diamondbacks
      We don’t have to sell you on Reynolds given his breakout 2009 campaign. He hit 44 dingers and drove in 102 runs while hitting .260 last year and while he may not duplicate those numbers, if he keeps his steals up (he swiped 24 bags last season) then he’ll be extremely valuable. You’d be in good shape if you grabbed premier players at other positions and then nabbed Reynolds after the top seven or eight first basemen come off the board.

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      Fantasy Baseball, MLB

      Pujols adamant about extending career with Cardinals

      February 27, 2010 /

      Speaking with Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Albert Pujols has intimated that while his future with the Cardinals remains up in the air, he would love to remain part of the team.

      Here are the highlights of multiple conversations I had with Pujols this week; some of his comments came during his visit to my radio show on WXOS (101.1 FM).

      — On his contract, which is up after 2011:

      “People in St. Louis and our fans around the country know where I want to be. And that’s St. Louis. There’s no city like St. Louis to play baseball. And the way the city has embraced me, and my family and our charitable foundation has been unbelievable. I am blessed. So why would I want to go anywhere else?

      “I appreciate being a Cardinal. I appreciate wearing this uniform. I appreciate being part of the legacy over the last nine years and I want to continue to do that. I appreciate being around the Hall of Famers. I don’t think there’s many organizations who have that. I think we have the most (living) Hall of Famers, and they come around. You see Stan Musial, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, Ozzie Smith, Red Schoendienst all the time. They spend time with us. You appreciate talking baseball with all of those guys. So why would I want to go anywhere?

      “Do I want to do this right now and take care of this so we don’t need to worry about it? Of course. If it happens, it happens. But there are some things I am able to control and there are other things that are out of my hands that I can’t control. And that’s the truth.”

      Pujols is entering his tenth season as a Cardinal, the team with which he has spent his entire career. I’m all for Pujols staying in St. Louis, solely because I appreciate when players and their fans maintain a connection. How many current players have spent ten consecutive seasons (at least 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched) with the same team? They are listed below with their respective team and the number of seasons spent with that team.

      Lance Berkman (Astros) – 10
      Roy Halladay (Blue Jays) – 11
      Andruw Jones (Braves) – 11
      Chipper Jones (Braves) – 15
      Kerry Wood (Cubs) – 10
      Jim Thome (Indians) – 10
      Omar Vizquel (Indians) – 11
      Ken Griffey Jr. (Mariners) – 11
      Jamie Moyer (Mariners) – 11
      Luis Castillo (Marlins) – 10
      Melvin Mora (Orioles) – 10
      Ivan Rodriguez (Rangers) – 12
      Jason Varitek (Red Sox) – 12
      Tim Wakefield (Red Sox) – 15
      Todd Helton (Rockies) – 12
      Paul Konerko (White Sox) – 11
      Derek Jeter (Yankees) – 15
      Jorge Posada (Yankees) – 13
      Mariano Rivera (Yankees) – 15

      I might be forgetting a few, but the supplied data speaks for itself: gone are the days of firmly establishing a collection of players. Oh, and the Yankees find a good thing and stick with it. Yes, they have have the money to make it happen, but they’ve utilized the same strategy since their inception. It’s great for both the fans and business.

      Update: I did some more research and found some surprises. While the list has expanded, it’s still disappointing that many teams haven’t kept a player (granted, there are the retirees and those serving the remainder of their contracts) longer than ten consecutive years in the recent past.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      MLB

      Pujols in no hurry to sign an extension with the Cardinals

      October 15, 2009 /

      According to ESPN.com, Albert Pujols has no interest in signing a contract extension with the Cardinals this offseason.

      “I’m not desperate to sign a contract extension. I still have one year remaining in my contract for 2010 and a club option for 2011. I leave the rest in God’s hands,” Pujols told a Dominican radio station (CDN 92.5 FM) Wednesday during an interview on the sports program “Manana Deportiva.”

      Pujols signed a seven-year contract for $100 million after the 2003 season, but the two-time MVP said money will not be the central issue in his next contract.

      “We have not sat down to talk about contracts yet. Last week, the GM [John Mozeliak] called me and I told them to talk to my lawyer. But I reiterate that money is not everything, it’s better to have a competitive team that can go to the postseason,” he added.

      Pujols, 29, hit .327 with 47 home runs and 135 RBIs this season for the Cardinals, and is a heavy favorite to win the NL MVP.

      St. Louis would obviously love to make Pujols a Cardinal for life, but it makes sense that he doesn’t want to rush the process when he doesn’t have to. He’s basically under contract for the next two years (the Cardinals will pick him his option in 2011) and therefore doesn’t have to think about his pending free agency for a while.

      I don’t read this as Pujols hinting that he doesn’t want to be a Cardinal. I just think he wants to take things one year at a time, especially when he still has at least two more years left in St. Louis.

      MLB

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