Pujols

[Touch'EmAll]

Ok, go ahead, put him in. Just real frustrated with his recent stats, and his LOB numbers.

[KMayUSA6060]

You questioning Pujols' HoF status is like a Miami fan saying Ichiro is a borderline HoFer because he's not giving the Marlins 200+ hits and a .340 BA.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by KMayUSA6060

You questioning Pujols' HoF status is like a Miami fan saying Ichiro is a borderline HoFer because he's not giving the Marlins 200+ hits and a .340 BA.

Or like a Cleveland fan questioning LeBron.

[cardsfan73]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Or like a Cleveland fan questioning LeBron.

HA!!

[yanksfan09]

Pujols is beyond a first ballot lock. He's an all time great hitter. Fact is, he's 37 years old. This is how most players play around this age. Some all time greats are done before age 37 (DiMaggio etc...). As a fan I get that weak performance is frustrating but you have to have realistic expectations. At this point in his career anything you get out of Pujols is gravy on top of a long and storied career.

[Touch'EmAll]

I am a fan, an Angels fan. As a fan I have been disappointed with Pujols. Back when, I was all hyped up with Pujols coming to the Angels. I had high hopes of St. Louis type numbers (ok, yeah, all things considered he is a HOF'er). He hasn't put up HOF numbers since he came to the Angels, couple years ok. His recent LOB numbers, well, sigh. That is a big reason why, my Angels to the playoffs, are pie in the sky. He's a BUM! Boo!

[cardsfan73]

To blame Pujols for the Angels lack of a chance at the Playoffs is silly. There are so many issues.. Over paying for aging/declining players and no depth on the farm.

I certainly am glad Moreno stepped up and over paid Albert so the Cardinals didn't get stuck with that bad contract. I am a huge Albert fan and think he is an all time great (and until this season still good) but he was not worth what he got paid.

[lrspaulp]

Originally Posted by 100backstroke

I am a fan, an Angels fan. As a fan I have been disappointed with Pujols. Back when, I was all hyped up with Pujols coming to the Angels. I had high hopes of St. Louis type numbers (ok, yeah, all things considered he is a HOF'er). He hasn't put up HOF numbers since he came to the Angels, couple years ok. His recent LOB numbers, well, sigh. That is a big reason why, my Angels to the playoffs, are pie in the sky. He's a BUM! Boo!

WOW !! He is NOT the reason we don't make the playoffs, where to start though.......Arte's dumb signing of CJ Wilson, Arte's really dumb signing of Josh Hamilton and not re-signing Torii. Mike Butcher being the worst pitching coach in baseball, losing Joe Maddon, no pitching, our out-dated manager........start with those. Albert Pujols is a 100% first ballot HOF player and we over-paid badly for him, but he's not close to being the reason we can't make the playoffs. Just look at what Houston has done....we pissed away our entire farm system over the past 6-7 years.

[Sean]

If you want to boo someone, try Arty Moreno. He overpaid an aging superstar, and you want to blame Pujols? He has performed exactly as a great player should at his age. Just because management overpaid for him doesn't make him the problem.

[KMayUSA6060]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Or like a Cleveland fan questioning LeBron.

Well played.

[Touch'EmAll]

ok, don't blame Pujols. He has .233 Batting avg., a .374 slugging average, his WAR is -1.2 (thats NEGATIVE 1.2). And the only category he has ever led while an Angel is GDP, grounded into double plays. And all this batting in a choice and important spot in the lineup and behind Trout. Yup, give me a team full of Pujols' and we would be in the playoff hunt. Just frustrated.

[packs]

Well, who is your ace? Who is your closer? The closest thing the Angels had to an ace while Pujols had been on the team was Jered Weaver, a guy who strikes out no one. I can't think of anyone the Angels have developed through the farm in the last 5 years on the pitching side. Garrett Richards had one good year. Ervin Santana left the year Pujols arrived. There hasn't been much else.

[Sean]

Originally Posted by packs

Well, who is your ace? Who is your closer? The closest thing the Angels had to an ace while Pujols had been on the team was Jered Weaver, a guy who strikes out no one. I can't think of anyone the Angels have developed through the farm in the last 5 years on the pitching side. Garrett Richards had one good year. Ervin Santana left the year Pujols arrived. There hasn't been much else.

Speaking of pitching, the worst move that the Angels have made is letting Zack Greinke leave while at the same time signing Hamilton. Look how they've each performed since then, and the Angels could have kept Greinke for the money they threw away on Hamilton.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by 100backstroke

ok, don't blame Pujols. He has .233 Batting avg., a .374 slugging average, his WAR is -1.2 (thats NEGATIVE 1.2). And the only category he has ever led while an Angel is GDP, grounded into double plays. And all this batting in a choice and important spot in the lineup and behind Trout. Yup, give me a team full of Pujols' and we would be in the playoff hunt. Just frustrated.

And his first four years he had WAR of 4.8, 3.9 and 3.1 plus a year with injuries. Sure he looks done this year. He also has 4 years left on his contract and is going to be a stone around the Angels neck. Whose fault is that? The only dumb person to give him 10 years. The Cardinals wouldn't. That should have been a red flag. Don't blame Pujols, he did what anyone would and took the best offer. Pujols is a no doubt 1st ballot Hofer.

[bn2cardz]

Mickey Mantle hit .237ba/.385obp/.398slg in his last season at age 36. Pujols hit .268ba/.323obp/.457slg last season (age 36).

Attached is a screen shot of Pujols' and Mantle's age 30-36 seasons. Though there is a slight edge to Mantle, Pujols is very comparable.

[cardsfan73]

Originally Posted by 100backstroke

ok, don't blame Pujols. He has .233 Batting avg., a .374 slugging average, his WAR is -1.2 (thats NEGATIVE 1.2). And the only category he has ever led while an Angel is GDP, grounded into double plays. And all this batting in a choice and important spot in the lineup and behind Trout. Yup, give me a team full of Pujols' and we would be in the playoff hunt. Just frustrated.

So what your saying is Pujols should have turned down the contract and he needs to stop forcing your manager to stop playing him all the time and placing him in an impact spot in the line up? Got it.

Serious man, do you not get it? Pujols is not the problem w/ the Angels. The entire organization is the problem w/ the Angels! Sure it's nice to have a scapegoat, but your team has bigger problems than Albert! Bench Albert and the Angels still suck.

It would be like me blaming Dexter Fowler for all of the Cardinals problems this year. Do I think they paid to much for him? Sure do, but I also see the bigger issues with the team that have nothing to do with him. We take Fowler out of the line up and we still have poor defense, poor base running and a piss poor bullpen. Don't even get me started on our block head manager. Some of the blame goes to our ex Gm (now team president) for putting together this sub par team too.

I get it, your pissed your team over paid for a declining super star. You want Albert to do at age 37 what he did during the first 11 years of his career. This just wasn't going to happen. The Cardinals knew that but they still made a substantial offer to him. Thankfully good Ol' Arte Moreno came out and offered him even more and saved my team from that albatross of a contract.



On the bright side at least Albert is getting paid and playing, unlike Josh Hamilton who the Angels are paying $26 Million this year!

Should I even bring up the $9 Millions Cameron Maybin is being paid, the $5million that Danny Espinosa (who was also cut) is making.. $9million for Huston Street? $12million for Ricky Nolasco?

About the only team with a worse farm system than the Angels right now is the Royals.. but to their credit they at least sold the farm to reach 2 World Series & win one of them!

Yep, it's all Alberts fault the Angels suck