Albert Pujols

[Potato_Salad]

I agree with you 100%!!!

I've been saying it here for weeks, and I continue to say it - Albert Pujols IS the real deal!

Hello Steve

I agree with you 100%!!!

That guy is amazing. Pujols would look very very nice in a Red Sox uniform.

 

[rellosk]

Pujols would look very very nice in a Red Sox uniform.

Will you stop it already, that's never going to happen.

 

[Cleef]

Yikes

Will you stop it already, that's never going to happen.

Rellosk, you feisty .....person.

Let Fruity Salad dream about his Pujols - in red hose.

 

[Potato_Salad]

^^^

Awesome picture Cleef!!! :classic:

Manny is on fire lately!!!

 

[Cleef]

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Has Pujols ever been tested for 'roids? If so, when?

May 25 The St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Joe Strauss reports St. Louis Cardinals 1B Albert Pujols has been tested three times this season for performance-enhancing drugs, passing all of them.

 

[Steve Pindar]

Wow

After 49 games - Albert Pujols has 25 HR and 64 RBI's. In a word - WOW!!

 

[Cleef]

Bonds who?

After 49 games - Albert Pujols has 25 HR and 64 RBI's. In a word - WOW!!

As long as your name isn't Bing Ding Dong Kim, Bonds can be pitched to. His bat has slowed somewhat, he's got more holes in his swing then he ever did before. His legs are causing him quite a bit of discomfort and he's having big trouble getting anything off the outer half of the plate (defending it, fouling off strikes). That being said, he still gets walked.

Why anyone is pitching to Pujols is beyond me. Even his mistakes are titanic outs.

Taking another look at that picture above..... damn. I'm a straight man, but he looks so good in that uni.

 

[aegap]

who and how good are those batting right after him?

 

[miguel]

No wonder I wondered abou you!

As long as your name isn't Bing Ding Dong Kim, Bonds can be pitched to. His bat has slowed somewhat, he's got more holes in his swing then he ever did before. His legs are causing him quite a bit of discomfort and he's having big trouble getting anything off the outer half of the plate (defending it, fouling off strikes). That being said, he still gets walked.

Why anyone is pitching to Pujols is beyond me. Even his mistakes are titanic outs.

Taking another look at that picture above..... damn. I'm a straight man, but he looks so good in that uni.

There's a name for all the problems Bonds is having.

It's called AGE.

I, for one, hates when Bonds get walked even without people on base. COWARDS, I say.

There's not one once of doubt in my mind that he have been using steroids for ages. The thing is that it will probably never be proved. Therefore, we can say all we want but at the end of the day, he can always say "prove it".

Btw, do you guys know that he hit 715 with almost 2,000 less at-bats than Hankie Aaron?. Amazing. Of course that he had some special "juice" to go with that diet!.

Now, regarding Pujols:

I knew that it was just a matter of time before people started to wonder if he is a "juice" lover.

Let someone prove it.

There was someone on ESPN that hinted that people are beginning to talk about steroids because he is hispanic. In my opinion:

NO WAY IN HELL. I think that whomever starts hitting homers "all over the place", white, hispanic, black or from the Moon, people will wonder. I would.

Cleef, let me know if you want his cell number for a date, hahaha.

 

[Cleef]

Good point

who and how good are those batting right after him?

Scott Rolen or Jim Edmonds, both of whom have been relatively unthreatening for this year and the majority of last.

Rolen is a shadow of his former self, same with Edmonds. I'd consider the protection around Bonds to be less significant - doubly so with Alou out.

I don't know how Felipe manages to win any games with that team. They are the most boring 9 in all of baseball (yes, IMO, Bonds included).

p.s. I had offered to help a friend work his vending counter over the weekend then had to back out. His vending area is right in CF where the 715 HR ball landed. Contrary to reports the guy who caught the ball was in line to get a "Stormin' Normin' Fried Dough" not a beer. Norman called today to rub it in.

 

[Cleef]

There's not one once of doubt in my mind that he have been using steroids for ages. The thing is that it will probably never be proved. Therefore, we can say all we want but at the end of the day, he can always say "prove it".

Btw, do you guys know that he hit 715 with almost 2,000 less at-bats than Hankie Aaron?. Amazing. Of course that he had some special "juice" to go with that diet!.

You're correct.

The really annoying part for me is that I'm surrounded by Bonds lovers. They only see the number, and they are thrilled with it.

That clearly delineates the fans between "fans of baseball" and "fans of entertainment" - the latter of which are the overwhelming majority here in SF.

I never saw Aaron play, but what I've seen of him and his swing, I think there needs to be a re-count. Kidding of course, but he sure doesn't look like a HR hitter (that's a credit to him, not a discount).

 

[bobandjudy]

Henry Aaron

When I was a kid, I saw Hank Aaron play on TV and remember reading an article about him in Street and Smith's Baseball magazine, 1969 edition. They said that Aaron was a great homerun hitter because of his extremely powerful wrists. He had a very quick swing; I remember one scout saying in the article, "Aaron's strike zone is from his ballcap to the tops of his shoes" or something like that.

Aaron also must have taken good care of himself in his late 30's. While other superstars like Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays were winding down in their late 30's (more Mantle than Mays), Aaron kept going--he hit 47 homers in 1969, his most for one season, at age 35. Even at age 39 in 1973, he hit 40. He was a model of amazing consistency and longetivity which enabled him to hit 755 homers.

Of course, he was fortunate to play in the launching pad at Atlanta from 1966 thru 1974, but he also played in the era of dominate pitching--Bob Gibson's ERA in 1968 was a stunning 1.12 for 305 innings of work, Luis Tiant's was 1.60--and still, in that year, he hit 28 homers (I think Willie McCovey lead the NL with 36).

 

[Cleef]

Punch and Judy

bobandjudy thanks for the history lesson, great stuff.

There are always factors that seperate generations (ballparks, height of the mound, pitching strong/weak periods, baseballs, etc.).

That being said, all indicators are that it was harder to hit HR's in Aaron's time.

I've seen his record homerun so many times, and each time I'm amazed that he was able to put up the numbers he did. I wish I got to see him play.

Wouldn't it be amazing (perhaps I'm on my own with this one) to be able to peruse that 69 Street and Smiths.

Great post. I can't help but think "punch and judy" hitter when I see your handle.

 

[bobandjudy]

Hammerin' Hank wasn't a punch and judy hitter!

Thanks Cleef, I'm sitting here at the computer laughing! Unfortunately my copy of the '69 S&S mag is long gone, but I remember it because the Tigers won the World Series in '68 and I'm a Tiger fan.

The pitching mound was 15" high in '68 and was lowered before the '69 season. Four expansion teams began playing in '69. Those two factors encouraged a lot more runs. Aaron's homer total went up from 28 to 47. Reggie Jackson's HRs went up from 29 to 47.

You know, another amazing thing about Hank was that he wasn't that big--I remember him being 6 feet tall, and he weighed about 180 pounds.

Everyone have a great day! Bob

 

[aegap]

Albert Pujols sucess is Good News for Dominican the Tourism Industry

Let the Midwesterners come and enjoy DR! .. ,

ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill., June 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Travel wholesaler Apple
Vacations is proud to announce its partnership with the Pujols Family
Foundation, which provides medical assistance to orphans in St. Louis
Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols' native Dominican Republic.
Apple Vacations will be providing free round-trip air transportation
for medical professionals and foundation staff from Lambert-St. Louis
International (STL) to Punta Cana International (PUJ) to support the needs
of orphanages in the Dominican Republic.
Apple Vacations operates two exclusive vacation flights each week from
St. Louis and brings thousands of St. Louis-area residents to the white
sand beaches and modern resorts of Punta Cana.
About Apple Vacations: For more than 37 years under the same
management, Apple Vacations, America's Favorite Vacation Company, has grown
to become one of the largest vacation companies in North America. In 2006,
Apple will operate more than 200 winter and 100 summer charters each week
on a national basis to more than 50 beach destinations in Mexico and the
Caribbean. Apple has recently been honored with the Travel Weekly Reader's
Choice Award for "Best Tour Operator to Mexico", "Best Tour Operator to the
Caribbean" and Recommend Magazine's Reader's Choice Award for "Best Tour
Operator to the Caribbean." Apple Vacations are sold exclusively through
retail travel agents.

SOURCE: aPPLE vACATIONS (Number one tour operators; America's Favorite Vacation company!)

 

[rellosk]

Im from the STL. We wont let him leave and he likes it here. The Card's willdo WHATEVER to keep him, plus we are a great Baseball City, always have been always will be.....come visit

Do you know when Pujols is supposed to return? I know he was put on the 15-day disabled list 15 days ago, but that means nothing.

 

[Hipocrito Mejia]

"Jun 18: Updating a continuing story, StLouis.Cardinals.MLB.com's Conor Nicholl reports St. Louis Cardinals 1B Albert Pujols (oblique) took grounders and short hops at first base before the team's game Sunday, June 18. He is eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list Monday, June 19, and will travel with the team on road trips for interleague play against the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers. However, if he were to come off the DL during that span, he would not be used as a designated hitter, according to Pujols and Cardinals manager Tony La Russa."

 

[rellosk]

"Jun 18: Updating a continuing story, StLouis.Cardinals.MLB.com's Conor Nicholl reports St. Louis Cardinals 1B Albert Pujols (oblique) took grounders and short hops at first base before the team's game Sunday, June 18. He is eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list Monday, June 19, and will travel with the team on road trips for interleague play against the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers. However, if he were to come off the DL during that span, he would not be used as a designated hitter, according to Pujols and Cardinals manager Tony La Russa."

Thanks for the update.

 

[Cleef]

coach speak

Larussa said he wouldn't be back until they were certain he could play a full week without bother.

He indicated that it's likely he'll be back before the All-Star break (3 weeks from yesterday) but it seems to me hitting (DH'ng) is of no importance. Swinging the bat is the hardest thing on his oblique injury, not playing in the field. Or so it would seem.

 

[Hipocrito Mejia]

Pujols has been taking full batting practice and working out at first base. He is scheduled to be in the lineup on Monday, 6/26.