OT Pujols 3K
pretty amazing Barry Bonds isn't on that list. I had to look it up to confirm.
2935 career hits and 2558 walks (MLB record).
One website I checked mistakenly had Ruth with 3000 hits. Kind of crazy he didn't make it, but he - like Bonds - walked a ton. I think his pitching career also cut into his ABs.
Ruth had been dead almost 30 years before the DH was added.
are bad, M'Kay?
#TestPujols
They're bad, yes.
Remember that the pitchers were taking them, too.
#TestEveryone
A few factors argue against him taking roids. His top year was 49 homers. He was consistently in the 35-45 HR per year range. His head, while large, never grew to gargantuan Bonds-like size. He played during the era where testing was prevalent and never tested positive that I know of. He only missed parts of one season with injuries. The roid guys got too big and usually had joint and ligament issues as a result. I don't recall him ever having a roid rage moment a la Clemens throwing a bat at Piazza.
A few factors argue for him taking roids. He played with McGwire so he had access. He hit a lot of home runs. He was very strong. Jack Clark accused him of doing so, and he was rumored to have bacne.
If I had to guess, I would say he tried them, but was smart enough to stop when it became a huge national issue, unlike that dumbass A-Roid.
He could have stayed in St. Louis and hit 750 homers, but if Willie Mays had played in a hitter's park, he would have hit 800 homers. I don't know about Pujols being overrated, but anyone not saying Mays was the best hitter (power and average) are under rating him.
A very strong argument could be made that Willie Mays was the best there ever was in the history of Baseball.
I would definitely have Willie Mays on my best of all time team, along with Ted Williams, Ty Cobb, Satchel Paige, Walter Johnson, and Josh Gibson.
Only the older steroids caused rages. They actually were desinged to cause rages. The problem with those steroids is the time when the rages happened could not be controlled. The newer steroids do not cause rages.
And it's very hard to catch those using the newer steroids as they clear the body much, much quicker than older steroids. One steroid clears the body in one day.
And urine testing at meets, and at scheduled times, is pretty much useless as those using steroids quit them before the meets, and scheduled times, so their urine will be completely clear. "Only the dumb ones get caught" at those times, like Ben Johnson.
One player that no one ever brings up when talking about steroids is Rickey Henderson. Doesn't it raise any eyebrows that a guy that looked like this early in his career, then like that later in his career, may have used steroids?
It looks like that was squeezed in. This may be a better look:
That few people talk about. I’m on my phone so I can embed an image, but look at the before/after pictures of him earlier in his career vs later. Also, I think he played until he was like 43.
I think Santiago tested positive, and did admit to a Grand Jury he did use steriods.
I've often wondered why Nolan Ryan's name never seems to come up regarding steroid use. I'll admit that I haven't heard of any evidence or even accusations, but the guy was still throwing 100 mph fastballs in his forties.
No one comes close to Ruth for those two categories. Ruth has the 10th highest career batting average (something around .342).
Ted Williams.
And multiple people brought up his name in the overrated thread
He simply has never lived up to his reputation from his Cardinals career, not even close. In terms of impact year after year, if Mike Trout is a ten, Albert Pujols has been a five or six tops. Very few memorable moments for the Angels driving in the winning run, walk-off homer, etc...rarely a game changer like Trout. More apt to be the guy hitting into the double play.
Well yeah, he's been bad with the Angels.
He is a class act. I’ve followed his career since he was a rookie and while his average has suffered and he had some foot issues, he is a rare breed of a player
I thought he was going to break Bonds' record at some point back when he was with the Cardinals. Too bad some injuries probably kept that from happening.
How can you not root for someone named poo holes?
Always been a fan of Pujols. One of the best hitters ever. He can cover a lot of the plate with his bat and is always tough to strikeout.
And he was a two-time gold glove winner.
Somehow those awards sometimes go to the popular players with the good sticks. I liken it to the Heisman where they don't always get it right. I do not remember Pujols for his glove - it's not bad, but if he were a .260 hitter, no way he wins a gold glove.
Applause to Albert for getting to those milestones. Now the Angels just needs to cut their losses and move on. He produced negative WAR since 2016. He’s 38 now. Signed thru 2021 for 87 million more (not counting this year). As a Mike Trout fan, ugh.
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times... all the hits in the world won’t change the fact that your name sounds like “poo holes.”
if there were no pooh holes.
the stick that is up Sydney's poo hole prompted him to downvote the OP.
Pujols >>>>>>>>> the faux Aussie poo hole
That's a mild downvote for him. Remember, he was the chronic MGoWeather downvoter.
Opinions are like poo holes, everybody has one.
I thought this was going to be about his true age being closer to 3k than 40.
but I've never given him a second thought after he spurned the Cardinals
The Angels offered him a ridiculously long contract for an absurd amount of money. It isn’t as if the offers were remotely competitive. Don’t kid yourself, in his situation, you would have done the same thing.
the Angels only offered $40M more. After $200M, is it really worth it, especially given the incone tax discrepancy between MO and CA?
The answer is yes.
Why play at all? Why should Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, Meryl Streep, etc do another movie? Why should LeBron even consider lacing them up tonite? Why does Jeff Bezos even bother with Amazon any longer? Warren Buffet should hang it up too.
Why do you even post at all? That's the only serious question in this post.
I get paid per post
No offense but if money isn't the issue, why wouldn't you want to live in Southern California over St. Louis? It is a no brainer...and they paid him 40 million more...
having lived in both places, I'd only pick STL again, hands down
Hats off to you for turning down $40 million to live in STL instead of SoCal.
Born and raised in STL, spent the last 20 years in SoCal.
Even as a huge Cardinals fan, I think you're crazy to want to live in STL over SoCal.
The exodus is primarily one way. Tons of Midwesterners in my neighborhood and city. Growing up, and even now, there's hardly anyone I met in STL that moved there from SoCal, lower state taxes and housing costs and all.
Pujols can (and probably did) make a lot more in endorsements in SoCal than could ever be made with the cost of living difference.
Cardinals made a good decision in not signing him. One could make the argument that Yadi is much more important to the team and especially its pitching staff now than Pujols.
Baseball in this country should not be celebrated or even played...
Until we beat Ohio State and MOO U in football in the same year.
With the Mantle and Maris avatar
ironic huh
Albert P,,,just a great hitter.