Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa...and now, Jim Thome. Those are the only eight members of baseball's 600 home run club. It's not necessarily the most elite record there is. After all, there are only two members of the 4,000 hit club (Pete Rose and Ty Cobb), only two members of the 2,000 RBI club (Aaron and Ruth), and only one member of the 1,000 stolen base club (Rickey Henderson with 1,406). But when it comes to records in baseball, there has always been something special about those involving the long-ball.
Thome hit home runs number 599 and 600 on Monday night, to very little fanfare leading up to the feat. When Derek Jeter got hit number 3,000 a few weeks ago, MLB Network cut into their programming to show every Jeter at-bat from 2,998 through 3,000. ESPN ran story after story about what Jeter's accomplishment would mean, given no one had ever achieved 3,000 hits with the New York Yankees. Even HBO got into the mix, airing a special only one week after Jeter reached the milestone about his quest to get there.
Yet, it seemed only fans of the Minnesota Twins were aware of how close Thome was to joining the "Elite Eight". Some would say that the lack of emphasis on the 600 milestone had to do with the Twins' struggles this season. Others would say that it's because Thome is playing in Minnesota, a smaller market, and as a result, Jeter playing in New York brought more attention. A third suggestion is that the home run has lost its luster now that we're in the post-steroid era.
Regardless of the reason for such little hype, the baseball media, and fans alike, need to understand the significance of the accomplishment because it's conceivable we may not see such an accomplishment again.
Looking through the list of eight, we know that three have been directly tied to steroid use (Bonds, Rodriguez, and Sosa). Taking that into account, that leaves only five considered to be "genuine" members of the club. Suddenly, the club seems more elite. Now, looking to the future, only one active player in the top 50 has a legitimate chance to reach the 600 milestone, and that player is Albert Pujols (currently with 437 homers). Pujols, like Thome, is widely regarded as a guy who's "done it right" throughout his career. Given his age (31) and the average number of home runs he's hit in each of his first 11 seasons (39.7 per year), it's assumed that Pujols will reach the 600 milestone sometime around the end of the 2015 season. He would be 35 at that time, and would have a reasonable chance to overtake Bonds as the all-time home run leader by the time he's 40.
It's possible that Thome could be the second-to-last person to ever achieve that magical milestone, yet, the accomplishment seemed to fall by the wayside. Looking at it all, it truly seems a shame that one of the true "good guys" in the game became one of the greatest sluggers of all time, and some people are still questioning whether or not he belongs in the Hall of Fame. I think he deserves a little more respect than that.
With talk of realignment, the possible shortening of schedules to prevent November baseball, and cleaning up the game of performance-enhancing drugs, these types of records and accomplishments shouldn't be taken for granted. There's nothing certain about Albert Pujols reaching the 600 club, albeit likely. There's nothing to say that a young, up-an-coming slugger might not reach that mark in 15 more seasons. However, as with anything in life, we just don't know.
Make sure Thome is getting the credit he's due. More so than anything, he's earned it!
Showing posts with label Albert Pujols. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Albert Pujols. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Monday, August 8, 2011
Twins Have Some Tough Decisions Ahead
After the Twins left the field on Sunday following a 7-0 loss and three-game sweep to their arch-rival White Sox, it became clearly evident that this team is not ready to compete this season. I know that sounds like I'm stating the obvious, but with a couple of promising weeks, it truly seemed like this team had turned the corner in June. Given what we've seen over the past two weeks on the road, and then their return back to Target Field this past weekend, there is no question that they need to begin looking at 2012, rather than trying to look at the remainder of 2011.
The Twins need to focus on a couple key areas over the next six months. In nor particular order:
With Cuddyer, the Twins need to find a way to bring him back to this team for the next couple of years. There's no doubt his price tag has gone up, but given his value to this team, both on the field and in the clubhouse, it's imperative that they not lose the heart and soul of their team...AGAIN. This happened before with Torii Hunter...not the greatest player they've had, but the face of the franchise and the best guy in the clubhouse. Michael Cuddyer deserves to succeed in Minnesota, nowhere else.
Given their inability to perform this season, Liriano, Capps, and Young all need to find new homes, sooner rather than later. Next season, the three combined will require about $20 million. Their level of production this season warrants more along the lines of about $8 million. Liriano lacks control, and doesn't seem to be paying much attention to Rick Anderson. Capps lacks an overpowering array of pitches, which leads to him being knocked around all over the park. Young is the biggest underachiever, having only one good season in 2010, and struggling at the plate in 2011. The $20 million that would be occupied by all three would be better suited for other free agents.
The Nishioka experiment has been a failed one thus far. Uncomfortable, over-matched, and lacking confidence. Those adjectives are the most applicable to Nishi. There seems to be a stigma with Japanese players that, once they're here, they have to remain in the majors. Unless there's something we're not aware of in the contract that Nishioka signed with the Twins, there's no reason they shouldn't send him down to Triple-A for the remainder of the season to try and build up his confidence and comfort level with the American game. What we're seeing right now is the equivalent of having a high-school junior quarterback into an NFL game. It's too fast, everyone is too big, and the offenses run are far different than high school. The same can be said for Nishi to the Majors. The game moves faster, the players are bigger and more athletic in America, and the game has different nuances here than in Japan. The better place for him to learn these things would be at the minor league level, as opposed to be thrown to the wolves at the Major League level. If the Twins wish to turn the experiment into somewhat of a success in 2012, they need to consider this as an option, and not worry about hurting his feelings.
The last seven weeks of the season would be the perfect time to mess with the lineup, after all, what's the worst that could happen. When you look at guys like Joe Mauer, Jason Kubel, Danny Valencia, and Delmon Young...would they be better suited hitting somewhere different in the lineup? When the Twins get Justin Morneau and Alexi Casilla back, the lineup will probably look like this: Span, Casilla, Mauer, Morneau, Cuddyer, Kubel, Valencia, Young, Nishioka. There are a couple of issues, in my opinion, with this lineup. The first is the third spot in the order, customarily held by Joe Mauer. Again, we understand he's been hurt, but what people don't get is that Joe is not a third-spot hitter. When you look around the Majors, the likes of Albert Pujols, Ryan Braun, Jose Bautista, Evan Longoria, Joey Votto, Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Hamilton, to name a few, are the guys you're seeing in the third spot in their respective batting orders. Looking collectively at the other 29 guys in MLB this season hitting in the third hole, they sport the following numbers: .288, 16 HR, 57 RBI. Joe's numbers this season: .286, 1 HR, 21 RBI. Number three hitters should not be "table setters". Those roles should be reserved for your lead-off and second hitters. Joe's mentality at the plate is that of a table-setter. His focus seems to be to get base hits, not to drive runners in. If that's the case, then the Twins need to address the issue. Either turn Mauer into an RBI guy, which means they should look at batting him 5th or 6th in the order, or have him be the single-slapping table-setter he seems to want to be and move him into the #2 hole permanently. Coupled with that, why not put someone like a Jason Kubel or Delmon Young into the #3 spot in the order? Kubel has been one of the better run producers on this club over the last couple of years, so maybe he is more fit for hitting third in the order. Experimenting with the order now is the best time to do it. If you happen to catch lightning in a bottle over the last seven weeks and make something happen...great. If not, you've got a better understanding of what you can do next season with the guys you have.
With this weekend having been the reunion of the 1991 World Series Champions at Target Field, it brings to light a very glaring weakness the Twins have, and that is starting pitching. What helped the '91 team succeed was the strength of their starting rotation, namely Jack Morris, Kevin Tapani, and Scott Erickson, who combined for a total of 54 wins during the regular season. If the Twins' starters this season keep their current pace, they too will win 54 games this season. The only problem: they're doing it with five starters, not three. The "big three" in '91 won no fewer than 16 games. The Twins might be lucky to have two 10-game winners this year. The fact that the '91 team knew they had a great chance at winning every time those guys took the mound was crucial! It's amazing what that feeling can do for a team. With this team, you really have no idea what you're going to get. Are you going to see the Francisco Liriano that blows people away, or are you going to get the one that walks six guys in four innings? Are you going to get the Nick Blackburn that picks his spots and effectively works the strike zone, or are you going to get the guy that appears to be lobbing beach balls at opposing hitters? When the offense doesn't have confidence in pitching, it brings a feeling of "how many runs are we going to have to score today in order to win?" That's a feeling that won't get a team into the post season, let alone win a championship. The Twins need to show a sense of urgency this fall and throughout the offseason, with regard to trying to land a front-line starter or two. Yes, the bullpen has been a mess this season, but when you look at when the pen was at its collective best, it was in the month of June...when the starting rotation, for even a brief couple of weeks, looked dominant and had the ability to work deep into games. When they can't, the bullpen struggles. The starters the team currently has, Carl Pavano included, seem to be inconsistent with what you're going to see. Finding a true ace this offseason should be near the top of the Twins' "to-do" list.
Sadly, the team isn't far off from being a contender. They've been down this road before. They need to put together a game plan, and execute, no different than anything else. If they can take care of a couple of these glaring issues, there's no reason this team shouldn't lock up the Central Division, and look towards playing into October next season.
The Twins need to focus on a couple key areas over the next six months. In nor particular order:
- Figure out how to bring Michael Cuddyer back.
- Look at unloading a bit of salary, namely through Francisco Liriano, Matt Capps, and Delmon Young
- Make a decision on Tsuyoshi Nishioka
- Make a few lineup changes
- Find a way to bring in a front-line starter
With Cuddyer, the Twins need to find a way to bring him back to this team for the next couple of years. There's no doubt his price tag has gone up, but given his value to this team, both on the field and in the clubhouse, it's imperative that they not lose the heart and soul of their team...AGAIN. This happened before with Torii Hunter...not the greatest player they've had, but the face of the franchise and the best guy in the clubhouse. Michael Cuddyer deserves to succeed in Minnesota, nowhere else.
Given their inability to perform this season, Liriano, Capps, and Young all need to find new homes, sooner rather than later. Next season, the three combined will require about $20 million. Their level of production this season warrants more along the lines of about $8 million. Liriano lacks control, and doesn't seem to be paying much attention to Rick Anderson. Capps lacks an overpowering array of pitches, which leads to him being knocked around all over the park. Young is the biggest underachiever, having only one good season in 2010, and struggling at the plate in 2011. The $20 million that would be occupied by all three would be better suited for other free agents.
The Nishioka experiment has been a failed one thus far. Uncomfortable, over-matched, and lacking confidence. Those adjectives are the most applicable to Nishi. There seems to be a stigma with Japanese players that, once they're here, they have to remain in the majors. Unless there's something we're not aware of in the contract that Nishioka signed with the Twins, there's no reason they shouldn't send him down to Triple-A for the remainder of the season to try and build up his confidence and comfort level with the American game. What we're seeing right now is the equivalent of having a high-school junior quarterback into an NFL game. It's too fast, everyone is too big, and the offenses run are far different than high school. The same can be said for Nishi to the Majors. The game moves faster, the players are bigger and more athletic in America, and the game has different nuances here than in Japan. The better place for him to learn these things would be at the minor league level, as opposed to be thrown to the wolves at the Major League level. If the Twins wish to turn the experiment into somewhat of a success in 2012, they need to consider this as an option, and not worry about hurting his feelings.
The last seven weeks of the season would be the perfect time to mess with the lineup, after all, what's the worst that could happen. When you look at guys like Joe Mauer, Jason Kubel, Danny Valencia, and Delmon Young...would they be better suited hitting somewhere different in the lineup? When the Twins get Justin Morneau and Alexi Casilla back, the lineup will probably look like this: Span, Casilla, Mauer, Morneau, Cuddyer, Kubel, Valencia, Young, Nishioka. There are a couple of issues, in my opinion, with this lineup. The first is the third spot in the order, customarily held by Joe Mauer. Again, we understand he's been hurt, but what people don't get is that Joe is not a third-spot hitter. When you look around the Majors, the likes of Albert Pujols, Ryan Braun, Jose Bautista, Evan Longoria, Joey Votto, Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Hamilton, to name a few, are the guys you're seeing in the third spot in their respective batting orders. Looking collectively at the other 29 guys in MLB this season hitting in the third hole, they sport the following numbers: .288, 16 HR, 57 RBI. Joe's numbers this season: .286, 1 HR, 21 RBI. Number three hitters should not be "table setters". Those roles should be reserved for your lead-off and second hitters. Joe's mentality at the plate is that of a table-setter. His focus seems to be to get base hits, not to drive runners in. If that's the case, then the Twins need to address the issue. Either turn Mauer into an RBI guy, which means they should look at batting him 5th or 6th in the order, or have him be the single-slapping table-setter he seems to want to be and move him into the #2 hole permanently. Coupled with that, why not put someone like a Jason Kubel or Delmon Young into the #3 spot in the order? Kubel has been one of the better run producers on this club over the last couple of years, so maybe he is more fit for hitting third in the order. Experimenting with the order now is the best time to do it. If you happen to catch lightning in a bottle over the last seven weeks and make something happen...great. If not, you've got a better understanding of what you can do next season with the guys you have.
With this weekend having been the reunion of the 1991 World Series Champions at Target Field, it brings to light a very glaring weakness the Twins have, and that is starting pitching. What helped the '91 team succeed was the strength of their starting rotation, namely Jack Morris, Kevin Tapani, and Scott Erickson, who combined for a total of 54 wins during the regular season. If the Twins' starters this season keep their current pace, they too will win 54 games this season. The only problem: they're doing it with five starters, not three. The "big three" in '91 won no fewer than 16 games. The Twins might be lucky to have two 10-game winners this year. The fact that the '91 team knew they had a great chance at winning every time those guys took the mound was crucial! It's amazing what that feeling can do for a team. With this team, you really have no idea what you're going to get. Are you going to see the Francisco Liriano that blows people away, or are you going to get the one that walks six guys in four innings? Are you going to get the Nick Blackburn that picks his spots and effectively works the strike zone, or are you going to get the guy that appears to be lobbing beach balls at opposing hitters? When the offense doesn't have confidence in pitching, it brings a feeling of "how many runs are we going to have to score today in order to win?" That's a feeling that won't get a team into the post season, let alone win a championship. The Twins need to show a sense of urgency this fall and throughout the offseason, with regard to trying to land a front-line starter or two. Yes, the bullpen has been a mess this season, but when you look at when the pen was at its collective best, it was in the month of June...when the starting rotation, for even a brief couple of weeks, looked dominant and had the ability to work deep into games. When they can't, the bullpen struggles. The starters the team currently has, Carl Pavano included, seem to be inconsistent with what you're going to see. Finding a true ace this offseason should be near the top of the Twins' "to-do" list.
Sadly, the team isn't far off from being a contender. They've been down this road before. They need to put together a game plan, and execute, no different than anything else. If they can take care of a couple of these glaring issues, there's no reason this team shouldn't lock up the Central Division, and look towards playing into October next season.
Monday, July 11, 2011
All-Star, Or All-Whosever-Available?
All-Star games are supposed to be showcases for the fans. In all sports, fans have the opportunity to vote for their favorite players to see them play on a stage of superstars. Dream team-like rosters dueling it out to see whose stars are superior. Whether it be the NBA, Major League Baseball, the NHL, or the NFL, All-Star games are meant to showcase the best talent each sport has to offer.
So, why does it feel as though every year, in every sport, All-Star games have become more of a "who wants to play" than a "who we want to see" atmosphere?
Of the four major sports, Major League Baseball's All-Star Game is the one that has the most significance, given the recent change to the format making the All-Star Game the determining factor for home-field advantage in the World Series. The NFL's showcase of stars, the Pro Bowl, occurs after the season and the Super Bowl have been completed. The NBA's All-Star Weekend arrives every February, just past the mid-point in the season, as does the NHL's All-Star Game.
With tickets to the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday night going for between $67 and $5,500, the event is pricy for the average Joe. It is an event, no doubt about it, but one where people would more than likely be interested in watching stars like Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Jose Reyes, Ryan Braun, and Justin Verlander and not as interested in watching guys like Jhonny Perolta, Pablo Sandoval, Miguel Montero, Ricky Romero, and Craig Kimbrel. Unfortunately, injuries sometimes determine who it is we all get to see, and more often than not, that's the case. In the event of some pitchers, however, their normal starts on Sunday prevent them from taking part in the showcase.
This year, it seems as though more of the superstars of the game are absent from the event. Pitchers like Justin Verlander, C.C. Sabathia, Cole Hamels, and Felix Hernandez will all be out of the game itself, having pitched on Sunday. That's a combined 44-19 record that won't be throwing during the game. Yankee stars Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and Mariano Rivera will be out of the game, nursing injuries (Rodriguez opting to have surgery on his knee on Monday). Perennial all-stars Joe Mauer, Albert Pujols, Mark Teixeira, Ryan Howard, and Jimmy Rollins will not be present, thanks to sub-par years on their parts (although Pujols has come on late in the first half, despite a wrist injury). So, is it really an "All-Star" game if the game's best players won't actually be playing?
Sure, it's disappointing for fans who tune in to the game to watch their team's stars or to see players they don't normally see, when those players aren't playing for a variety of reasons, but that's not the true point of the game. The All-Star Game, regardless of sport, is to showcase the best talent in the league that season. To reward those players who are deserving of that spotlight, regardless of popularity. The fact that the fans get to vote in the starters is one thing, but the overall game itself is where players performing at their best get to become household names. Let's be honest and say that, aside from his 3,000th hit coming just three days prior to the game, Derek Jeter has not done much at all this season to warrant a starting spot in the All-Star Game, and that's coming from somebody that would consider himself a Derek Jeter fan. Asdrubal Cabrera of the Cleveland Indians has been the best shortstop in the American League throughout the first half, and is truly deserving of the start.
What becomes irritating is when players decline to partake in the All-Star Game to "avoid" injury. You tend to see this more in the NFL and NBA than you do in Major League Baseball, but it occurs anywhere. With the NFL, the Pro Bowl takes place after the season. When you're on a team that has just played two, even three games in the playoffs, you tend to see players decide to just end their season after that final loss, as opposed to suiting up just one more time for the fans. That's where it becomes unfair to the fans. For the NBA, it's even worse. When each conference has 15-16 players on their roster, in a league with only about 15-20 superstar names like Kobe, KG, and LeBron, it can be devastating for one of these superstars to back out of the game to avoid injury or to just "rest up" for the second-half of the season.
We as fans deserve to see the best players on this special stage. If there are injuries, it's understandable that you not participate. If you're electing to stay away to remain healthy and not risk hurting yourself, stop being selfish.
So, why does it feel as though every year, in every sport, All-Star games have become more of a "who wants to play" than a "who we want to see" atmosphere?
Of the four major sports, Major League Baseball's All-Star Game is the one that has the most significance, given the recent change to the format making the All-Star Game the determining factor for home-field advantage in the World Series. The NFL's showcase of stars, the Pro Bowl, occurs after the season and the Super Bowl have been completed. The NBA's All-Star Weekend arrives every February, just past the mid-point in the season, as does the NHL's All-Star Game.
With tickets to the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday night going for between $67 and $5,500, the event is pricy for the average Joe. It is an event, no doubt about it, but one where people would more than likely be interested in watching stars like Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Jose Reyes, Ryan Braun, and Justin Verlander and not as interested in watching guys like Jhonny Perolta, Pablo Sandoval, Miguel Montero, Ricky Romero, and Craig Kimbrel. Unfortunately, injuries sometimes determine who it is we all get to see, and more often than not, that's the case. In the event of some pitchers, however, their normal starts on Sunday prevent them from taking part in the showcase.
This year, it seems as though more of the superstars of the game are absent from the event. Pitchers like Justin Verlander, C.C. Sabathia, Cole Hamels, and Felix Hernandez will all be out of the game itself, having pitched on Sunday. That's a combined 44-19 record that won't be throwing during the game. Yankee stars Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and Mariano Rivera will be out of the game, nursing injuries (Rodriguez opting to have surgery on his knee on Monday). Perennial all-stars Joe Mauer, Albert Pujols, Mark Teixeira, Ryan Howard, and Jimmy Rollins will not be present, thanks to sub-par years on their parts (although Pujols has come on late in the first half, despite a wrist injury). So, is it really an "All-Star" game if the game's best players won't actually be playing?
Sure, it's disappointing for fans who tune in to the game to watch their team's stars or to see players they don't normally see, when those players aren't playing for a variety of reasons, but that's not the true point of the game. The All-Star Game, regardless of sport, is to showcase the best talent in the league that season. To reward those players who are deserving of that spotlight, regardless of popularity. The fact that the fans get to vote in the starters is one thing, but the overall game itself is where players performing at their best get to become household names. Let's be honest and say that, aside from his 3,000th hit coming just three days prior to the game, Derek Jeter has not done much at all this season to warrant a starting spot in the All-Star Game, and that's coming from somebody that would consider himself a Derek Jeter fan. Asdrubal Cabrera of the Cleveland Indians has been the best shortstop in the American League throughout the first half, and is truly deserving of the start.
What becomes irritating is when players decline to partake in the All-Star Game to "avoid" injury. You tend to see this more in the NFL and NBA than you do in Major League Baseball, but it occurs anywhere. With the NFL, the Pro Bowl takes place after the season. When you're on a team that has just played two, even three games in the playoffs, you tend to see players decide to just end their season after that final loss, as opposed to suiting up just one more time for the fans. That's where it becomes unfair to the fans. For the NBA, it's even worse. When each conference has 15-16 players on their roster, in a league with only about 15-20 superstar names like Kobe, KG, and LeBron, it can be devastating for one of these superstars to back out of the game to avoid injury or to just "rest up" for the second-half of the season.
We as fans deserve to see the best players on this special stage. If there are injuries, it's understandable that you not participate. If you're electing to stay away to remain healthy and not risk hurting yourself, stop being selfish.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Does Pujols' Injury Cost Him More Than Just Six Weeks?
When Albert Pujols suffered a broken bone in his left wrist during a collision on Sunday, the entire city of St. Louis gasped, wondering if this might be the end to their season. How could they overcome this? Their all-star first baseman, arguably the best player in baseball, sidelined for up to six weeks. Would they be able to stand their ground without him?
Oddly, the Cardinal fans weren't the only ones gasping at the news. Baseball fans in general, upon hearing the word that Pujols had suffered an injury that no hitter would ever want to endure, began to wonder if they'd seen the last of Pujols, at least the Pujols we've grown to expect. Will his power numbers ever be the same? Will he still be able to hit for the same .329 career average he has? Will he still be considered a lock for the Hall of Fame if the answers to both of those previous questions are "no"?
There was one more large gasp to speak of, and that gasp was from Albert's agent. Would the injury squash any potential they would have to get him the $300 million contract they'd been rumored to have been seeking this offseason? Would this injury potentially drive down his value, in this, the last year of his current contract?
These questions, among many others, are all very valid questions and concerns. We won't know until Albert comes back, some time in August, whether he'll be able to get back to the player he's been for his entire career. There is a strong possibility that he may not, given the history of some players who have had similar injuries. When you look at players such as Derrek Lee, the first baseman for the Baltimore Orioles, who broke his wrist in a similar fashion while playing for the Chicago Cubs in 2006, the power numbers take a slight decline immediately. Lee was able to improve those power numbers a couple years after the injury, but overall, his career averages have been down since. Would Pujols be the same way?
Looking at his career numbers, he is easily one of the greatest players to ever play the game. If his career were to end today, I think it would be safe to say that Albert Pujols would be a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee. In his first ten season in baseball, he's never hit below .312, he's never hit less than 32 home runs, and never driven in less than 103 runs. Just those three stats alone are impressive, but there are so many more. It's those career numbers, however, that this injury could ultimately rob baseball fans of. The type of player that Albert Pujols is only comes along so many times during a generation. Given all of the talk of performance-enhancing drugs over the last few years in the sport, Pujols seemed to be the poster child for doing it the right way. His career numbers would have been those we would ultimately have compared to the greats of the game. Those comparisons are what have been jeopardized now by this injury.
From a business perspective, the injury could cost Pujols millions of dollars. Unless he comes back in August and lights it up over the last two months, the consensus thought amongst those in baseball is that he may never recover to be the hitter he once was. If that's the case, his overall value would take an incredible hit. No team in their right mind would give a player like Albert Pujols the type of contract he'd reportedly been looking for, just on reputation, especially coming off this type of injury. The reason Pujols and the Cardinals couldn't get a deal done before his spring training deadline was because of how far off the two sides actually were. Now, whatever the Cardinals were offering will more than likely go down, so the gamble Pujols and his agent took by not accepting any of the offers put before them by the Cardinals could come back to bite them in the rear. Only time will tell.
Having been a baseball fan for over 25 years of my life now, I've seen many great players come and go. I've seen players that were great, and we now know they were artificially great. I've seen players be crowned the next big thing, only to never pan out. When it comes to Albert Pujols, he is the real deal. He's been the most impressive player of the last 50 years. His career numbers through the first ten years are numbers many life-long Major Leaguers would kill for. And he's not done...that's the scary part.
All we, as fans, can hope for is that the injury isn't as serious and career-threatening as it appears it may be. If it's not, we can expect to see more of the same from Albert over the next few seasons. If it is as bad as advertised, then how he comes back from it will define the career of Albert Pujols. Is he truly "the machine" we sometimes think he is? We'll have to wait a few weeks to find out.
Oddly, the Cardinal fans weren't the only ones gasping at the news. Baseball fans in general, upon hearing the word that Pujols had suffered an injury that no hitter would ever want to endure, began to wonder if they'd seen the last of Pujols, at least the Pujols we've grown to expect. Will his power numbers ever be the same? Will he still be able to hit for the same .329 career average he has? Will he still be considered a lock for the Hall of Fame if the answers to both of those previous questions are "no"?
There was one more large gasp to speak of, and that gasp was from Albert's agent. Would the injury squash any potential they would have to get him the $300 million contract they'd been rumored to have been seeking this offseason? Would this injury potentially drive down his value, in this, the last year of his current contract?
These questions, among many others, are all very valid questions and concerns. We won't know until Albert comes back, some time in August, whether he'll be able to get back to the player he's been for his entire career. There is a strong possibility that he may not, given the history of some players who have had similar injuries. When you look at players such as Derrek Lee, the first baseman for the Baltimore Orioles, who broke his wrist in a similar fashion while playing for the Chicago Cubs in 2006, the power numbers take a slight decline immediately. Lee was able to improve those power numbers a couple years after the injury, but overall, his career averages have been down since. Would Pujols be the same way?
Looking at his career numbers, he is easily one of the greatest players to ever play the game. If his career were to end today, I think it would be safe to say that Albert Pujols would be a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee. In his first ten season in baseball, he's never hit below .312, he's never hit less than 32 home runs, and never driven in less than 103 runs. Just those three stats alone are impressive, but there are so many more. It's those career numbers, however, that this injury could ultimately rob baseball fans of. The type of player that Albert Pujols is only comes along so many times during a generation. Given all of the talk of performance-enhancing drugs over the last few years in the sport, Pujols seemed to be the poster child for doing it the right way. His career numbers would have been those we would ultimately have compared to the greats of the game. Those comparisons are what have been jeopardized now by this injury.
From a business perspective, the injury could cost Pujols millions of dollars. Unless he comes back in August and lights it up over the last two months, the consensus thought amongst those in baseball is that he may never recover to be the hitter he once was. If that's the case, his overall value would take an incredible hit. No team in their right mind would give a player like Albert Pujols the type of contract he'd reportedly been looking for, just on reputation, especially coming off this type of injury. The reason Pujols and the Cardinals couldn't get a deal done before his spring training deadline was because of how far off the two sides actually were. Now, whatever the Cardinals were offering will more than likely go down, so the gamble Pujols and his agent took by not accepting any of the offers put before them by the Cardinals could come back to bite them in the rear. Only time will tell.
Having been a baseball fan for over 25 years of my life now, I've seen many great players come and go. I've seen players that were great, and we now know they were artificially great. I've seen players be crowned the next big thing, only to never pan out. When it comes to Albert Pujols, he is the real deal. He's been the most impressive player of the last 50 years. His career numbers through the first ten years are numbers many life-long Major Leaguers would kill for. And he's not done...that's the scary part.
All we, as fans, can hope for is that the injury isn't as serious and career-threatening as it appears it may be. If it's not, we can expect to see more of the same from Albert over the next few seasons. If it is as bad as advertised, then how he comes back from it will define the career of Albert Pujols. Is he truly "the machine" we sometimes think he is? We'll have to wait a few weeks to find out.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Perception Vs. Reality: The Tale Of Two First Basemen
There are many quotes about perception. One involves perception being reality, the other involves perception being in the eye of the beholder. Both are true statements when one truly thinks about it. In the case of Albert Pujols an Justin Morneau, two of the top first basemen in baseball, both apply, however, the realities don't match the perceptions placed upon them by their separate eyes of their beholders.
Both Pujols and Morneau have been thought to have been slumping this year. Throughout the month of May, both were struggling at the plate, different from what each had done the previous year, and in Pujols's case, his entire career. Pujols went through a homerless drought in May that finally came to an end after close to 110 at-bats. Morneau, after missing the last half of the season in 2010 with a concussion, has come back a shell of his 2010 first-half self, hitting below .240 with only two home runs (until hitting two in the Twins' June 1st loss to the Detroit Tigers). So...the perception of both sluggers is that they were struggling and slumping.
Here's the reality:
A "slumping" Pujols is now hitting an un-Pujols-like .275 with 12 home runs (after hitting two, including a 12th inning walk-off on Saturday against the Cubs), and 37 RBI's. His .275 average ranks 6th on the Cardinals amongst their regulars. His two homers Saturday have tied him with Lance Berkman for the team lead with 12, and his total of 37 RBI's have him second on the team behind Berkman. So...the perception of Albert struggling right now is based on what? His career averages of .329, 37 HR, and 115 RBI? The sad thing is, Albert's insane career already has set his bar ridiculously high. So high that when he actually hits "average" numbers, we see it as struggling.
Morneau, on the other hand, is actually struggling. The part that is getting at me, though, is the lofty bar that Twins fans have placed on their above average slugger. Notice the descriptive words used. I said "above average," not "great." What most Twins fans need to realize is that Morneau is not a "great" hitter. His career only spans two less seasons than that of Pujols, but his numbers are nowhere near that of the "great" slugger in this conversation. Thus far in 2011, Morneau is hitting .236, with only 4 home runs, and 20 RBI's. But...let's look at his career averages. Batting average? He's a career .283 hitter. Home runs? His career average is 21. RBI's? Only 78 RBI's on average per year. So, what are people basing their perception of "slumping" on? His MVP 2006 season? His first half of 2010? Clearly these people aren't looking at the overall body of work.
It's almost hard to put Albert Pujols and Justin Morneau in the same conversation, because the reality of it is, they're not in the same class. Pujols is easily the best player in baseball, hands down. To me, there is no more evidence needed than that of Pujols's performance against the rival Cubs on Saturday, which I was fortunate enough to be in attendance for at Busch Stadium. My very first trip to St. Louis, and I saw one of the game's greatest clutch performers ever. There was no question that Pujols would be involved in the deciding run of that game, whether it have been a walk to put him aboard, or the outcome we saw, which was a hanging breaking ball drilled into the bullpen in left. The feeling was there that the Cardinals' go-to guy would be the one to ultimately put the team on his shoulders. Morneau doesn't come through in these situations, as evidenced by his .191 average with runners on base, and his .235 average with runners in scoring position. Compared to the .301 and .328 averages in those same categories that Pujols puts up, there is no comparison.
Morneau is a good player, don't get me wrong. But Twins fans, please don't make the mistake of calling him great. He is far from it. When the chips are down, he's not the player you can count on to pick you up. He's not a leader, and on a team in dire need of leadership, that's not a good sign from one of your "stars".
Both Pujols and Morneau have been thought to have been slumping this year. Throughout the month of May, both were struggling at the plate, different from what each had done the previous year, and in Pujols's case, his entire career. Pujols went through a homerless drought in May that finally came to an end after close to 110 at-bats. Morneau, after missing the last half of the season in 2010 with a concussion, has come back a shell of his 2010 first-half self, hitting below .240 with only two home runs (until hitting two in the Twins' June 1st loss to the Detroit Tigers). So...the perception of both sluggers is that they were struggling and slumping.
Here's the reality:
A "slumping" Pujols is now hitting an un-Pujols-like .275 with 12 home runs (after hitting two, including a 12th inning walk-off on Saturday against the Cubs), and 37 RBI's. His .275 average ranks 6th on the Cardinals amongst their regulars. His two homers Saturday have tied him with Lance Berkman for the team lead with 12, and his total of 37 RBI's have him second on the team behind Berkman. So...the perception of Albert struggling right now is based on what? His career averages of .329, 37 HR, and 115 RBI? The sad thing is, Albert's insane career already has set his bar ridiculously high. So high that when he actually hits "average" numbers, we see it as struggling.
Morneau, on the other hand, is actually struggling. The part that is getting at me, though, is the lofty bar that Twins fans have placed on their above average slugger. Notice the descriptive words used. I said "above average," not "great." What most Twins fans need to realize is that Morneau is not a "great" hitter. His career only spans two less seasons than that of Pujols, but his numbers are nowhere near that of the "great" slugger in this conversation. Thus far in 2011, Morneau is hitting .236, with only 4 home runs, and 20 RBI's. But...let's look at his career averages. Batting average? He's a career .283 hitter. Home runs? His career average is 21. RBI's? Only 78 RBI's on average per year. So, what are people basing their perception of "slumping" on? His MVP 2006 season? His first half of 2010? Clearly these people aren't looking at the overall body of work.
It's almost hard to put Albert Pujols and Justin Morneau in the same conversation, because the reality of it is, they're not in the same class. Pujols is easily the best player in baseball, hands down. To me, there is no more evidence needed than that of Pujols's performance against the rival Cubs on Saturday, which I was fortunate enough to be in attendance for at Busch Stadium. My very first trip to St. Louis, and I saw one of the game's greatest clutch performers ever. There was no question that Pujols would be involved in the deciding run of that game, whether it have been a walk to put him aboard, or the outcome we saw, which was a hanging breaking ball drilled into the bullpen in left. The feeling was there that the Cardinals' go-to guy would be the one to ultimately put the team on his shoulders. Morneau doesn't come through in these situations, as evidenced by his .191 average with runners on base, and his .235 average with runners in scoring position. Compared to the .301 and .328 averages in those same categories that Pujols puts up, there is no comparison.
Morneau is a good player, don't get me wrong. But Twins fans, please don't make the mistake of calling him great. He is far from it. When the chips are down, he's not the player you can count on to pick you up. He's not a leader, and on a team in dire need of leadership, that's not a good sign from one of your "stars".
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