Albert Pujols, NL MVP

[Frazod]

PBJ

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2224756

Each of the past four seasons, Albert Pujols (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6619) has taken a backseat to Barry Bonds (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=3918) in the NL MVP voting. Not this year.

Albert Pujols was named NL MVP for the first time in his brilliant young career Tuesday, beating out the Braves' Andruw Jones (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=5681) and the Cubs' Derrek Lee (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=5775) for the award.

The St. Louis Cardinals first baseman received 18 first-place votes and 14 seconds for 378 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Jones, the Atlanta Braves center fielder, got 13 first-place votes, 17 seconds and two thirds for 351 points.

The 25-year-old Pujols ranked in the top three in the NL in homers (41), RBI (117) and batting average (.330) and led the majors in runs (129) for the third season in a row.

The Cardinals had to deal with injuries to third baseman Scott Rolen and corner outfielders Larry Walker (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=4181) and Reggie Sanders (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=4737), but still got the usual dominant play from their slugging first baseman to finish with the majors' best record.

Pujols has finished in the top four in MVP voting by the Baseball Writers Association of America in each of the last four campaigns, when the award went to Bonds.

Bonds is not a candidate for his fifth straight award after missing virtually the entire season with a knee injury.

[Dunit35]

good for him

[ChiefsFanatic]

About time.

[Miles]

Very nice. I was really thinking that Andruw Jones was going to get it.

[Dr. Johnny Fever]

He's no Mark Teahen... but it's nice to throw the Cards a couple of bones after the latest world-class choke job.

[Dunit35]

I dont care who wins it as long as Barry Bonds doesnt win it.

[Chief Henry]

I"m glad I've got two of his rookie cards. Each graded a gem 10 :drool:

[Lurch]

Congrats. I'd bet he would trade it for World Series rings though.

[DanT]

What a great player he is. I hope he gets to play 20 more years, at least.

[KChiefs1]

too bad he doesn't have enough talent on that team to win a World Series. If it wasn't for their lousy pitching er I guess they did have the Cy Young winner didn't they? :hmmm:

So the Cards have the Cy Young winner & MVP on their team & can't win the World Series? :hmmm:

LaRussa will probably win the Manager of the Year too...who could you blame then? :deevee:

[BigRedChief]

He's no Mark Teahen... but it's nice to throw the Cards a couple of bones after the latest world-class choke job.

Hater :mad:

He didn't choke. His post season #'s are better than his regular season #'s.

He plays hard. Practices hard. Continues to improve his skills. Well deserved honor.

[StcChief]

Albert Pujols on his way to HOF, another record in his first 5 years.

Deserves it too. figured the media would bone him, after Carpenter NL CyYoung.

[Dr. Johnny Fever]

Hater :mad:

He didn't choke. His post season #'s are better than his regular season #'s.

He plays hard. Practices hard. Continues to improve his skills. Well deserved honor.
I didn't say Pujols choked... but the rest of the team did.

[BigRedChief]

As an admiited homer on the subject but I still have a question for the fans of other teams that saw the ball Pujols hit off of Lidge.....

Have you seen a ball get crushed like that before? Who ? Where? When?

[Dr. Johnny Fever]

As an admiited homer on the subject but I still have a question for the fans of other teams that saw the ball Pujols hit off of Lidge.....

Have you seen a ball get crushed like that before? Who ? Where? When?
Buddy Biancalana

[Frazod]

Hater :mad:

He didn't choke. His post season #'s are better than his regular season #'s.

He plays hard. Practices hard. Continues to improve his skills. Well deserved honor.

Edmonds was the friggin choke artist. He may be a fly ball catching god in the field, but in the playoffs, he was a guaranteed inning-ending out. He needs to step up bigtime next year. And Rolen needs to quit running into people, too. :grr:

[Chief Henry]

Edmonds was the friggin choke artist. He may be a fly ball catching god in the field, but in the playoffs, he was a guaranteed inning-ending out. He needs to step up bigtime next year. And Rolen needs to quit running into people, too. :grr:



yup

[siberian khatru]

Have you seen a ball get crushed like that before? Who ? Where? When?

Andre Dawson hit halfway up the LF upper deck in the Astrodome in the early 1980s.

Amos Otis hit a game-winning HR over the LF flag pole in Royals Stadium (around 1982).

Brett's blast off Gossage in 1980.

Bo Jackson hit one into the RCF water spectacular in 1989.

It wasn't a home run, but one of the hardest-hit balls I ever saw was by Jack Clark when he was a Cardinal, in old Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego -- a line drive that ricocheted off the LF wall in about 2 seconds. I think he got a single out of it.

But Pujols' blast was up there too.

[BigRedChief]

from another espn article

MVP voters aren't allowed to consider the fascinating events of October before they cast their esteemed votes. But anyone who watched the Cardinals in the NLCS should know exactly why Albert Pujols deserved to be this year's National League MVP

In a sport full of men who zigzag from hot streak to cold streak, Pujols is the single most dependable offensive force on the planet.

He batted .300 in every month but one (dipping to .287 in August), reached base 40 percent of the time in every month but one (slipping to .396 in April), and slugged .500 or better in every month, period.

He finished in the top three in the league in 11 major offensive categories (essentially, everything but squeeze bunts). And he led Jones in every one of those departments except homers and RBI.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=2224952

[shakesthecat]

Well deserved.
Pujols seems like a class guy and is one of the best clutch hitter in the game.


Maybe he'll get to play for a winner some day. :Poke:

[siberian khatru]

He finished in the top three in the league in 11 major offensive categories (essentially, everything but squeeze bunts). And he led Jones in every one of those departments except homers and RBI.



Yes, but Jones is still a premier defender at a key defensive position. That should count for something, too. And Jones virtually carried the Braves in the middle of the summer.

Not knocking Albert's win. The vote reflected how close a race it deserved to be.

[Stinger]

As an admiited homer on the subject but I still have a question for the fans of other teams that saw the ball Pujols hit off of Lidge.....

Have you seen a ball get crushed like that before? Who ? Where? When?

On there way to St. Louis after that game the Astros had the captain come over the loudspeaker and say we are currently at our cruising altitude of xx,xxx feet and if you are on the left side of the plane you will see the ball that Albert Pujol's hit still climbing. ROFL ROFL ROFL

Congrats to Albert :thumb: glad we have him signed to a long term deal :PBJ:

[Lurch]

Buddy Biancalana

Woa. Talk about flashbacks. I'm seeing Darrel Porter and Al Cowens and Brett Saberhagen...

[BigRedChief]

Maybe he'll get to play for a winner some day. :Poke:

Don't you have a Warriors DVD to watch?

[tk13]

As an admiited homer on the subject but I still have a question for the fans of other teams that saw the ball Pujols hit off of Lidge.....

Have you seen a ball get crushed like that before? Who ? Where? When?
McGwire. Pujols' blast was impressive, but I was in the ballpark the night McGwire hit the longest homer of his career. Most inhumane feat I've ever seen from an athlete. Hit a straight line drive off the facade of the upper deck in center field in Busch, it was ridiculous.

[Frazod]

I can remember Jack Clark hitting the scoreboard at Busch. That's a long damn way.

[shakesthecat]

Don't you have a Warriors DVD to watch?

:)
I would if those pokey bastidges at Target.com would ever ship it to me.



Oh and since I missed the Cy Young thread, props the Carpenter, too.

[CupidStunt]

Absolutely robbed it from A-Jones.

This may be worse than A-Rod 2 years ago.

[Frazod]

Jones didn't even hit .300.

[Black Jack Savage]

I have that Pujols shot on Tivo. Whenever I'm feeling blue I just cue it up and watch him crucify the f*ck out of that slider. I've never seen a ball hit that hard, but I realize that others have hit them harder.

[BigRedChief]

I have that Pujols shot on Tivo. Whenever I'm feeling blue I just cue it up and watch him crucify the f*ck out of that slider. I've never seen a ball hit that hard, but I realize that others have hit them harder.

What makes it so cool is that previously to Pujols swinging the bat it was so loud. We are going to the World Series for the first time in 46 years loud but after he crushes the ball it becomes silent so fast that you can hear the ball whack off the glass on the outside of the stadium and fall down and rattle around on the railroad tracks.

[Black Jack Savage]

What makes it so cool is that previously to Pujols swinging the bat it was so loud. We are going to the World Series for the first time in 46 years loud but after he crushes the ball it becomes silent so fast that you can hear the ball whack off the glass on the outside of the stadium and fall down and rattle around on the railroad tracks.

Ausmus said on ESPN radio that it was so loud in the stadium he couldn't hear anything that the ump said the entire last inning but he heard the crack of the bat plain as day.

[Miles]

Jones didn't even hit .300.

His avg would have been the lowest in MVP history. That combined with his .347 OBP for a power hitter. He also hit a terrible .207 with runners in scoring position.

[WilliamTheIrish]

As an admiited homer on the subject but I still have a question for the fans of other teams that saw the ball Pujols hit off of Lidge.....

Have you seen a ball get crushed like that before? Who ? Where? When?

Several.

Johnny Bench hit a ball that bounced on top of the LF concession stand at Royals stadium in the 73 AS game.

Bobby Bonds hit a monstrous shot that night also.

Previously mentioned was the AO shot that hit about 10 feet from the top of the foul pole in LF in 81 or 82. That ball was leaving town and it smashed into the foul pole. The sound was like a church bell on Sunday.

Brett's smash off Gossage. The only reason I hold this higher regard than AP's shot is because it delivered the Royals their first pennant.

But that Pujols' shot was the biggest 'big game' smash in the last 10 years.

[StcChief]

Absolutely robbed it from A-Jones.

This may be worse than A-Rod 2 years ago.

All the numbers in every category used to judge the MVP tell a very different story....

Albert lead in those.

It isn't just HR and RBI.

[tommykat]

Without reading all of this thread..............Pujols deserves it :bravo:

[papasmurf]

Jones should have been a distant 3rd

[papasmurf]

What makes it so cool is that previously to Pujols swinging the bat it was so loud. We are going to the World Series for the first time in 46 years loud but after he crushes the ball it becomes silent so fast that you can hear the ball whack off the glass on the outside of the stadium and fall down and rattle around on the railroad tracks.


Also the way Ausmus stood up and just held his glove out for another ball. Albert hadn't even left the battersbox yet.

[tommykat]

Papa what??? :spock:

[teedubya]

im pissed the Royals didnt draft him.

[Frazod]

im pissed the Royals didnt draft him.

Yeah, that would have worked out great - FOR THE YANKEES. :shake:

[WilliamTheIrish]

im pissed the Royals didnt draft him.

He was chosen in the 13th round by the Cards. Every team missed on him.

13 times over.

[Demonpenz]

i remember when mcgwire turned a 99 mph heater against billy wagner the camera barely got on it by the time it found the ball it was on its way back in off the upper deck. Now the greatest non steriod homerun i would say would be reggie jackson in the all star game. He may have been on steriods too i guess

[Ultra Peanut]

Too bad the Cubs were so shitty. D-Lee had an absolutely monster season.

I have no problem with Pujols getting it, but Jones finishing ahead of Lee is a joke.