By: Mike Carter
Albert Pujols. One of the most feared hitters to have ever played the game of baseball.
Congratulations to him on his 3000 hits. Pujols got #3000 last night against the Mariners and Mike Leake. This is still a magnificent accomplishment in my book.
This week we also saw a combined no-hitter and the semi-retirement of Ichiro Suzuki. He is a post for another day. Was Ichiro the finest hitter ever to grace MLB? I bet you will see that thought discussed in coming weeks.
But back to Albert Pujols. When I envision him, I think of that compact, powerful swing. The deep squat into his unique stance that bears no imitation. I think about the frequency of his contact and the infrequency of his misses. I think about how as a younger player, he rarely if ever looked fooled, like he didn’t know what the pitcher was trying to do to him. I think of that ball he hit off Brad Lidge in the playoffs that smashed the façade in Houston. Every time I see that clip, I try to think of how broken and crushed Lidge must have felt inside; that ball looked like it was shot out of a cannon. Seriously.
But let’s take a look at these career numbers. Sabermatricians, get ready to discuss and dismantle. A career batting average of .304. 620 home runs. 1,935 RBI. Three-time Most Valuable Player. Has played in over 150 games in twelve different seasons. Over 150 hits fourteen times. Until recently, one of the most durable hitters in the game. Not only has he passed 3000 hits, he could also pass 2000 RBI this year. Fourteen years with at least 100 RBI. I feel that RBI is a flawed stat, and we could debate that all morning. There are many instances of hitters getting lots of RBI who are not that skilled but just very opportunistic; they hit often with men on base. No matter how we feel about RBI as a statistic, 2000 is a lot of RBI. One day I will write about the flawed statistics we use to describe performance. That will be fun and interesting! There are only three other guys who have over 2000 RBI. Can you name them? Answer will appear at the end.
Now for the meaty and perhaps more meaningful numbers. A .385 on-base percentage. A .560 slugging percentage. A total OPS of .945. That OPS puts him in the top 25 of all-time in the history of baseball. This is rare air. A total of 99.5 wins above replacement (WAR) for his eighteen-year career. This is a first ballot Hall of Famer. No doubt.
Because he signed one of the largest contracts in modern day history, Pujols will always be unfairly judged, and considered overpaid. I will say this: it’s not his fault that he was the most dominant hitter in that era and that an owner seeking to draw crowds paid him an exorbitant sum of money. As fans, we can shake our heads, but I never wish any player any will for getting what some owner with lack of sense is willing to pay. More power to the player; make your money, people. And good for you. He has made over $250 million in salary over his career with more to come per his contract.
He’s obviously now closer to the end of his career than the beginning. I have the MLB network package to be able to watch the late-night West Coast games. I have had a front seat on my couch as I watch Pujols age and struggle with Father Time. His feet have failed him, and he is merely a shadow of the fearful hitter he was ten years ago. Do you know anything about his back story? Pujols had a glove that was made out of a milk carton as a child. After moving to New York to build a better life, he and family members witnessed a shooting, and this caused them to move to Missouri to avoid big city life. A couple of years later, he was “discovered” after hitting over .460 with 22 home runs as a community college freshman. Word travels when you can hit, eh? He was drafted in the 13th round by the St. Louis Cardinals, where he began his march towards the Hall of Fame.
That’s where developed the thing I find most remarkable: he has the same, powerful swing, every darn time. Watch clips; it never changes. Interestingly, he uses a light bat, usually only 32-33 ounces, depending on the handedness of the pitcher. I’ll bet you when he’s 50, and if you asked him, he could repeat that swing. A very quiet swing, not too many moving parts, and quick. Even still, now. He is still capable of blasting rockets out there. And with a runner on third and less than two outs? Still lethal.
Hats off to Albert Pujols, a slugger for the ages. Congratulations to the Machine!
And those 2000 RBI answers? Hank Aaron (2,297), Babe Ruth (2,213) and Alex Rodriguez (2,086).
Enjoy your weekend.