Now we hear it from the angle of the Angels, primarily general manager Jerry Dipoto. That story is entitled “How to Land the Big One, the Inside Story of Signing Albert Pujols.” It will appear in print in the Feb. 6, 2012 “Recruiting Issue” of ESPN The Magazine, but is already posted online for ESPN subscribers. (Cover photo shoot video is also included.)

Written by Sam Miller, who covers the Angels for the Orange County Register, the piece describes the interrelation of the club’s successful quest to sign left-handed pitcher C.J. Wilson with their pursuit of Pujols.

The article includes many already-known details about the telephone bonding between Halos owner Arte Moreno and Pujols along with a few mild surprises.

Pujols defended the short courtship.

“I only spend five minutes talking to or meeting a guy and I know pretty much,” Pujols said after he signed. “God has given me that wisdom. I don’t even know [Moreno], and he called me one of his partners. That means a lot.”

Very little was written about the Cardinals position but what was said, I found most interesting.

“The Cardinals had made Pujols and his wife, Deidre, feel almost unwanted with their offers, the first of which was for just five years… It was as though the Cardinals could see only the downside to signing a 31-year-old Albert Pujols while the Angels saw opportunity,” Miller states.

I guess St. Louis’ rumored first offer this past fall is what was meant, which was reportedly for just five years. Though it was not mentioned that proposal was for a salary of $26 million per year, a higher average annual value than the 10-year, $240 million deal Pujols and the Angels later agreed upon. Also not referenced were earlier or later bids made by the Cardinals, which reportedly went up to as much as ten years, though at a lower AAV and with deferred money. Since the ESPN story was admittedly written from the Angels’ perspective, it should not be too surprising those details are missing.

Last week, Cardinals president Bill DeWitt III had the following to say about the Pujols situation.

“Our fan base is so knowledgeable that there were some things that we were tempted to say about how things went down. Not so much negative against Pujols or anything like that, but just defending the way we approached it, going back over time – having given it a good shot two years ago, one year ago, then in this off-season.  I think there were some accusations about if we should have done it earlier and things of that nature.

“You can go back in time and I think the instinct we had was to lay it all out there. But then, we saw the reaction. And the reaction was overwhelmingly, I think, sympathetic to the way we handled it. And given that reaction, we just decided to let it go. Let the last word be theirs. I think that was probably a good move because any time you just get into a ‘he said, she said’ pissing match, it doesn’t leave a good taste,” DeWitt III said.

It will be interesting to see how this story evolves over time as to which offers are remembered and in what sequence. The ESPN-Angels version clearly hits hard the damage caused by the perceived lack of respect shown Pujols by the Cardinals.

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Carmona is now/back-to-being Roberto Hernandez Heredia, age 31 instead of 28. He is certainly neither the first nor probably the last player to be outed this way. Carmona/Heredia was arrested when trying to secure a visa to re-enter the United States.

This news has intensified ongoing questions about former St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, long suspected by some to be older than his reported age of 32. Where Pujols clearly differs from Heredia is that he became a US citizen and can more easily travel between the two nations as a result. In fact, Pujols was back in his homeland this past weekend, along with former teammates Yadier Molina and Rafael Furcal.

A member of The Cardinal Nation message board community speculated that if one day Pujols was caught like Carmona/Heredia, it might keep him out of Baseball’s Hall of Fame.

In my book, it gets down to whether or not all varieties of cheating are worthy of the same punishment.

At one end of the spectrum, we have gambling on one’s team. That lifetime ban is clearly spelled out in baseball’s rules. No debate is needed. Sorry, Pete Rose.

Then, we have another area which also led to concerns about the integrity of the game itself, steroid usage. Though we will know more next year with a new class of eligible players, Mark McGwire’s roughly 20 percent showing year after year in the Hall voting indicates how the writers seem to feel about this matter.

Near the other end, we have the admitted spitballer Gaylord Perry. There was so little concern about his transgressions that he was honored with a plaque in Cooperstown.

Lying about one’s identity and age is illegal. There can be no doubt about that. On the other hand, a player’s reported age is irrelevant to his hitting, pitching, playing defense or baserunning. I submit that Pujols’ numbers would have been the same no matter what date of birth was printed in game programs for the last 11 years.

I am not condoning age falsification, but I also don’t see it as being worthy of the death penalty, either. If Pujols’ age/identity were proven to be false, I could see the sportswriters penalizing him by not voting him into the Hall on the first ballot. Yet I would be very surprised if they would keep Pujols out indefinitely – even if he never played another game.

In my book, the only person who would have a clear right to take action following a Pujols disclosure is Angels owner Arte Moreno. More than one jilted Cardinals fan would relish seeing that still-hypothetical scenario play out.

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This weekend, Molina is out and about, joining current teammate Rafael Furcal and good friend and ex-teammate Albert Pujols in the Dominican Republic. Molina lives in Puerto Rico, while Furcal and Pujols are native Dominicans.

The three Major Leaguers are scheduled to play in a softball game on Saturday in Loma de Cabrera, near the frontier of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, reports ESPN Deportes’ Enrique Rojas.

Pujols left the Cardinals last month, making a 20-year commitment to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Likely re-deploying some of the cash earmarked for the first baseman, St. Louis quickly signed shortstop Furcal to a two-year extension. Molina is on schedule to become a free agent himself following the 2012 season.

The Pujols Family Foundation explains more about why Pujols is in the area in a Saturday post on their Facebook page. The other players are not mentioned as being a part of the relief mission.

“Albert and Deidre Pujols are currently on the ground in the Dominican Republic providing beds for families who have no place to sleep. ‘Project Sound Asleep III’ rolls out today, delivering beds to over 70 families over the course of three days…”

“They are concentrating this trip on the Bateys around Consuelo, San Pedro de Macoris.”

A member of the Pujols traveling party, Ramon D. Carmona, has been posting photos of the players’ travels.

(My interpretation of Carmona’s captions: Pujols, Furcal, Fernando Villalona and Molina; The group posing by a river; Furcal driving with Pujols as passenger and Molina in the back; Furcal at the wheel; Pujols and Molina playing dominoes.)

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Another one rides the bus (not)

After interviewing about 30 players and executives over the course of the weekend, it got to be kind of funny as the same media members tended to ask the same questions over and over. One of them was if the player had the opportunity to talk with new manager Mike Matheny yet.

Mitchell Boggs replied that he and Mike were on one of the Caravans together so they chatted a bit. One writer followed up by asking if they had a lot of extra time to talk on the bus. Boggs turned very serious and said, “The manager of the St. Louis Cardinals does not ride the bus!” Of course, we all laughed.

How can I find… ?

Each of the interviews from WWU is posted at TheCardinalNation.com in its entirety for subscribers interested in hearing what everyone said in detail. Bits and pieces are elsewhere around the net, but I worked very hard to get everything in one place. I also have some special articles ahead this week. In addition, a group of player photos is coming that is far superior to anything I could have taken.

I was amazed that several hundred people were lined up in the hotel lobby for multiple hours ahead of WWU opening each day. Team officials did not release a count but seemed happy with attendance. The only blemish was Yadier Molina‘s no-show.

The end for TLR

Tony La Russa, likely in his Cardinals swan song, signed autographs for at least an extra hour and perhaps even longer on Monday, but decided to skip talking with the media. He did make a nice speech at the end of Sunday night’s Baseball Writers Dinner.

After a number of jokes at the expense of Albert Pujols were thrown out by presenters, two dinner speakers came out loud and strong in telling fans to respect what the new Angel had accomplished during his 11 years with St. Louis. The two were La Russa and his successor.

La Russa was among those who skipped Tuesday’s White House visit. 21 members of the 2011 Champions were scheduled to attend. I did not count them all in the White House video.

The Writers’ Dinner went extra innings

Held Sunday evening, The Baseball Writers’ Association of America 54^th Annual Dinner is one of the last three of its type in the country that remains. The proceeds go to scholarships, a worthy cause, and with a reported 1,400 in attendance, it should have been a financial success. With so much to celebrate, this year’s program ran 3 ½ hours, considerably past what organizers had planned.

When asked the next day for his impression of the evening, Kyle McClellan’s reply was initially blunt, but he quickly tempered his comments.

“Long. It was very lengthy,” the local product said. “It was good though to see everybody again… that is one of the cool things about St. Louis, the history. To have guys like Ozzie and Lou Brock there, you don’t have that with a lot of organizations.”

The audio of the entire dinner program can he heard at KMOX.com.

Pujols: Wash, rinse, repeat

On Monday, team president Bill DeWitt III mentioned his father, club chairman Bill DeWitt, Jr., was caught a little off guard by the large turnout of reporters awaiting him on Sunday. To his credit, the chairman patiently answered questions for almost 20 minutes. Most of the time was spent rehashing the Pujols situation rather than looking forward. It seemed every time a question was asked in a new direction, the next ones returned to number 5. At least that is what I remember thinking at the time.

You can read stories about that all over the web and I have the complete audio of Bill DeWitt Jr’s remarks posted on the main site (audio is subscriber-only).

The next day, DeWitt III perhaps correctly noted the fans seem to have accepted the Pujols situation better than the media, in fact more positively than the club executives expected.

“8 out of 10 of the questions were about the Pujols situation,” DeWitt III recalled. “It is a subject of endless fascination, I think, mostly with the media. Because I think what is amazing about it is that our fans get it. The reaction that I saw following the decision kind of surprised me in a way – that it was really so understanding. Usually you kind of get beat up for whatever decision you make one way or the other. There are two camps. These are decisions that are not easy and I think people understood that we gave it our best shot.

“As Tony (La Russa) said last night at the Writers’ Dinner, it is just a tough system that is created that would allow a player to end up somewhere else after he made such a great contribution to one club. He was saying, ‘Don’t blame the Cardinals. Don’t blame Albert.’ I think there is something to that,” DeWitt III said.

At this point, the team president went into what the Cardinals considered doing, but did not.

“Our fan base is so knowledgeable that there were some things that we were tempted to say about how things went down. Not so much negative against Pujols or anything like that, but just defending the way we approached it, going back over time – having given it a good shot two years ago, one year ago, then in this off-season.  I think there were some accusations about if we should have done it earlier and things of that nature.

“You can go back in time and I think the instinct we had was to lay it all out there. But then, we saw the reaction. And the reaction was overwhelmingly, I think, sympathetic to the way we handled it. And given that reaction, we just decided to let it go. Let the last word be theirs. I think that was probably a good move because any time you just get into a ‘he said, she said’ pissing match, it doesn’t leave a good taste,” DeWitt III said.

The team president suspects time will heal some of the wounds.

“I still think in my heart of hearts – even though he signed a personal services agreement with Anaheim which commits him to wearing an Angels cap forever, it seems – something about it makes me wonder or just think if he will have a reception back here at some point some day that will be better than the way it left. So, we will see. We wish him well,” DeWitt III concluded.

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In the process of searching for something, I sometimes come across unusual items completely unrelated to my immediate objective. Interest in the following photo knocked me off my original quest, at least temporarily.

It was taken by photographer-supreme Scott Rovak on July 10, 2007. Members of the defending World Champions were assembled during batting practice prior to the All-Star Game at AT&T Park in San Francisco. It was customary that the coaching staffs of the World Series teams from the previous year received all-star supporting duties for their respective leagues.

Despite having won it all the previous fall, the Cardinals had just one player selected to the 2007 All-Star Game, and he was a reserve. At the time, St. Louis was just 40-45. The club was already 7 ½ games out in the National League Central, en route to a sub-.500 record and a third-place showing.

What makes this photo so telling is that not a one of the seven Redbirds pictured – six coaches and one player – remains in his job today. The seven are (from left to right) bullpen coach Marty Mason, bench coach Joe Pettini, manager Tony La Russa, first baseman Albert Pujols, first base coach Dave McKay, bullpen catcher Jeff Murphy and pitching coach Dave Duncan.

Hitting coach Hal McRae, also now-long-gone, had been invited to the AT&T Park festivities as well, but is not pictured. He would have made it eight. Jose Oquendo was on the staff at that time as he is today, but was not included in this photo, either.

Mason was let go following the 2010 season amid concern that his criticism of the player development organization had been too vocal. He now works in the Chicago Cubs system. Pettini was ousted as bench coach following the 2011 season. Though it was announced he would have an undefined job in baseball operations in 2012, one would have to assume that Pettini is looking elsewhere. La Russa announced his retirement at the conclusion of the World Championship parade but expects to continue in baseball in an as-of-yet undefined role.

As the entire world knows by now, Pujols is a very wealthy new member of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and is expected to be for the next decade or more. McKay was dumped along with Pettini, but has since been hired as the Cubs’ first base coach by new manager Dale Sveum. Murphy was let go following the 2011 World Championship as well.

Duncan was the last to depart. He has been dealing with his wife’s serious health issues and is unable to return for the second year of a two-year contract (with a third-year option) signed last off-season. When his indefinite leave of absence was granted, the last survivor from this 2007 All-Star Game photo took off his Cardinals uniform.

At this point, it is unclear whether La Russa will manage at the 2012 All-Star Game despite having earned it as the leader of the 2011 National League champions. Even if he does, he may or may not attempt to get (at least part of) the old band back together. By now, they are pretty much scattered to the winds. (Update: On January 24, MLB commissioner Bud Selig announced that La Russa will manage in the 2012 Mid-Summer Classic.)

Of course, Pujols is the most likely one of the seven to actually be at the game, anyway. As a bonus, it is to be held in his adopted home town of Kansas City. In a potential once-in-a-lifetime oddity, the first baseman would be in the other dugout, trying to defeat La Russa, who was Pujols’ only manager over his entire 11-year MLB career to date.

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The original top five projections follow, along with where the stories actually ended up, including links to the before and after articles. I won’t be repeating my 2011 summaries here, so click on the links if you’d like to read those detailed stories.

My predictive powers were only so-so. While all five of my guesses from one year ago made the top 20, I sidestepped the possibility of Tony La Russa retiring, the eventual number three story.

As always, I also did not predict how the season would end up, which turned out to provide the subjects of four more of the eventual top six stores (along with La Russa’s departure). Albert Pujols’ contract situation was a no-brainer, then and now.

My original top five predictions:

1. Pujols’ pending payday

All it took was a World Championship to knock this story out of the final number one position. While this subject has been talked to death already, I thought it was at least somewhat interesting to note that this was my number one story prediction in each of the last two years. One thing is clear – a three-peat is definitely out.

2. Berkman’s stand

One year ago, I said we would either look back at the signing of Lance Berkman as “a bold move or a bad risk.” Clearly, I feared the latter, while it was the former that came to pass. Berkman was a leader both on and off the field in 2011. Perhaps his story ranking ninth is taking him for granted a bit.

One must hope the Cardinals have not pushed their luck by showing faith (via a one-year, $12 million contract) that their (and Berkman’s) good fortune will continue in 2012.

3. Third and last time for third base?

2011 was David Freese’s third shot at holding down the third base position. 12 months ago, it was his chronic ankle problems that were causing the greatest concern. It turned out that Freese once again did serve major disabled list time last season, though it was primarily due to a fluke hit-by-pitch broken hand.

All that was forgotten by the post-season, a time in which Freese put on a historic performance. It was legendary, not just in comparison to past Cardinals stars, but in the history of Major League Baseball. That is what caused Freese to make the top story list – not his injuries.

Needless to say, Freese has solidified his job and seems aligned to bat just behind Matt Holliday and Berkman in 2012.

4. Keeping Carpenter

Last year at this time, I expressed concern that Chris Carpenter’s career may be nearing its end. With the added pressure of losing his co-ace, Adam Wainwright, for the entire year, all he did was lead the league in innings pitched and win some of the biggest games of the regular- and post-season.

In between, there were rumors of an in-season trade that intensified as the Cardinals seemed to slip out of playoff contention. Those whispers never became anything more.

Before last season, I also worried that the Cardinals would not pick up Carpenter’s pricey option for 2012, but noted the two sides could agree to a lower-cost extension. I did get that part right.

In hindsight, I may have done Carpenter an injustice by placing his 2011 down at story number 19. He should never be taken for granted.

5. Who follows Franklin?

The former closer was heading into the final year of his contract and hinting about retirement afterward, so a change was clearly in the air. Of course, none of us expected Ryan Franklin’s demise would begin on opening day and be completely over less than 90 days later.

Four different relievers followed as closer, with Jason Motte, the most likely choice coming in, seizing the job over the final month of the regular season and through the playoffs.

Next up: In my final article of this series, I will outline my predictions for the top five Cardinals stories of 2012.

Link to The Cardinal Nation Blog’s top 20 stories of the year countdown

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Yet in terms of long-term ramifications to both the player and his former club, the 31-year-old’s decision to sign a 20-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim will be felt long after the 2011 Cardinals become ex-champions.

Announced on December 8, the new deal is for the next 10 years followed by a personal services contract for the next decade and could yield the first baseman $260 million. This fall, Pujols had become a free agent for the first time after 11 record-breaking years with the Cardinals.

Up until almost the end, many baseball observers and therefore, many fans, felt that Pujols and the Cardinals would eventually come to a satisfactory agreement.

In the spring, Pujols had reportedly turned down an offer from St. Louis that was worth $198 million over nine years, instead preferring to test the open market. The club later also made a $26 million per year offer over five years that apparently insulted the native of the Dominican Republic, despite its annual amount being second-highest in baseball history. The club also extended its nine-year offer to a tenth year. That $210 million proposal reportedly included $30 million deferred without interest, however, falling far short of the Anaheim offer in cash.

While shocked the day finally come, many Cardinals observers were still prepared for the reality that St. Louis was not willing to top all offers. A majority of fans may have accepted both sides’ positions had Pujols and his wife not damaged their credibility by asserting their decision was not about the money. 82 percent of fans voting at this site attributed Pujols to be the primary reason for the split.

As compensation for the loss of Pujols, the Cardinals will receive a draft pick from the Angels, their frst-rounder, 19th overall, as well as a sandwich pick between the first and second rounds of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft. Of course, that is small consolation for losing arguably the best player in the game.

On the other side of the coin, had Pujols remained, there were worries that without a significant payroll increase over time, the Cardinals may have had trouble fielding a competitive team. Near-term concerns include re-signing Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright.

Rather than try to summarize Pujols’ many contributions here, I will simply assert that Pujols’ first ten years as a major leaguer may be the most dominant single decade registered by any player in the history of Major League Baseball. Sadly, Pujols will not be around to challenge Stan Musial as the greatest Cardinals player ever.

Where the next ten years will lead Pujols and the Cardinals remain to be seen, but one thing is clear. Their respective futures are no longer linked.

Footnote: Because I had finalized this top 20 before the signing of Carlos Beltran, that story is not included in the countdown. Since the move was in direct response to Pujols’ departure, it seems appropriate to acknowledge it here.

Link to The Cardinal Nation Blog’s top 20 stories of the year countdown

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Some of the most extreme reactions at either end of the spectrum almost seem unexplainable to the others. To me, it appears that different people are at vastly different phases of dealing with the reality that Pujols has left the Cardinals.

A Swiss doctor named Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, in her 1969 book, On Death and Dying, introduced the Kübler-Ross Grief Model. It is a cycle of emotional states that describe how people react to a significant negative event in their lives.

The five stages:

Denial stage: Trying to avoid the inevitable.
Anger stage: Frustrated outpouring of bottled-up emotion.
Bargaining stage: Seeking in vain for a way out.
Depression stage: Final realization of the inevitable.
Acceptance stage: Finally finding the way forward.

In the Pujols case, it seems few remained in the denial stage very long. At its essence, this was a very black-and-white situation. There could be no mis-diagnosis. Once Pujols’ decision was communicated, it was done. There could be no turning back or major change of course to be re-plotted.

As one might expect, the anger stage has been just the opposite. Many remain there still, however with different targets for their anger. The team took the player for granted; they lowballed and insulted him. The player said it wasn’t about the money, but lied to the fans. He put a greater value on a relationship with a man he had never met than with the countless admirers from his home of the last 11 years. The agent cited competitive bids that apparently did not exist. The wife suggested God set the course and the devil was behind negative reaction, etc…

The targets of the anger are varied, but the feelings strong. Fans threw away Pujols memorabilia while stores gave away Pujols-related stock. Others took to websites, talk radio and message boards to vent.

As some moved into the bargaining stage, they began to think about a future way out. How long might the hastily-arranged Pujols-Angels marriage last? Would Pujols flop on the field long before the decade was over? Would he eventually return to St. Louis before or after his playing days are done?

The 10-year personal services agreement that will follow the 10-year playing contract has caused considerable angst for some. These folks have such a clear vision of the future that they have convinced themselves that when Pujols becomes Hall of Fame-eligible, likely in 15 years, that he will be prohibited from entering the Hall as a Cardinal and that he will never be allowed back to Busch Stadium to be celebrated for his Cardinals success.

The Stan Musial comparisons have been worn to the bone and in some cases twisted beyond recognition. One poster actually said he would rather the Cardinals be a third-place team in return for protecting Pujols’ career-long legacy in St. Louis. That way, Pujols could truly become this generation’s Musial, even if at the expense of fielding a competitive team.

Depression set in when some learned that the deck had been stacked against the Cardinals. The Angels had a new, untapped  revenue source of $150 million per year. Their new television contract created a ready source of funds to satisfy Albert’s every desire – something the Cardinals had no realistic hope of matching.

Another source of depression for some was Pujols’ full-page farewell ad in the Post-Dispatch, driving home the finality of the divorce. Some saw it as a classy move while others characterized it as simply another item to be checked off the Pujols public relations team’s action list.

Pujols’ awkward Angels press conference/pep rally, televised nationally this past weekend, helped hammer home to some the realization that Pujols isn’t coming back. In other cases, it cycled fans back through the anger stage when the player did not seem to give his past the proper due.

Same with Dee Dee Pujols’ Monday radio appearance. It seemed to do little to move anyone toward acceptance, while sending many back into fits of anger, whether directed at the team or the Pujolses themselves. The whole thing began to feel like a “he-said, she-said” episode as claims of who offered what and when were raised and disputed.

Still others, like me, quickly moved ahead to the acceptance phase. Having followed the Cardinals for over four decades, I have seen many highs and lows over the years. This is but another bump in a long road.

The sooner everyone can reach acceptance, the sooner we can all put the loss behind and move ahead.

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As a result, this site has seen an explosion in traffic over the last three days. Apparently others are searching for past information about Pujols’ tenure with the St. Louis Cardinals. Popular subjects include contract-related posts as well as looks into the claims that the 31-year-old may be older than reported.

In any case like this, revisionist history can inadvertently set in over time. So rather than recap what happened, instead I selected 19 of my previous articles which directly represent the Pujols news of the day from my vantage point at various times over the last two years.

In tying a bow around my Pujols coverage, this post serves as a directory of some of the key Pujols articles previously posted here. A number of them also include polls which sampled reader opinions about Pujols-related issues at the time as well as countless reader comments that accompany each post.

The articles below are presented in chronological order.

January 2010
“Time to act on the Holliday-Pujols contract FUD” – After the Cardinals signed Matt Holliday, I explained the merits of trying to extend Pujols at that time as well.
“What if Albert Pujols becomes Mark Teixeira?” – I looked at a comparable situation to see what the Cardinals might land in trade before and during the 2010 season if they felt Pujols could not be signed.

February 2010
“Albert Pujols: On his contract” – Pujols took his story directly to the people in a long television interview, making it clear he did not want to leave St. Louis.

November 2010
“Has Pujols’ negotiating stance changed?” – Pujols was quoted as saying he wanted to get a new contract done before the 2011 season began.

December 2010
“The Cardinal Nation Blog top stories of 2010 #4: The Pujols decade” – Nothing heavy. Just a look back at some of Pujols’ top on-field accomplishments, serving as a good reminder of his many contributions.

January 2011
“Pujols and the Cardinals: Is it a matter of trust?” – After watching and listening to Pujols, one of his representatives and Cardinals executives face-to-face at Winter Warm-Up, I sensed problems brewing between the two sides.
“Why are some surprised by the Pujols no-trade rumor?” – I wondered why someone perceived the need to publicly state that Pujols would not accept a trade.
“Why do Pujols’ age questions persist?” – National writer Rob Neyer is among the most prominent individuals to repeatedly suggest Pujols has falsified his age, though others have wondered over time as well. Substantiation is noticeably missing.

February 2011
“More local TV revenue won’t cover Pujols’ contract” – Those hoping for a enhanced Cardinals television deal that could provide a new source of income to pay Pujols had to be disappointed with my investigation into the possibility. (This has proven to be quite the contrast to the current situation with the Angels.)
“Pujols and the money: What to believe?” – Trying to sort out what was offered before the two sides cut off spring negotiations. Lots of rumors, but as usual, no facts.
“Pujols’ shadow means 10 more months of winter” – The realization that with negotiations having ended, Pujols’ free agency was almost assured.
“Seven years ago today: Announcing Pujols’ new contract” – I took a look back at the 2004 signing of what became Pujols’ final Cardinals contract.
“Pujols and the 2004 wayback machine” – Several 2004 Pujols articles were interesting to review, covering his age, contract and lost MVP awards.
“Pujols’ contract remarks from spring 2009 and 2010” – A must-read as it captures Pujols’ own words and how they evolved over time.

March 2011
“Cardinals concerned about Albert Pujols’ age?” – Neyer again repeats the rumor that Pujols is older than reported, but this time asserts the Cardinals themselves are among the concerned.
“Fan optimism slipping about Pujols’ Cardinals future” – I recapped several site reader polls predicting where and when Pujols would sign. They indicated a shift in public opinion as to what the end result might be.

May 2011
“Pujols as part owner of the Cardinals: Not so fast!” – Some people became very excited over the prospect of awarding Albert a share of the team. After looking at all the ramifications, I did not join them.

November 2011
“Miami sideshow leads to more Pujols age questions” – A Florida writer said the Marlins believe Pujols is older than 31. No sources were quoted and later, the club reportedly increased its offer to Pujols.

December 2011
“It’s ok. Just don’t insult us, Albert. It was about the money.” – My summary of and reaction to Pujols’ decision to sign with the Angels.

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Today, I have been asked many times already – here, phone, email, on the radio and even at the dinner table – for my feelings about the Albert Pujols defection to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

I wish I knew more. I want to know more. (“Know” versus being dependent on media reports, sourced from people who may have biases.) Yet the reality is that all the facts may never become clear and even if we had them, we wouldn’t know it, perhaps remaining forever skeptical. So we deal with what we have and try to sort through it.

This is a day during which many St. Louis Cardinals followers are blowing off a lot of steam over what happened. My perception is that more are unhappy with the player than his ex-team, though there are plenty in each camp.

The anti-Pujols sentiment is fueled by the perception that he went for the top dollar, while turning against his stated interest to remain a Cardinal for life.

The reports say $254 million over ten years. On one hand, it could be as much as $30 or $40 million higher than the Cardinals’ top bid. That is a lot of cash for Pujols or anyone to leave on the table.

On the other hand, it is likely no more than $3 or $4 million per year higher than St. Louis’ offer.

From Pujols’ own mouth in February 2009. Emphasis is mine.

“Do I want to be in St. Louis forever? Of course,” Pujols said.  “…People from other teams want to play in St. Louis and they’re jealous that we’re in St. Louis because the fans are unbelievable. So why would you want to leave a place like St. Louis to go somewhere else and make $3 or $4 more million a year? It’s not about the money. I already got my money. It’s about winning and that’s it.”

Here’s where the folks upset at the Cardinals step in. People who I think should know better second-guess the team for not having previously locked Pujols up to another long-term deal. Some wanted it done two years ago. Others would have been happy had it been accomplished this January.

The fatal fallacy in that point of view is the belief that somehow the Cardinals were in control – that they could have magically closed the deal back then at the same or less money than the $22 million per year they reportedly offered now.

I don’t believe it for one minute.

Pujols wanted A-Rod money (ten years, $275 million) previously, so there was absolutely no reason for him to give up a chance at free agency to take less in advance.

In fact, my belief is that the Cardinals only remained in the Pujols hunt until the final day due to good fortune. First, the Yankees and Red Sox were not in the bidding. Second, the market overall is down, another point as to why Pujols would not have settled for $22 million or thereabouts in a better environment earlier.

Others have criticized the Cardinals for not playing hardball with Pujols earlier. Their thinking was that the club should have issued the player an ultimatum to either sign an extension at the team’s price or be traded away. The last window for that to have been feasible was the July 2010 deadline. With the full benefit of hindsight, winning the 2011 World Championship in Pujols’ final year seemed the right (non-) move.

Back to the here and now, some are suggesting the Cardinals were not competitive, with their bid only fourth-best, putting them behind the Angels, Marlins and a supposed “mystery team.”

First of all, no one knows for sure what those other bids were (if they existed at all) and our sources may have agendas in trying to influence public opinion. For example, this would be exactly the kind of spin to come from Team Pujols if they wanted to try to diminish the St. Louis backlash.*

I suspect the Cardinals probably did extend themselves “to the limit and beyond,” as GM John Mozeliak said at his press conference on Thursday afternoon. The team officials are the only ones who fully understand their financials but from the outside looking in, they seemed to make representative offers, which they say they adjusted as recently as Wednesday. Could they pay the highest amount? As proven, the answer is “no.”

Who can blame the Cardinals for being wary of giving 10 years with no-trade protection to a man who will be 41 years old at the end of his contract? At least the Angels could eventually station an aged Pujols at designated hitter, an option unavailable to St. Louis.

All is not lost. The Cardinals have the time and now the money this winter to explore trades, free agency and perhaps going after extensions before their next round of core players hit the market – Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina. They have the flexibility to plan for the future with a more balanced team than paying a superstar salary would allow.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not anti-Pujols. He earned the right to seek free agency and to take his services to the bidder of his choice, which he did. I don’t begrudge him one bit for that. That is the system baseball has put in place and he used it to his maximum advantage.

Cardinals fans should appreciate the 11 unprecedented years he gave them and the fine team baseball played, of which he was a key contributor. The two World Championship flags Pujols helped raise will fly forever.

On the other hand, I hope Pujols does not insult our intelligence by insisting that his move was not about the money. It clearly was.

* Update: And, here it is. It was a matter of the heart. A direct quote from a phone call from Pujols to his agent Dan Lozano early Thursday morning follows. It was Pujols communicating his decision as reported by USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, who it would appear is tightly wired to the agent. After all, how else could a third-party quote a one-on-one telephone conversation directly?

“The Angels,” he (Pujols) said (to Lozano), “are the ones tugging on my heart.”

Pujols’ past level of support, admiration and in some cases, near worship as a Cardinal is unlikely to be exceeded, or even duplicated anywhere else. That Pujols’ heart told him to leave this environment in St. Louis for a completely different situation is difficult to fathom. If he instead departed for more money from the Angels, that would be neither a crime, nor a sin.

Some suggest the Players’ Union may have pressured Pujols to take the highest bid. Just one year ago, we saw a crystal clear example of just the opposite. Cliff Lee passed up higher offers from two teams, the Yankees and his then-current club, the Rangers, to sign with Philadelphia instead. Lee was not about the money.

The loss of star continuity resulting from Pujols leaving the Cardinals behind is my greatest regret from the perspective of a long-time fan of the game of baseball. One-team Hall-of-Famers are so rare in this day and age. Ripken, Jeter (later), Gwynn, Brett… there aren’t too many.

Then, there is the greatest Cardinal of them all, Stan Musial. Yes, Stan stayed home for a quarter of a century, but in his day, players had no choice. One thing for sure, by heading to Anaheim, Pujols has guaranteed that he will never earn the opportunity to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with “The Man” as a true career-long and life-long St. Louis Cardinals icon.

Audio interview

I covered much of this same ground in my Thursday afternoon live interview with Ken Miller and Jim Brinson on KXnO FOX Sports Radio in Des Moines. It follows.

Click here for audio: Brian Walton with Ken Miller and Jim Brinson (9:20)

Reader poll

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One very unique baseball card collector may be doing just that, perhaps hoping to cash in on the attention of St. Louis Cardinals World Championship and the free agent bid of their future Hall of Fame first baseman Albert Pujols.

Heritage Auction is touting “the greatest collection of Albert Pujols rookie cards ever assembled.” Not being into card collecting myself, I can’t speak for the greatness of it, but it surely is unusual.

This unidentified collector apparently snapped up every copy of Pujols 2001 Donruss Elite rookie card he could get his hands on. Only 1,000 were ever printed and this person has acquired 315 of them, including ten autographed cards. Heritage is touting the value of this collection at over $100,000.

Curious about the situation, I contacted an expert in the field. Don Drooker is a long time collector of sports cards and memorabilia and writes about them nationally for examiner.com.

After I sent him the auction description, Don was kind enough to answer a series of related questions from an old friend. Special thanks to him for doing so.

BW: How unique is this set of Pujols rookie cards?

DD: This is certainly an unusual collection. I am not sure I’ve ever seen someone trying to corner the market on an individual card.

BW: Are the cards themselves rare?

DD: The market always determines the price and even though this collector owns over 30% of the print run of this particular card, examples of the card still sell on the secondary market. The book price in the monthly Beckett price guide is currently a range of $275-$400 and one sold last week on eBay for $382.

BW: $100,000 seems like a lot of money. Is that realistic?

DD: The auction house estimate is reasonable. Based on current book values, my ballpark (pun) guess is $115-$120K. With that being said, if a collector pays market value, where is the upside?

BW: There is always risk in collecting. Where do you see it here?

DD: Controlling a large portion of Pujols Rookie Cards is nice in the abstract, but it shouldn’t be forgotten that this particular brand (Donruss Elite) doesn’t have an exclusive on Pujols. There are many other examples of Pujols rookie cards, both regular and autographed, and some have even lower production runs.

Hypothetically, if the buyer was to expect some sort of windfall from owning (and later selling) these cards, what would stop collectors from buying some other brand?

BW: So this is not the most valuable Pujols 2001 card?

DD: No, it is not. The most expensive Pujols Rookie Card is the 2001 Bowman Chrome. Only 500 were made and it is autographed using “refractor” technology. The current book price on this card is $3,000-$4,000.

Bidding for the 315-card lot is being conducted online and closes this Sunday evening, December 4. With over three days to go, the high bid is currently $32,500. As in online auctions from eBay to the most expensive collectibles handled by an auction house, the real excitement may occur in the final minutes.

If you decide to go for it, you won’t be bidding against me, however…

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Much has changed since then, or has it?

Tuesday’s report that the Northsiders are interested in signing the top player on the market may serve as new Cubs president Theo Epstein’s virtual bro hug with now-free agent Pujols.

What a difference 24 hours made in the heat level of Major League Baseball’s hot stove.

On Monday, Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan commented about the “surprisingly quiet” market for Pujols. Passan had spoken with three baseball executives who characterized the Cardinals as “heavy, heavy favorites” to retain the first baseman. “I’m 100 percent certain he’s going back there,” one executive reportedly told the writer.

FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal shattered the tranquility when he disclosed on Tuesday morning that the Cubs are interested in both Pujols and Milwaukee free agent first baseman Prince Fielder.

The FOX report had an interesting angle on why, noting the new labor agreement between players and owners was designed to scale back team spending on amateurs. That had been a major element of Epstein’s past formula for success with the Boston Red Sox.

Despite having good major league teams that meant annually drafting late in the first round, the Sox did a consistently solid job of building a strong minor league pipeline. Those players helped fuel major league success that included two World Championships. One route that could be used to accomplish that was having the means to overpay if necessary to secure top amateur talent.

If Epstein is being forced to modify that proven blueprint because of stiff financial penalties for overspending on amateurs in the future, his Achilles heel as a GM may be exposed in Chicago.

With Boston, Theo had a very mixed record over the years with major league free agent acquisitions. Problem contracts with John Lackey and Carl Crawford last winter offer the most recent examples of concerns that go back at least to the days of Edgar Renteria and Julio Lugo. In between, there were J.D. Drew and Daisuke Matsuzaka among others.

In fact, Epstein shares that legacy with Hendry, effectively his predecessor leading the Cubs. Over his nine years in the GM chair, Hendry saddled the Baby Bears with numerous bad contracts including Alfonso Soriano, Milton Bradley, Carlos Zambrano and many more.

As Rosenthal notes, Fielder is also in the mix in Chicago. He may be had for fewer years than the nine the Cardinals have allegedly offered Pujols, though Fielder’s per-season price tag could be higher, since he is more than three years younger. Of course, like Pujols’ age, Fielder’s weight remains a concern of some potential buyers.

Another proven weapon in Epstein’s bag of tricks in Boston was to drive up the price of free agents to his nemesis, the New York Yankees. One recent example was his move to try to snare Yankees icon Mariano Rivera away from his long-time home. Though he was unsuccessful, Epstein’s initiative raised the ante paid by his primary competitor.

Whether the Cubs end up with Pujols, or Fielder or neither one of them, it seems risky to not take the overtures seriously.

To date, the Cardinals have enjoyed the upper hand with Pujols. Due to a lack of competition, they seem to have had no reason to increase their February offer, one that Pujols rejected. It may be in the nine years, $200 million range.

Scott Boras, Fielder’s agent, and Dan Lozano, the embattled representative of Pujols, must love the Tuesday news. Each may be hoping the other first sets the market while leaving the final premier first-baseman standing to elicit a bidding war from desperate suitors.

At this point, no one knows if any clubs will reach a desperation level, however. In fact, the first question is whether or not any teams will become legitimate bidders. The Marlins kicked the tires on Pujols, but no other club has made an offer to either free agent – at least that has been reported.

Other teams could jump into the fray, including Texas, Washington, Seattle or the Angels, but no one yet knows for sure.

For a point of comparison, click here to see the results of this same poll, conducted here at The Cardinal Nation Blog in May.

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Because these changes do not fully take effect until this coming fall, the Lords of Baseball agreed on interim terms that impact a handful members of this year’s free agent class. (FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal has all the details.)

As a result, the St. Louis Cardinals look to be short-term winners, at least on a small scale.

Five of the club’s eight major league free agents were deemed compensation-eligible by the two-year Elias Rankings that will be eliminated after this year. They are first baseman Albert Pujols (Type A), shortstop Rafael Furcal and pitchers Octavio Dotel, Edwin Jackson and Arthur Rhodes (all Type B*).

The Cardinals must make an offer of arbitration for a one-year contract to these players* by midnight tonight, Wednesday, November 23, or they will be ineligible to receive compensation if the players sign elsewhere.

Pujols’ case is easy to predict. The Cardinals will offer arbitration because Pujols would never accept a one-year deal at this point. Of course, the organization hopes the two compensatory picks associated with the offer will not come into play and he re-signs with them.

My suspicion is that neither Furcal, Jackson nor Rhodes will be offered.

The two-year, $10.5 million contract that shortstop Clint Barmes received from the Pirates could signal that Furcal has an opportunity to do much better elsewhere. Despite the Cards wanting him back, I doubt they would risk going to an arbitration hearing.

Jackson, a Scott Boras client, may receive a Kyle Lohse-type of contract from some pitching-hungry club. While the Cardinals could likely pick up a comp pick by offering, in the past they have not made offers to players they do not want to bring back. That seems to be the case here. It has nothing to do with Jackson’s skills. With the Cardinals’ 2012 rotation already set and a lot of money committed to them, there seems no room at the inn for him.

Rhodes is 42 years of age. Hopefully, the 2012 Cardinals will look in another direction.

* That leaves the interesting case of Dotel. Originally, he was named a Type A free agent, which restricted his appeal to other clubs, since they would lose their first- or second-round pick by signing him. It was a high price for a reliever.

That changed this week. The special interim rules just enacted freed a small group of relief pitchers, including Dotel. He is among those immediately moved to Type B, but the Cardinals actually benefit by being assured of a compensation pick between the first and second rounds if/when Dotel signs with another club for 2012.

The team lost the chance for two picks (which they were very unlikely to chase, anyway) and get one without having to take action. The player benefits as a new prospective team will not lose a high selection by signing him.

With a draft pick essentially already in hand, the Cardinals have no reason to make Dotel an offer of arbitration. Further, with younger and cheaper right-handed relief alternatives in house, I predict they will not bring him back in 2012.

At the bottom line, there are three possible cases based on my predictions:

1) If Pujols and Dotel re-sign with the Cardinals, the club will receive no extra picks.

2) If Pujols re-signs, the Cardinals would gain one compensation pick from the loss of Dotel. This is my most likely scenario.

3) If neither re-sign with St. Louis, the Cards would pick up a first- or second-round pick plus two compensation selections in the 2012 draft.

Update: The Cardinals’ arbitration offer decisions are outlined at TheCardinalNation.com.

Note: While you are here at The Cardinal Nation Blog, make sure you register for our free, World Series Highlights DVD sets giveaway. Registrations are only being accepted through Friday, so don’t wait!

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The 31-year-old free agent first baseman recently visited the Miami Marlins, the only club other than the St. Louis Cardinals yet to show public interest in signing him. Perhaps other teams are also kicking the tires, but they have not yet rolled out the red carpet.

The Marlins not only hosted Pujols, they reportedly made him a contract offer. Despite some erroneous rumor reporting of a nine-year, $225 million proposal, most reputable sources indicate the deal presented was lower than the offer the Cardinals made last spring, probably $190 million or less.

Why would the Marlins even bother to do that, while knowing their only realistic chance of getting Pujols would be to outbid his preferred destination, a return to St. Louis?

One prime possibility is that with a new stadium opening this coming spring, the club is trying desperately to stimulate fan interest in a team that has consistently drawn mediocre attendance totals despite being located in one of the country’s most populated areas.

There seems a lot of value in at least creating the vivid impression that they are seriously pursuing top players such as Pujols and free agent shortstop Jose Reyes, late of the Mets. The fact these stars are Hispanic is an added bonus.

Miami Herald writer Dan Le Batard is fawning over the Marlins’ aggressiveness. He downplays the non-competitive offer made to Pujols, instead celebrating its symbolic value to a sleepy franchise.

“It doesn’t matter if the offer is $190 million or $225 million, it is still a breathtaking move for this group, which hates long-term contracts and prefers to work the system with young, cheap talent. The Marlins, given their history and reputation, given how they’ve always preferred to do business, are actually the least likely team in the sport to offer a player that age that many years.”

Nowhere did the writer speculate the offer was under serious consideration by Pujols. In fact, he makes it very clear that the Marlins would have to dig deeper, a move he does not support.

“You won’t believe Pujols will be here until you see it? That’s fair. This management group has certainly earned your distrust… The only way for them to erase your distrust, the only way for them to actually get Pujols, is to overpay and make an even more gigantic offer that is really dumb.”

Rather than letting it sit there, Le Batard slipped this little gem into his article.

“…like a lot of teams, the Marlins believe Pujols to be older than the 31 he claims to be.”

No further explanation of who specifically believes that or why they feel that way is provided.

Let’s step back and consider this for a minute.

Say the report of the age suspicion is valid. The Marlins certainly must have believed that long before Pujols was symbolically marched through the streets of South Florida. Or are we expected to believe that they came to that conclusion just this past week by looking closely at his receding hairline or something?

It sure feels to me that the issue of Pujols’ age could have been fed to a hungry Le Batard by Marlins officials trying to spin away the negative reaction generated from their dog-and-pony show followed by non-competitive offer. A national writer, SI.com’s Jon Heyman, characterized the bid as “a lowball special designed to work only if Pujols has some incredible and unknown desire to play in Miami.”

At least Le Batard seems to admit as much, while not holding the Marlins responsible.

“Some will shrug and say that an absurd nine-year, $200 million offer is just a sham meant to look good, meant to look like they are trying, an offer just good enough to be rejected. That says more about the asinine business of baseball than it does about the Marlins, but that’s where the Marlins find themselves today…”

A sad side effect of this Miami sideshow is renewed national speculation about Pujols age, still with absolutely nothing to back it up except whispers.

Related articles: Please refer to these earlier articles about Pujols’ age questions.
March 5, 2011: “Cardinals concerned about Albert Pujols’ age?”
January 26, 2011: “Why do Pujols’ age questions persist?”

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For a given player, one can view situational stats cut just about any way imaginable. Examples can range from the basics of how a hitter performs against left-handed pitching all the way to his results with two strikes and two runners on base in extra-inning home games.

I thought I had seen it all until I returned recently to a favorite specialty site, BirdBats.com. Its proprietor, Jeff Scott, collects St. Louis Cardinals game-used bats and tracks their use by players like no other. (For those interested in reading more about Jeff and his business, check out this interview.)

In the case of now-free agent Albert Pujols, Scott not only tracked which bats Albert used in each plate appearance over the course of recent seasons, since the 2004 World Series in fact, he also recorded Pujols’ game results by his varied choice of lumber, both by brand and finish.

That’s right. Pujols’ splits by bat type.

I should mention that Pujols has used Marucci bats exclusively since 2008 and has a minority interest in the company.

You can find all the details at BirdBats.com, but here is a summary of Pujols’ 2011 bat usage and results from Jeff.

“Unlike the past three years, when he used the Gwynn finish 97-99.6 percent of the time, Albert used seven different finishes. He still used Gwynn the most – 82 percent of all plate appearances. But, he also used what I call the Bonds finish (cherry handle/black barrel), a natural barrel/black handle, a natural handle/Hornsby barrel, an all-natural finish, a pink bat and a black bat.

“My advice to Albert for 2012 – other than ‘re-sign in St. Louis’ – is to stick with the natural barrel/black handle bat. He hit .458 with that model during the regular season and .423 with it (including 4/5 of his HR) during the post season.”

Most Cardinals fans are undoubtedly hoping that this winter, Pujols does not create another kind of split – a breakup from his only home as a major leaguer.

Update: Following the posting of the article above, I heard from Jeff Scott, who provided further explanation as to why he got started.

“I started tracking Pujols game by game in 2005 because, at the time, he used several different brands of bats (and every collector wanted one that he used).  I’d get questions from people considering the purchase of a Pujols bat, such as, ‘I found this great 2005 Rawlings bat of his… what do you think?’  I was able to objectively respond that he used Rawlings five times in 700 plate appearances and encourage them to consider the odds that the bat was actually used by Albert in a game (vs. BP, in the cage or by someone else).  People often thank me for helping them avoid bad purchases, so I’d like to think the effort does some good.  I’m just happy every game is televised and I have a DVR.”

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Pujols joined Paul Molitor as the only players to have five hits in a World Series game.

Most hits, post-season game, MLB history

Pujols is only the second player to ever log 14 total bases in a post-season game and the first to do so in the World Series. He is on this list twice as the result of his 10 total bases in Game 2 on this NLCS vs. Milwaukee.

Most total bases, post-season game, MLB history

The only four players with more RBI in a post-season contest than Pujols’ six on Saturday night each collected seven during three different American League Division Series in the mid-1990s.

Most RBI, post-season game, MLB history

Thanks to researcher Tom Orf for these tables.

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Among Pujols’ feats:

• His five hits tied Milwaukee’s Paul Molitor for the most in one game.

• His three-home run game tied Babe Ruth (two) and Reggie Jackson (one) for the most in Series history.

• His 14 total bases set a World Series record.

• He collected hits in four consecutive innings, setting a World Series mark.

• His six RBI tied a Series record.

Researcher Tom Orf pulled all the three-home run games in MLB post-season history. They include the Rangers’ Adrian Beltre, who launched three long balls in Game 4 of the ALDS not three weeks ago.

Three-home run games, post-season, MLB history

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• Pujols became the fourth player in MLB history with four extra base hits in a postseason game. The others: Hideki Matsui of the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS Game 3 (2 doubles, 2 homers), Pittsburgh’s Bob Robertson in the 1971 NLCS Game 2 (1 double, 3 homers) and Frank Isbell of the White Sox (4 doubles) in the 1906 World Series Game 5. No one has yet to collect five or more XBH.

• Pujols is the first player in MLB history to have two games with three extra-base hits in a single postseason. In fact, only five players have done it twice in all years.

• Pujols is the 29th MLB player with 10 total bases in a game but the first Cardinal. Two previously had nine – Larry Walker in the 2004 World Series Game 1 and Lou Brock in Game 4 of the 1968 World Series.

Other team-related tidbits from Monday night’s NLCS Game 2:

• With 17 hits, the Cardinals tied their second-most hits in a postseason game. The record is 20 in Game 4 of the 1946 World Series. The other 17-hit outing was Game 7 of the 1934 World Series.

• The 12 runs also tied for second-most in team post-season history. The record is 13, also against the Brewers in Game 6 of the 1982 World Series (13-1). The others with 12: 2002 NLDS G1 vs. ARI (12-2), 1985 NLCS G4 vs. LAD (12-2), 1946 World Series G4 vs. BOS (12-3).

• While Pujols still holds the Cardinals record for most RBI in one postseason with 14 in 2004, David Freese is at risk of catching him. Freese collected his tenth in just seven games via a solo home run in the ninth inning to close out the Cardinals’ scoring onslaught. Tied for second with 12 are Jim Edmonds in 2000 and Reggie Sanders in 2005. Walker is fourth with 11 in 2004. Knotted with Freese at 10 are Edmonds in 2006 and Willie McGee in 1982.

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Pujols went 4-for-5, with three doubles, a home run and five runs batted in. In the process, the first baseman moved ahead of former teammate Jim Edmonds at the top of the Cardinals career post-season home runs and RBI lists. (Edmonds’ final playoff RBI was with the Chicago Cubs in 2008.)

No one in National League history has now hit more post-season home runs than Pujols’ 14 and with 42 RBI, he is just five behind all-time league leader Chipper Jones.

In fact, just 11 seasons into his career, of which seven have been playoff years, Pujols now ranks in the top ten in Major League Baseball post-season history in both homers and RBI. Needless to say, he has joined some elite company.

Career MLB post-season home runs

Note that Pujols RBI rate, exactly two per every three post-season games, is third-best in the all-time top ten, after David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez.

Career MLB post-season RBI

Tied one game to one, the Cardinals return home for NLCS Game 3 on Wednesday. Pujols likely has many more post-season contests ahead in which he can further his already-impressive power and production totals.

Thanks to researcher Tom Orf for the above tables.

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Some things have changed since the last time we’ve reviewed the situation. The man hug that reverberated around the baseball world earlier this season between free agent-to-be Albert Pujols and then-Cubs general manager Jim Hendry (see linked article below) lost its sizzle when the amazingly-resilient GM was finally sacked last month after nine high-spending but uneven years in the chair.

While it remains to be seen, some believe the Cubs’ new owners, the deep-pocketed Ricketts family of Ameritrade fame, will try to make a splash this winter.

One theory, presented by the Chicago Sun-Times and based on comments from a major league source, says the Cubs are considering the idea of getting the key members of the early-2000’s Cardinals band back together.

Specifically, the dominoes might fall in this order. First, Walt Jocketty is lured from Cincinnati to the North Side to replace Hendry. Then, Tony La Russa is hired to manage the lovable losers. The trifecta would be complete with the signing of Pujols to man first base for many years into the future.

Though the above scenario might have seemed ridiculous even a few months ago, it feels far less crazy today. All three gentlemen will be free agents after the season and each may have good reason to look elsewhere.

Further, the usually-guarded Jocketty made a series of very positive remarks to the Sun-Times about the Cubs as an organization, the resources available (traditionally, a division-leading payroll poorly spent) and the strength of the farm system. Perhaps it was in how the remarks were presented, but it appeared to go beyond the brief, polite but non-committal comments he might normally be expected to offer.

Couple that with the uncertainty of the Pujols contract situation and a perfect storm could develop this fall and winter. Of course, it would have to be considered low odds, but think of it this way. It probably is no less likely occurring than the 4.5 percent chance the current Cardinals have of reaching the playoffs, a hope to which many are valiantly clinging. The prospect of landing this triumvirate, however unlikely, could fuel renewed hope for Cubs fans, too.

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A reader poll, which is still running, indicates an overwhelming view that the decline in attendance is most attributable to the uneven play on the field. The 2011 Cardinals seem destined to miss the playoffs as they did three of the previous four seasons as well.

Cardinals ownership has often stated that attendance has a greater influence on their player payroll than it does for many other franchises. Against that backdrop, this post is to consider and discuss what may happen next.

Obviously, the biggest question is whether or not the club can afford to keep Albert Pujols with secondary decisions on key players such as Lance Berkman and Chris Carpenter. The focus here will be on Pujols, with Berkman’s fate perhaps tied to him. I will assume the Cardinals will not pick up Carpenter’s $15 million option, instead trying to negotiate a lower-cost, longer-term deal.

Sound off. What do you think will happen?

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With all the focus on New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter’s achievement of 3,000 career hits, reached on Saturday, another less nationally-interesting, yet significant milestone was reached in St. Louis that same night.

With his 1,981^st career hit, Albert Pujols broke a tie with Hall of Famer Red Schoendienst for the fifth-most safeties in St. Louis Cardinals franchise history.

Career hits, St. Louis Cardinals (through 7/9/11)

Pujols, in his 11^th season in the majors, ended Saturday just 18 hits short of the 2,000 milestone. The free agent to be should be cracking that barrier very soon.

Following is the top 30 active major league players in career hits. Pujols is currently 20th, but should move higher before the season is out. Of course, I drew the line at number 30 as that is where Lance Berkman currently resides. Note Matt Holliday is 55^th. Both he and Pujols are 31 years of age.

Career hits, active MLB players (through 7/9/11)

Footnote: With a 2-for-4 day on Sunday, Pujols enters the All-Star break at 1,984 hits and with an uncharacteristic four-day mid-July rest. His 2011 batting average is at a high point for the season at .280.

(Player links go to their pages as Baseball-Reference.com, the source of these tables.)

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The double-play culprits were the big bats in the middle of St. Louis’ lineup, Matt Holliday and Albert Pujols. Despite a 15-day disabled list stint with a non-displaced wrist fracture, Pujols still leads the National League with 19 double plays grounded into this season. His teammate Yadier Molina is third in the NL with 13 GIDP.

As a team, the Cardinals have amassed a whopping 97 GIDP in their first 89 games. To help put that into context, at second place is the NL is Pittsburgh with 72. NL Central combatants Milwaukee and Cincinnati have 55 and 53, respectively. The Cards’ current opponent, the Diamondbacks,  have grounded into just 44 double plays despite entering the series with an identical 47-41 record to St. Louis.

I last looked at this subject in detail just one month into the season, back on April 28. At that time, the small sample size argument could be used. With well over half the 2011 schedule now complete, that card can no longer be played.

While the Cardinals’ GIDP pace has eased a bit since the first month, it still sticks out like a sore thumb for a team has simply been treading water. The lack of timely scoring has certainly been a factor in St. Louis’ pedestrian 33-33 record since April 28.

The Cardinals are currently on pace to ground into 177 double plays this season. It would set a new MLB record, surpassing the current high-water mark of 174, set by the 1990 Boston Red Sox.

The NL record is also in serious jeopardy. The 1958 Cardinals, with 166 GIDPs in just 154 games, had the most in NL history to date.

All is not lost. You first need to have runners on base before you can eliminate them.

Though they are nowhere near a record-setting pace in run scoring, the Cardinals are currently second in the NL in runs. They are in the middle of the pack in ERA, seventh, and are just 12^th in fielding.

In fairness, they constructed their 2011 club that way – to be heavy on offense. Still, it would seem a lot easier to outscore the opposition if they weren’t erasing a historically high number of runners on the bases.

A return to the Pujols of old could be the most important single factor in the 2011 NL Central race. Finishing the season as the league leader in grounding into double plays on the club with the most GIDPs in MLB history does not seem the optimal route to get there.

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Relevant data is scarce, though the population is growing since the 31-year-old suffered a forearm fracture and was placed on the disabled list effective Monday. It is just his third career DL stint and will be the first to go beyond the minimum 15 days.

Pujols missed 15 games in June 2006 and 13 in June 2008. The team went 14-14 in total with an 8-7 record the first year followed by a 6-7 mark two years later.

Even before Albert was hurt one week ago today, Sunday, the Cardinals had begun a slide. They had been 2-7 in their last nine. Since Pujols’ absence from the lineup, the club is 1-4, including Saturday evening’s loss to Toronto, for a total 3-11 skid.

With another defeat on Sunday, the Cards with Pujols on the DL would be 15-19 (.441) since his 2001 debut. In games Pujols has appeared over his career, the team is 911-720 (.559). In all St. Louis contests during the time in which Pujols was on the active roster, whether he appeared or not, they are 930-733 (also .559).

The difference over an entire 162-game season would work out as follows.

• Without Pujols (.441) = 71-91 record
• With Pujols (.559) = 91-71 record

Even in this overly-simple analysis, that difference of 20 games is something to think about for the future.

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Starting pitcher Chris Carpenter is now 1-7 with a 4.47 ERA in his 15 starts this season. Despite fanning seven and walking just one, Carp allowed 10 singles and lost the 5-4 game on Friday.

Gold Glove first baseman Albert Pujols committed a fielding error that allowed the winning run to score in Friday’s eighth inning. It was his fourth error in three games, though the other three were at third base. Much has been written about Pujols’ hitting this season as he is batting an uncharacteristic .271.

The fact the Cardinals have played so well despite these two having a subpar season is remarkable. Yet for the team to pull it together down the stretch, they need more from both the 36-year-old Carpenter and Pujols, 31.

Just six years ago, the two were en route to a sweep of the top pitcher and player awards in the National League. In 2005, Carpenter took his only National League Cy Young Award while Pujols won his first of three NL Most Valuable Player Awards.

Starting on June 18, 2005 through the end of that season, here are the numbers the two posted.

2005 from June 18 through end of regular season

Obviously, the two now have many more miles on their frames, but if they could approach that kind of productivity, think of the benefit to their team. With neither under contract for next season, now is the time to help secure their personal futures as well.

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The home runs were notable for several reasons.

Pujols’ 13 extra-inning home runs lead all active major league players.

This weekend’s walkoffs were the ninth and tenth  of Pujols’ 10-plus year career.

Seven of them have been in extras. That makes Pujols the fourth MLB player since 1950 with at least seven extra-inning walkoff home runs. He is just one off the lead, shared by Frank Robinson and Jim Thome with eight. Pujols has tied Mickey Mantle with seven (courtesy Tom Orf).

With two home runs on Friday as well, Pujols went deep all in all three games of a three-game series for the first time since August 17-20, 2007. That series was also against the Cubs, though at Wrigley Field (courtesy of FOX Sports Midwest’s Tim Trokey).

Researcher Orf was already pulling this final list before I asked him. That is the short list of players with walkoff extra-inning home runs in consecutive games.

Oddly, two of the three men are named “Albert.”

Pujols is the third in MLB since at least 1950, joining Albert Belle in 1995 and the late Cubs star Ron Santo, who did it in 1966.

Consecutive extra-inning walkoff home runs, MLB, since 1950

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Broadcasters Dan McLaughlin and Ricky Horton stepped aside from calling balls and strikes, spending a fair amount of time discussing how much Pujols has admired Helton over the years. Six and a half years older than Pujols, Helton became a full-time major leaguer in 1998. Pujols’ rookie season followed in 2001.

The two stars may have been first and most closely linked in 2003. That season, Pujols won his first National League batting title, edging Helton by the closest margin in league history – just .00022.

The Friday in-game discussion made me think about Helton’s career trajectory and whether Pujols might follow.

One of the most feared hitters in the game in the early half of last decade and a Colorado icon, Helton logged five consecutive All-Star appearances from 2000-04 and picked up four Silver Slugger Awards for hitting excellence from 2000-03.

Before Helton reached free agency, in March 2003, the Rockies gave him a nine-year, $141.5 million contract with the tenth year including a buyout option. The deal covered the 2003-12 seasons, corresponding with Helton’s ages 29-38. It was structured in such a way that his salary would not drop in the later years of the contract.

As the above table clearly indicates, after the first two years of the deal, starting in 2005, Helton’s power and RBI productivity took a considerable nosedive – just when his salary was approaching its highest annual levels. Helton was 31 years of age when his performance dropoff began.

Later, in 2008, Helton missed considerable time due to back problems that have popped up again since. There were also whispers of PED use, vehemently denied, the Colorado altitude and post-humidor effect and other factors one could suggest as excuses/explanations.

Say what you will, but the bottom line was that Helton was no longer an offensive force, but was being paid like one, and would be for years to come.

Though Helton bounced back a bit in 2009, by 2010, the two parties returned to the bargaining table. After four seasons at $16.6 million, his contract was re-negotiated downward to more accurately reflect his reduced contribution.

Helton received a guarantee for 2012 and a 2013 extension, replacing a never-to-be used $23 million option and buyout for 2012. His annual salaries for 2010 and 2011 were reduced by over $15 million in aggregate from the amounts the original deal called for.

However, Helton will recover most of what he gave back in deferred money. He will recoup $13.1 million plus interest during the decade of his 40s.

Perhaps this will enable Helton to remain with the Rockies until his retirement day, an unusual occurrence in today’s free agency-powered game. He is clearly a player whose impact extends beyond the white lines.

What can the St. Louis Cardinals learn from Helton’s story?

Obviously, nine or ten-year contracts are risky. Even if the player isn’t hurt, performance can drop in an unexplainable manner, never to return.

Some players, especially franchise ones, aren’t after getting all the money they can possibly earn – at least at the time. Helton was under no obligation to re-negotiate his contract with at least two seasons to go. Though it didn’t happen right away, his salary was eventually brought into a more reasonable range. That gave his team’s owners more flexibility to pay others. The player spread his earnings over a longer period of time and got two more years tacked onto the end of his deal.

If Pujols’ struggles continue all season long in 2011, might it signal the beginning of the career decline that Helton also experienced in his age 31 season?

Would the Cardinals (or any other club) offer him less in free agency as a result?

Even if Pujols returns to St. Louis and signs the expected mega-deal, what if declined productivity occurs over a long enough period to be considered more than a slump?

Would Pujols later re-negotiate his deal for a lower annual salary? If not, would he at least accept less immediate money?

Of course, no one knows how relevant and real this could become, but it is certainly worth considering.

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After Descalso’s Tuesday hit, catcher Gerald Laird was shown in the dugout rubbing the fingers on his non-broken hand together in the universal symbol for money.

“We call him D-Money,” manager Tony La Russa said about Descalso after Tuesday’s win.

This season, Descalso has now driven in nine runs from the seventh inning on with the game tied or the Cardinals down a run. This is generically called a “late and close” situation.

I asked researcher Tom Orf to put Descalso’s early-season, late-game feats into some historical perspective.

In the last 60 years, only ten Cardinals had collected at least seven late and close RBI through the end of May. Descalso makes the 11^th player to do so.

With six games to go in the month, Descalso needs just two more late and close RBI to pass his teammate Albert Pujols and join his hitting coach Mark McGwire at the top of the list as the most productive early-season, late-game Cardinal since at least 1950.

Big Mac collected 11 RBI to kick off his record-breaking 70-home run season of 1998. Pujols had ten early-late RBI in what went on to become the Cardinals World Championship season of 2006.

Descalso may not reach those kinds of heights this season, but his success in crucial situations still deserves notice.

St. Louis Cardinals, late and close RBI, through end of May, 1950-present

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The 2011 Albert Pujols version of the phrase includes the certainties of hitting and money, lots of both.

In the compensation department, the St. Louis Cardinals first baseman and free agent-to be is anticipating the huge contract heading his way this fall – even if he doesn’t yet know who will be signing his checks for the next decade or so.

In the interim, the hits haven’t been coming at their typical rate as Pujols has gotten off to an uncharacteristically rough start with the bat.  Albert arrived in Chicago this week lugging a .248 batting average and just two doubles in his first 35 games.

Could it be that Pujols’ spirits were raised by his Tuesday batting-practice embrace with Cubs general manager Jim Hendry? Both sides are clearly motivated to create the appearance of a budding courtship.

Hendry, in his ninth year in the job, has every reason to want to create hope for uneasy Cubs fans to “wait until next year.” In his favor, the GM has a past record of being able to convince his owners to spend lavishly on free agents. The decisions haven’t often been proven to be wise, but somehow, Hendry has survived despite an ownership change and his clubs’ last playoff wins having been back in 2003, long-since departed manager Dusty Baker’s first season with the Cubs.

After dealing away incumbent first sacker Derrek Lee last summer, Hendry brought in a one-year replacement for 2011. Despite averages of .196 and .227 the previous two seasons with Tampa Bay, Scott Boras client Carlos Pena received a generous $10 million contract to don Cubbie blue. His .213 Chicago average isn’t building him any support to stick around beyond this season, however.

With the traditional big spenders in New York, Boston and Philadelphia apparently set at first base for years to come, Pujols needs deep-pocketed bidders to step forward and enter the fray for his next contract. The Cardinals’ National League Central rivals from the north side of Chicago are considered by some to be shaping up as their most formidable competitor for Pujols’ ongoing services.

All eyes were on Pujols Tuesday as he and the Cubs’ front-office leader fanned those embers for everyone to see.

No one knows exactly what Hendry whispered into Pujols’ ear. Even though $300 million surely wasn’t stated – after all, that would be tampering – it had to be in their collective thinking.

Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts, the man with the (TD Ameritrade-sourced) money, was also on hand but stuck to a more business-like handshake with the Cardinals superstar.

That Pujols went on to log his first four-hit game of the 2011 season on Tuesday night, raising his batting average 20 points in the process, was perhaps just coincidental – or maybe it wasn’t…

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According to one rumor, the idea was floated during the first quarter discussions between Pujols’ agent, Dan Lozano, and club executives, but was tabled. It came up again this week in a Jon Heyman article at SI.com.

Perhaps it will arise once again when talks resume this fall.

Is it a good or bad thing?

At first blush, the Cardinals might seem motivated to consider this concept. On a general basis, ownership has expressed a willingness to introduce creative elements into the discussions. The intent could be to use non-cash items to bring down the out-of-pocket expense on what might otherwise be an MLB-record contract.

Could there have been motivation to externally leak this particular component?

One possibility is its potential value in influencing public perception. In some quarters, the rumor mill has depicted the Cardinals as having low-balled Pujols with their contract offer. From the team’s perspective, an equity example might help de-emphasize a harsh view of the standard average annual value (AAV) calculation of the proposal.

It could be a differentiator for the Cardinals’ bid. Other clubs may be more reluctant to offer an ownership stake, instead perhaps more inclined to bid straight money and years to a player new to their organization.

It could also hurt the Cardinals’ negotiating position. While Pujols could see tax advantages in this approach as well as potential growth in his ownership share of the club over time, if chasing an MLB-record AAV is what he wants most, this would get in the way of maximizing his raw dollars and perhaps years.

Is ownership motivated?

Let’s take a quick look at the rough value of the team, as reported by Forbes. Last spring, they placed a value of $488 million on the Cardinals, the eighth-most valuable club in MLB by their estimates. A one-percent share would equate to roughly $5 million and you can do the math from there.

In other words, would it be worth it to ownership to save $50 million over the life of Pujols’ next deal to cede a ten percent share of the Cardinals? It seems a high price to pay.

There could also be internal issues. Which owners would be willing to dilute their stakes to make room for Pujols? There are over a dozen investors in the Cardinals current ownership group.

The concept of a player holding an equity stake in his team is allowable by Major League Baseball but requires permission of the commissioner. If it came down to it, would that approval be granted easily?

I would be very surprised if MLB or any team’s owners would be eager to risk the potential of exposing their books to an active player and member of the Players’ Union.

In other words, it might be good PR for the Cardinals if fans think Pujols is under consideration for partial ownership, but that doesn’t mean they intend to pull the trigger – at least initially.

Now, later or not at all?

One variation could be to give the player an option to acquire shares at a pre-defined price upon his retirement. Again, there is potential downside, though on appearance less than in the case of granting immediate team equity.

This agreement would remain on the books for another decade or so and could become an inhibitor if a broader change in ownership was considered during that time. Would a prospective new ownership group want to have Pujols involved, for example?

In recent reader polling this spring at The Cardinal Nation Blog, fans embraced the idea. Almost 50 percent of voters would include a future share of team ownership in Pujols’ new contract, while 17 percent would do it effective immediately. The other third oppose the concept regardless of when it would be executed.

Does a new CBA offer opportunity?

Recently, I have read a number of writers expressing surprise that with all the labor strife currently occurring across professional sports, specifically in the NFL and NBA, that MLB seems the exception. I wonder if they realize negotiations between the union and ownership on a new basic agreement haven’t fully gotten underway.

If completed by this coming December, the new collective bargaining agreement would take effect at that time. If not, players could continue to decide to play in 2012 on an interim basis as the new deal is hammered out. There is always the possibility of a strike if negotiations turn ugly.

One could only imagine how concerns over an active player and member of the union potentially having access to the books of a major league team might complicate negotiations.

For that reason alone, I don’t see the immediate equity scenario happening. The owners would seem to have too much to lose by the risk of opening up their financials – now or in the foreseeable future.

Does it benefit anyone other than the player?

Former commissioner Fay Vincent, who was once fired by the owners by the way, has been at the lead of the movement, pushing this concept of player equity in clubs. I recently wrote him about it, asking several questions including why the owners would ever allow this. He did not reply.

Vincent’s remarks and articles on the subject stress the tax advantages from the player perspective. I suspect Vincent also very well knows the problems it could create for ownership and to a lesser extent for the union, but apparently has reasons to downplay that important dynamic. Perhaps he is trying to build a groundswell of support among those who aren’t thinking this all the way through.

The idea of players getting access to ownerships’ finances would certainly offer the potential to disrupt the labor calm in MLB, wouldn’t it?

The union angle

MLB Players Association Executive Director and General Counsel Michael Weiner has said that he is not necessarily for or against the concept of players holding an equity share in their team while noting it would require both internal union dialogue as well as discussion with ownership. After all, perhaps the union might also be uncomfortable with owners among their rank and file.

It is important to consider possible impacts to the game once the door is opened. If granted to Pujols, there would be nothing to stop the expansion of ownership to a broader base of players. In fact, Vincent’s advocacy is not restricted to Pujols; the Cardinals star is just one immediate example.

In an October panel discussion that included Vincent, Weiner noted possible integrity issues that a broader partnership could raise. A scenario was cited in which players on one team would benefit financially if a different team was to make the playoffs.

One weak link can break the chain

My bottom line is that while the idea of granting Pujols a share of the Cardinals has a nice feel to it, the various inhibitors are such that I really question whether it will happen this fall. Any one of the items mentioned above could scuttle the idea, with likely other inhibitors not yet brought to light.

Perhaps the details of a player holding equity in his club will be hammered out some day, but it seems like it would take considerable time and effort to make it a reality.

On the other hand, if the Cardinals don’t come up with some creative aspects to successfully inject into the proposed contract other than flat dollars and years, they may be forced into the unpleasant prospect of either matching the highest bid Pujols can secure in the free agent market or watching him walk away.

Even if so, would that be more palatable to ownership than ceding a chunk of the team and everything that goes with it?

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