Albert pujols - let's see them

[Peter_Spaeth]

If you're the Angels and you know the rumors, aren't you going to demand proof of age before committing to a long term mega deal with Pujols?

[gonefishin]

I sure hope all the Angels, including Trout, enjoy watching Pujols in the play offs smashing Home Runs into the bleachers. 702 Home Runs and a 3rd WS Championship with the Cardinals would be a nice way to end his HOF career.

Pujols on the 62 format is great - I like it!

[ALR-bishop]

I am a Cardinals and Pujols fan but think 702 is a stretch. And not sure they have the pitching to stay with NY or LA, even if Flaherty and Matz return to form.

No one in baseball has pitched better than Montgomery over his last 4 games. but he can not really be that good, right Yankees fans ?

[gonefishin]

I was just dreaming big - and phishing to get Peter and the other Angel fans stirred up -

The way they're playing they could probably beat the Yankees with only Goldschmidt, Pujols and Nootbaar taking the field. Gorman could pitch I guess and DH. That's all they need.

I'll stick with 702 and the 3rd ring.

[Bill77]

A couple of my Pujols rookie cards.

[gonefishin]

Nice cards! I like the Gold version of the base.

[G1911]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

If you're the Angels and you know the rumors, aren't you going to demand proof of age before committing to a long term mega deal with Pujols?

These documents often don’t exist in the Dominican Republic and other places, or are easily forged, or are created long after the fact. Proving age is difficult in much of the second and third world. That Pujols is probably older than he officially states is old news, and was floating around well before the Angels contract. (https://www.insider.com/albert-pujol...his-age-2021-3). It was a common joke when he was still a Cardinal.

One would think this would discourage the Angels. One would also think that Pujols wouldn’t get his age mixed up, as he has several times, if it was true. But then again Moreno doesn’t exactly make brilliant signings.

I don’t know if it is true; I don’t have access to relevant documentation that may be extant or to sources in the Dominican. But it’s not particularly uncommon, and it puts his career into the normal decline and fall if he his, as has long been suspected, a couple years older. I think it’s likely Pujols is just a bit older than he says, that there is nothing peculiar about his decline.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by G1911

These documents often don’t exist in the Dominican Republic and other places, or are easily forged, or are created long after the fact. Proving age is difficult in much of the second and third world. That Pujols is probably older than he officially states is old news, and was floating around well before the Angels contract. (https://www.insider.com/albert-pujol...his-age-2021-3). It was a common joke when he was still a Cardinal.

One would think this would discourage the Angels. One would also think that Pujols wouldn’t get his age mixed up, as he has several times, if it was true. But then again Moreno doesn’t exactly make brilliant signings.

I don’t know if it is true; I don’t have access to relevant documentation that may be extant or to sources in the Dominican. But it’s not particularly uncommon, and it puts his career into the normal decline and fall if he his, as has long been suspected, a couple years older. I think it’s likely Pujols is just a bit older than he says, that there is nothing peculiar about his decline.

If he's 43 or 44 now that's awfully damn old for anyone except maybe Julio Franco to still be playing and even semi productive. And it sure doesn't make the Angels look good, unless maybe the thought was they would get 3 or 4 really productive years out of it even if he was older than officially stated. It's also pretty unusual to be playing 10+ years in decline, no?

In hindsight the Cardinals made a brilliant move.

[Kzoo]

Rickey was still playing (30 games) at age 44 for the Dodgers and actually stole 3 bases that year without being caught......but Franco playing till he was 49 is just crazy.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Kzoo

Rickey was still playing (30 games) at age 44 for the Dodgers and actually stole 3 bases that year without being caught......but Franco playing till he was 49 is just crazy.

Franco is probably still playing somewhere.

[G1911]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

If he's 43 or 44 now that's awfully damn old for anyone except maybe Julio Franco to still be playing and even semi productive. And it sure doesn't make the Angels look good, unless maybe the thought was they would get 3 or 4 really productive years out of it even if he was older than officially stated. It's also pretty unusual to be playing 10+ years in decline, no?

In hindsight the Cardinals made a brilliant move.

Yeah it’s unusual to play a decade in decline. If you’re a fan favorite legend getting paid $25M a year, it’s easier. Personally they should have cut him in 2018. These decade plus contracts usually do not work out well for the team.

[grizjunkie23]

Hands down the most dominant player of the 2000's. Anybody watching and collecting at the time could tell you he was "the guy" to chase, similar to Jr. in the 90's. The Angels probably expected to get 4-5 years of remaining prime Pujols, but the fall-off came much sooner than expected. Regardless, baseball is defined by generational players and 2001-2010 belong to him. He was great for the sport at a time when it was reeling from PED scandals.

This is my only Pujols. Wanted an attractive on-card rookie auto I wouldn't need to mortgage a leg for a la the BCA. Probably the nicest autograph I've seen on a copy, too, as they were notorious for blistering/fading. I grew up reading Beckett magazine and remember this thing sitting on the "Hot List" for years at a time.

[gonefishin]

Nice card! The auto should have been a 10. Congrats.

[Robextend]