Playing the part of slugger is a difficult task in today’s MLB. As an example, the Philadelphia Phillies’ Raul Ibanez, an increasingly consistent-but-not-overpowering hitter in the latter part of his career, belted a stratospheric 22 homers in the first 64 games of the 2009 season. An aberration attributable to steroids? That’s the template nowadays.
But in the case of Albert Pujols, it’s different. Like Ken Griffey Jr. before him, a five-tool superstar who was on his way to being the greatest player in the history of baseball at the turn of this century, Pujols has been a star from the beginning — he won the Silver Slugger award his rookie season. Not once has he hit fewer than 30 homeruns in a season. Not once has he batted in fewer than 100 runners.
And with such unmitigated success comes rumors, rumors that, in the era of A-Rod and Bonds, hold weight absent proof. It’s understandable why Albert Pujols would be miffed.
From Bob Nightengale at USA Today:
“I can understand people being disappointed with A-Rod and Manny,” Pujols says of the New York Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Manny Ramirez, who have been ensnared in performance-enhancing drug controversies this year. “But just because Manny made a mistake, now I have to pay? Just because A-Rod made a mistake, now I have to pay? Oh, guilt by association? That’s wrong.”
“For people to be suspicious of me because of the year I’m having and for people to say I just haven’t been caught, that makes me angry and disappointed.”
For the record, Pujols hit a grand slam and executed an unassisted triple play in his first collegiate game.
Yeah, he’s been doing this since the beginning.
Pujols bats down rumors: [USA Today]
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