Pujols a Whiner

[no97]

Okay, as a Cub fan, I have to hate this guy with all my being, but I have nothing for respect (or make that now had) nothing but respect for Albert Pujols. Great player, and seemingly, great guy, with all his off-field stuff. But now comes this story from ESPN.com about Pujols feeling snubbed in the MVP voting by the BBWAA...

My question is, why do this? He's the golden boy of MLB. Just say congrats to Ryan Howard, and say that he had a phenominal year. Instead, he instantly becomes a whining jerk. Nice move Pujols. You just became no better in my mind than any other Cardinal.

Moose

[CaolinaJoe]

Whiner? He has a point.

[DEAD!]

While, I think Pujols have every right to feel snubed, saying the MVP should come from a playoff team, to me, is not a valid argument. If Pujols could make the playoff argument, then Howard could very well say, hey I deserve the award because we had a better record than the Cards.

[CaolinaJoe]

Without Pujols the Cards don't make the playoffs.

Without Howard the Phils still don't make the playoffs.

Professional sports is about winning, not almost winning. Ask the Buffalo Bills.

[bludevl21]

If the Cardinals were in the NL East they don't sniff the playoffs.

If the Phillies were in the NL Central they win the divison.

Maybe Pujols should think the MVP deserves to go to the crappy divison his team played in.

(Or, in other words, the Cardinals ALMOST won as many regular season games as the Phillies this year)

[PaperAirplane31]

While, I think Pujols have every right to feel snubed, saying the MVP should come from a playoff team, to me, is not a valid argument. If Pujols could make the playoff argument, then Howard could very well say, hey I deserve the award because we had a better record than the Cards.

And then Pujols could say "I deserve the award because my team beat the Mets (on their homefield) who won your division and then we went to win the World Series."

[bludevl21]

And then Pujols could say "I deserve the award because my team beat the Mets (on their homefield) who won your division and then we went to win the World Series."

Except the playoffs don't factor into the MVP vote at all, it being a completely regular season based award, and Pujols would look like even more of a jerk if he went this route.

[Guest]

Pujols has a very strong case. However, stfu.

[Jigga]

If I was Phat Albert, I'd be a little sick and damn tired of finishing second...However, he is dead wrong about MVPs having to come from a playoff team. If Houston had caught St. Louis and NEITHER Pujols nor Howard led their squad to the playoffs, what would these mother :censored:ers have said then? There were no other viable candidates for NL MVP. What's Albert gonna say next year when he stays healthy and hits 60 home runs and misses the playoffs? It's a regular season award, so playoffs shouldn't even enter the picture...from playoffs performance to even leading your team to the playoffs.

Whatever.

[HedleyLamarr]

Mr. Pujols,

Instead of whining about a popularity contest, how about you celebrate the award Howard can't claim: World Champion.

Signed,

-Hedley

[Epiphanic]

Indeed. Man up "Hombre." If you're nickname is "The Man," then start acting like one. Ryan Howard had a phenominal year and is a fine pick.

[Cyclopsis Joe]

Umm..you won the World Series, everything after that is small potatoes.

Heh..potatoe.

[ProvidenceRI]

Pujols has a very weak case:

1) It's the Most Valuable Player award, not the Best Player on the Best Team Award

2) Postseason awards go to the best players on the best team.

[SEMOSTLfan]

I'm a little upset that Albert said this in a public forum, however I tend to wonder what context it was in. If someone asked him a question and he answered it, I can hardly fault him. We all have opinions, many of which we express here. Albert is a human being, and he is entitled to an opinion just as we are. That being said I would prefer he would steer clear of statements like this, it just doesn't look good.

[pcgd]

I was disapointed to hear this story.

It could have been taken out of context, but the only evidence is what he said. Even if it was taken out of context, it won't change anything except in St. Louis. Everywhere else, he's now a Jerk. Whatever. You all know you'd take him on your team in a nano-second.

Point or no point, man up and congraduate the other guy. Had he said "I felt I had a better year and I think I should have won," that's one thing. But saying the stuff about the playoff team...that's doesn't really factor in. I think a player can be the MVP on a losing team (see A-Rod, Andre Dawson, etc.) and be deserving.

I'm not going to the extreme and say the guy is a jerk however. He's not a jerk. If his achievements over 6 years have made you respent him, one statement shouldn't throw that all away.

[STL FANATIC]

I'm pretty unhappy with Albert for saying this. Keep you're mouth shut Albert and prove it with your play.

I suppose it's a good thing this is out of character.

Further maddening me, is that he's wrong. The award shouldn't go to a playoff player necessarilly. Probably needs to go to a player who's team sniffed the playoffs, but really, if a player made a huge impact on a team that fell just short, he shouldn't lose to a guy that made a midrange impact on a team that made the playoffs.

That said, he did get snubbed because he was more valuable then Howard this year.

Also, he's been snubbed 2-4 other times in his career, and in 2003, one of the most obvious years he was snubbed to Bonds, many voters specifically said it was because Bonds got his team into the playoffs and Albert didn't.

So Albert's got a case, but I'm quite disappointed he chose to voice it.

One thing that's confusing (and I wouldn't be surprised if something was left out that should have made this go smoother), is that Albert and Howard reportedly workout together in the St. Louis area and are decent pals. So I don't think he intended any disrespect to Ryan.

Ryan actually might be the golden boy though. Albert has never catered to the press apparently. He's one heck of a person usually (to compliment his play) when it comes to dealing with kids and fans and whatnot, but apparently he doesn't go too far out of his way for the press too often.

I dunno. Albert's anything but a jerk. He's one of the nicest, classiest people to play the game, and by and large he uses his success to help others.

This is a bad aberration from the norm for Albert, but it is an aberration none the less.

He'll get and take his flack for this. Maybe his wife will let him know he was a bit out of line. He'll move on and continue to be a great guy and player.

[Coast2CoastAM2006]

wtf is he complaining about, he just won a world series, so he didn't get a MVP. Big deal. He should be happy he won a WS. IF anyone has a right to complain its they chicago cubs fans, who haven't seen the cubs win a world series in nearly a century.

[Mings]

He has a case, for sure. Without him there would be no world championship for St. Louis. But................

Without Howard, the Phillies would be the Royals of the NL. He easily helped them to 20 more wins than what they would be capable of without him.

[Giggy35]

this guy has no class and has no case b/c since it says "Voting is conducted before the postseason." that means it doesnt matter how well u do in the postseason its how u do in the regular season the only thing pujos was winning in was batting average big effin deal howard had more homeruns and more rbi's so everyone that says he has a case and a point he doesn't. and sorry to break it to him but howard did better in the regular season than pujos. i hate this guy now he has nor respect for other players than himself

[rams80]

To be entirely honest, IMO Pujols didn't have an outstanding postseason (except for the part where he played on the World Series champions). So if he's basing his snub on postseason performance, he might want to be quiet.

That said...the "wins" argument is only a factor because the entire Cardinals roster, especially the pitching staff, pretty much took September off. That doesn't happen, the Cardinals have a better record than the Phillies. Even with the Cardinals taking September off, Philly only has 2 more in the win column. Clearly overwhelming dominance that...

I think Pujols does have a right to feel snubbed and complain a little (especially considering how this is the umpteenth time he's finished second in the voting). He certainly is as valuable to the Cardinals as Howard is to the Phillies.

If you're going to lose all respect for him because of this one outburst, then fine, go ahead and do that. I don't really care.

(Of course this host will be dismissed by some as blind homerism, and I understand that.)

EDIT-I should add that I personally do wish he kept quiet on this, and that whether or not your team makes the playoffs should not determine who is the MVP (although it should help).