The Day The Sun Doesn't Rise

by R.J. Anderson on Oct 29, 2008 11:43 PM EDT

Super heroism accounts for the largest draw of baseball fans. As children the players adorned our walls and hearts with acts of talent well beyond normal. Yet the most supernal player of all, Albert Pujols, holds a quiet existence amongst our contemporary baseball ecosystem. The masses know Pujols. They also know he is good. They do not know how good. Baseball does not know how good Albert Pujols is, otherwise the National League MVP award would be handed to him tomorrow.

Immerse in the physiognomy of Pujols. He looks like everyone else approach No situation disconcerts the confident stature and expressions in his game. Pujols is so mechanically proficient that one of his nicknames is "The Machine". Nobody speaks poorly of Pujols yet have seen their team torched by him relentlessly. In a league that has no Barry Bonds, or Sammy Sosa, and only the public-diving Alex Rodriguez, baseball has done a poor job of selling Pujols for what he is: perfect.

The realization of the ignorance concerning Pujols struck me when Aramis Ramirez somehow won the Hank Aaron Award. Apparently, the fans voted on this award, and yet Pujols had arguably the best season of his career and lost to someone not named Bonds or Ruth. With the potential for Pujols to have surgery and miss most of next season baseball will miss perhaps its brightest star, and yet I wonder how many fans will actually notice until it's too late.

Tweet Comment 20 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Hey, I know it's sad and all

but i’d appreciate it if you didn’t distract from Matt Stairs potential retirement announcement.

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by Matt Klaassen on Oct 30, 2008 12:04 AM EDT reply actions

I laughed aloud at your sig.

The Dirty Canuck of the now.

by Blicks on Oct 30, 2008 12:29 AM EDT up reply actions

how do you even get it?

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by Matt Klaassen on Oct 30, 2008 10:38 AM EDT up reply actions

I probably didn't.

Something to do with Bannister getting majorly lit up, but only getting charged with 3 runs b/c DeJesus made an error?

And it was late at night. Things can be odd.

The Dirty Canuck of the now.

by Blicks on Oct 30, 2008 12:34 PM EDT up reply actions

yeah... and the JoPo text messaging thing with Banny to tell him that

it was “Royals Review” who made the joke, and I liked it so much I put it in my sig

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by Matt Klaassen on Oct 30, 2008 11:37 PM EDT up reply actions

It's pathetic. Downright pathetic.

No doubt about it.

The Dirty Canuck of the now.

by Blicks on Oct 30, 2008 12:47 AM EDT reply actions

I will never understand the lack of appreciation for Albert Pujols.

He’s perfect.

J.K.L.

by Aaron Campeau on Oct 30, 2008 2:35 AM EDT reply actions

I think players have to get better for people to actually notice they're good.

Even if that means throwing in a down season here or there to do it. This especially plagues players who are as good as Pujols was out of the box. To the casual fan, he was one of the best hitters in baseball coming in and. . . hasn’t gotten much better.

by philkid3 on Oct 30, 2008 6:34 AM EDT up reply actions

But he's perfect.

I agree, for what it’s worth, but it still baffles me. The man is a treasure.

J.K.L.

by Aaron Campeau on Oct 30, 2008 7:00 AM EDT up reply actions

what's doubly sad is the idea that he hasn't gotten better is probably a fallacy

he just had the best offensive year of his career. he has turned himself into one of the best defenders in baseball (he just won the fielding bible award again, i believe). he got pitched to maybe 30 times this year and still hit 37 homeruns. but it seems like most people don’t realize any of this.

by mattybobo on Oct 30, 2008 5:11 PM EDT up reply actions

oh and he's still in his peak years

by mattybobo on Oct 30, 2008 5:12 PM EDT up reply actions

There's a good argument that Pujols is the best 1B ever...

and he is absolutely the most underappreciated player in baseball.

Consider that, before his major league debut, he had yet to get more than a few at bats above A+ ball. The guy has the 5th highest career OPS of all time, plays gold glove worthy defense, and he’s a model member of the St. Louis community?

There’s so many good stories the media could tell about him, but nay, not exciting.

by BraveBronco0121 on Oct 30, 2008 9:09 AM EDT reply actions

You don't miss an Albert AB

As Cardinals fans, we know we have here, and we realize how special each at-bat by Albert Pujols really is. The fact that he’s under-appreciated outside of Cardinal fan-land doesn’t really bother me. The only thing that bothers me is the the thought of seeing him in some other uniform.

Besides, I think most baseball legends are made when looking back, so even if Albert is not duly recognized as the greatest player in the game right now by traditional media, he will be by writers 25 years from now. And I think he’s probably got Greatest Player of the Decade locked up when Bill James updates his historical abstract with the 00s decade.

by lightbulb on Oct 30, 2008 9:42 AM EDT reply actions

You'd think

but sometimes James can be a real contrarian… just wait, he’ll pick Eckstein

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by Matt Klaassen on Oct 30, 2008 10:39 AM EDT up reply actions

GRITTY!

by staplemaniac on Oct 30, 2008 5:03 PM EDT up reply actions

Pujols' publicity problems

1) Not playing in LA or New York

2) Not being quite “cool” enough, or, perhaps what would be easier and/or more effective

3) Isn’t nearly enough of an a-hole.

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by Matt Klaassen on Oct 30, 2008 10:40 AM EDT reply actions

awesome

i especially like #2, the coolness factor. it’s totally true. i mean, he’s not flamboyant, he married an older woman and adopted her child who has downs syndrome, he really really loves jesus, he’s doesn’t have his own cologne or appear in ads for expensive watches that i’m aware of (derek jeter i’m looking in your direction). he’s a total square compared to most other stars.

by mattybobo on Oct 30, 2008 5:18 PM EDT up reply actions

I prefer #3

but being a Christian is only cool for ~~sucky~~ gritty players, not for superstars who might threaten the Iron Horse (whom I love, by the way).

OMG Banny. FWIW I am only crdtng u w/3 runs allwd bc of DDJ OMFG

by Matt Klaassen on Oct 30, 2008 11:41 PM EDT up reply actions

from afar,

it may not be as easy to see his leadership qualities.

AP brings a world class “will to win”, daily.
he leads by example, in a mvp type way.
but quietly, because his goals are team oriented.

it’s a priveledge to watch him daily, and know his true mvp value, every year.

by ball in play on Oct 31, 2008 11:29 AM EDT reply actions

his minor elbow surgery has been completed.

AP is expected to be ready for ST 09.
albert has an established ml track record of turning a 30 day DL stint into a 15 day. then, rolling out of bed on day 16, and hitting bombs.
this offseasons surgery should not show up as nothing more than an blip, on his offseason routine.

by ball in play on Oct 31, 2008 11:49 AM EDT reply actions