[外電] Pujols stands alone as Cards' superstar
來源: http://tinyurl.com/3xznvs
02/29/2008 9:39 AM ET
Pujols stands alone as Cards' superstar
St. Louis slugger leads band of new teammates
JUPITER, Fla. -- MV3 is down to a single MVP. Albert Pujols' wingmen are
gone. So is his top tablesetter from the past three years.
Pujols has now outlasted every one of his teammates from his rookie season of
2001, save Rick Ankiel, who appeared in a total of five games between '01 and
his return in '07. The one-time young phenom is now the dean of the Redbirds.
Yet while all of his co-stars on the marquee from the great Cardinals teams
earlier in this decade have moved on, Pujols is more deeply entrenched than
ever. He's opened a restaurant in the area. His charitable foundation grows
bigger and more active every year. And his significance to the Cardinals'
lineup has never been greater.
Pujols calls St. Louis home, and unlike most of his departed teammates, he's
never known another organization. He'd rather that remain the case, but he
knows it's not a guarantee.
He always knew it, but after the trades of franchise icons Scott Rolen and
Jim Edmonds, the truth is starker than ever. Pujols is a realist.
"It's business," Pujols said. "It happens to every player. You hate to see
guys leave like that when you win a World Series and guys that are really
gamers.
"But I think the guys that we picked, I think they are ready to play and
ready to win some games. You build your relationship with guys like that for
three or four years, and you hate to see them leave. But you know that that
can happen to you, too. It's part of the business."
Part of what makes Pujols great is his single-mindedness, a drive that
borders on obsession. He takes care of his business, always. Sometimes it
means he doesn't have time for an interview. Sometimes it means he stays late
in the afternoon, or he arrives early, early in the morning.
Mostly, it means that he's not really a big-picture guy. Pujols is driven to
be the best player he can be, and to do the most he can to win.
So when he interacts with other players, he's happy to help them out. He's
happy to talk baseball, especially happy to talk hitting. But he's not going
to seek them out. Never has, and he's got no plans to start now. Pujols tends
to his affairs and assumes you can and will tend to yours.
Despite a younger roster, full of players unfamiliar with the ways of the
Cardinals, that won't change.
"I'm going to be the same way," he said. "If I see a guy that's swinging
terribly, I'm going to help him out. If I see him doing the wrong thing, I'm
going to tell him so. But I'm not here to try to be a babysitter, either. I
have a job to take care of, and that's getting myself ready too."
One thing Pujols must guard against, however, is taking too much on his own
shoulders when he stands in the batters box. With a depleted lineup early in
2007, Pujols got away from his approach, chasing balls he would usually lay
off. His walk totals suffered, as did his production on the balls he did put
in play.
The hope is that this time around, he'll stay patient. He certainly has the
teammates to inspire confidence. While the top and bottom of the Cardinals'
order contain plenty of questions, the middle looks stout.
Troy Glaus, Chris Duncan, Rick Ankiel and perhaps Ryan Ludwick and Juan
Gonzalez offer a great deal of thump in the lineup. If Pujols doesn't drive
in the runs, he can have confidence that the guys behind him will get the job
done.
It's not about the old notion of protection, per se. After all, most pitchers
would choose anybody else in the National League to come after rather than
Pujols. But it's about the slugger's own attitude and approach.
And, of course, his health. Pujols' troublesome right elbow has been
discussed to the point that he's tired of talking about it. The Cardinals
will watch him closely and treat him when needed, but there's not a lot that
can be done with his damaged ligament. He'll play till he can't, and try not
to make too many foolish throws.
"He's already proven he's very, very smart," said manager Tony La Russa.
"He's definitely capable of using his smarts to keep finding a way to stay in
the lineup. He's proven he's very tough about dealing with injuries."
Again, it's a matter of making sure he attends to what keeps him healthy and
effective. Pujols will do what he has to do to keep playing at the highest
level possible.
Regardless of who may be around him in the clubhouse or the lineup.
"I don't worry about what the team did this season, the decisions that happen
on the team, because that's not my job," he said. "My job as a professional
player is to come here, to take care of my business, take a shower and go
home. When it comes to the decisions, trading guys, bringing guys in, you
leave that to the GM and the owners. I don't care what they do. I want to be
a winner, and I think that they are going to put a team out there to try and
win."
Matthew Leach is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the
approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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