PUJOLS OVERLOOKED IN "ATHLETE OF THE DECADE" POLL
Yes, it's hard to believe humankind has survived almost 10 years into the 21st Century.
It would take days to list everything that has happened since we moved into the world of 2K. The attack on the World Trade Center probably tops the list. The United States has been at war (undeclared though it may be) most of the decade. We have elected an African-American President. Tiger Woods has been named Athlete of the Decade.
OK, so Tiger's inclusion on important events in the past ten years may seem trivial when seen in the big picture; but I don't really want to get into politics and world affairs when sports are involved. No, I want to question that choice by the Associated Press.
First, the announcement came after the disclosure of his extra-marital dalliances. There is some speculation that drugs may be involved in the plot. Second, I think the sports editors who vote the award are smoking something in a glass pipe. Tiger was named "Athlete of the Year" twice during the decade (2000 & 2006). Lance Armstrong was AOY from 2002-2005.
Some jealous Europeans have intimated that Armstrong, too, used performance-enhancing drugs in his comeback from testicular cancer to rise again to the pinnacle of the cycling world. Third, many would argue that golf is not a "sport", although I disagree with that point of view.
Fourth, Albert Pujols deserves to be "Athlete of the Decade".
Tiger, or "Cheetah" as he will now be known, racked up some impressive numbers on (and off) the golf course the past 10 years. He won 71 golf tournaments around the world, including 11 majors. He married a hot Swedish chick, fathered at least two children, made a pile of money, partied like a fraternity boy, got caught with his pickle in the mayo jar, lost his wife and credibility, and has taken an "indefinite" leave of absence from the game that defines him.
His accomplishments on the course are remarkable. His activities off the course are even more remarkable. Like so many other high-profile athletes, Cheetah, it seems, thought himself above the constraints of everyday morality. Actually, his escapades away from home make him almost human.
Pujols, on the other hand, has been superhuman on the baseball diamond. The St. Louis slugger became just the fourth player in Major League history to win a Decade Triple Crown. And he did it in nine years. Since coming to the big leagues in 2001, Pujols has hit 366 home runs, driven in 1,128 runs and averaged .334 at the plate. Besides his usual stellar defense at first base he has played right and left field, shortstop, 2nd and 3rd base, with a lifetime fielding percentage of 99.2. He's been the National Leagues Most Valuable Player three times and he's been named an All-Star eight of his nine seasons in the majors. He has one World Series ring and a Gold Glove. He is the most feared hitter in baseball.
Pujols has Hall-of-Fame credentials now; and some believe he has a chance to be the greatest player of all time. His numbers compare to Ted Williams, Lou Gehrig, Honus Wagner and Babe Ruth. The numbers he put up in his nine years in pro ball are Herculean, in the realm of the gods. From 2001 to 2005, Pujols hit 201 home runs, second all-time for most in a player's first five seasons. By 2009, when he turned 29, he had 350 homers, making him the 3rd-youngest to do and surpassing Ralph Kiner's record for most home runs in his first nine seasons. He's the first player to hit 30 or more home runs in his first nine seasons and the second to drive in 100 or more RBIs in the same time span
Cheetah's numbers are impressive. So are those of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Albert's stats since 2001 outshine those of any athlete since the Splendid Splinter.
The Real Don Steele
December 18, 2009
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