SOUTH GRAND — While first baseman Albert Pujols continues his postseason looting of baseball’s various trophies, outfielder Ryan Ludwick scored a nod for his breakout — perchance, breakthrough — season with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Ludwick, a National League All-Star this past summer, was selected to Sporting News’ National League All-Star team, the magazine’s editor announced this afternoon. The Sporting News, which used to be based in St. Louis, selected Pujols as the All-NL first baseman and put Ludwick in its All-NL outfield, flanked by Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun and Colorado’s Matt Holliday.

The All-Star teams are featured in the magazine’s season-in-review issue, released this week.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Ryan Ludwick

Ludwick tied for the team lead with 37 home runs, to go with his 104 runs and 113 RBIs. He rewrote his career highs across professional baseball, and came one base hit shy of batting .300 for the season. Ludwick’s 80 extra-base hits ranked second on the team to Pujols, and together the were No. 1 and No. 2 in the National League in slugging percentage. Pujols’ slugged .653; Ludwick .591.

The announcement is an excuse to revisit an interesting statistical feat.

As researched by Bernie Miklasz earlier this season, Pujols and Ludwick were on pace to pull off a rare daily double. Four times in baseball history have teammates been No. 1 and No. 2 in the majors in slugging percentage. Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig did it three times, and the last tandem to do it, Joe Morgan and George Foster, did it in 1976. Ludwick and Pujols nearly became the third duo to do so — finishing No. 1 and No. 3 in all of the majors, separated only by Manny Ramirez’s .601 slugging percentage.

Pujols and Ludwick are the first teammates to lead the NL in slugging since Dante Bichette (.620) and Larry Walker (.607) did in 1995, the first year of Coors Field.

Ludwick, who was an All-Star in the National League before he was an everyday player for the Cardinals, was among the most productive outfielders in the league, with the following ranks among outfielders across the back of his baseball card: 37 HR (2nd), 113 RBIs (1st), 40 doubles (tied 4th), 104 runs (4th), .375 on-base percentage (6th) and .966 OPS (1st).

The Sporting News‘ National League All-Star team:

C Geovany Soto, Cubs
1B Albert Pujols, Cardinals
2B Chase Utley, Phillies
3B David Wright, Mets
SS Hanley Ramirez, Marlins
OF Matt Holliday, Rockies
OF Ryan Braun, Brewers
OF Ryan Ludwick, Cardinals
SP Tim Lincecum, Giants
RP Brad Lidge, Phillies

-30-