David Wright: Gap between Pujols & elites has “broadened” (video posted)
DOWNTOWN — Asked who he would pick to win the Home Run Derby, New York Mets third baseman David Wright said it was difficult to choose any hitter other than Albert Pujols. But not just because the St. Louis Cardinals first baseman had home field advantage — he had an advantage at any field, to all fields.
Wright joked that he had seen Pujols put on a show at Citi Field a few weeks ago during batting practice, and that was enough to convince him.
In the last of the All-Star Game interview videos we’ll be posting at Bird Land — concluding a couple weeks of new-toy work for the blog (thoughts anyone?) — Wright discusses the Virginia reunion the All-Star Game offered him, Washington third baseman Ryan Zimmerman and Arizona outfielder Justin Upton. He gives his opinion of the Home Run Derby, but the more telling comes after his pick to win the Derby (we know how that turned out, after all). Wright, a batting-title contender and an accomplished All-Star by any measure, says what Pujols has done this season isn’t just take a run at a Triple Crown. He’s widened the gap between him and the rest of the league …
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Derrick Goold said he was going to Mizzou for capital-J journalism, but after growing up in the Time Zone Baseball Forgot he was really drawn to MU sitting between two major-league cities. Goold joined the Post-Dispatch in 2001 after working for The Times-Picayune and Rocky Mountain News, covering sports from LSU to NHL and every level of baseball in between. 
Derrick - first, thanks for all the hard work and the great coverage you provide with the BL blog. But I do have to vote “nay” on the new toy. As someone who likes to get updates from your blog at the office during the day, a video is virtually useless to me. I’d prefer to read such interviews, or your account of same.
Again, thanks for all you do, and keep up the good work. But “less videos” is my vote.
JS wrote what I was going to write, down to the recognition of the good work that you do. Besides, you are too good a writer to resort to video.
Technical difficulties? When I press play, I get the Derek Jeter video, not the David Wright video.
FWIW, I agree … less video.
less video.
Having 10 at 10 withdrawals here, it is enough to make me dislike the all-star break!
I wouldn’t say no videos. But it hasn’t been my favorite thing, either. It’s a tool to be used when it makes sense. Aside from some audio problems, most of the clips I’ve watched took a few minutes to watch and listen to. Had they been written (more work for you, granted, but sort of your chosen path), I could have read the same information in less time.
Joe Torre made the “scary, scary, scary” comment in such an off-hand way that it would have been better to read than watch. In writing, it sounds like something from a horror movie trailer. In the video, he was signing autographs or whatever and looking the other direction as he spoke, more as if he kept repeating scary because he was too unfocused to find a second adjective. It was anti-climactic as video.
In contrast, the Wainwright video about arm slot made sense, because he was demonstrating something physical, something to see, something that’s best shown not just as a still photo but in “movin’ pitchers.” The item on Franklin, with his many grips and pitches, was probably also a good video example.
We’re not video-addled teenagers who have to post our every, um, movement, on YouTube. Bird Land has a high-value, intelligent, educated READERship. Tell them to get you some Mercedes ads.
I love the video. I just wish the P-D would get you a better mic.
I agree with the others about the video. OK in some situations, but I much prefer the reading to the watching.
Hi Derrick. WHY does EVERYBODY think that the Oakland A will offer Matt Holliday arbitration & get 2 draft picks?? If Oakland does offer Matt arbitration he would be crazy,not to except it. He makes over $13 million this year. NO ONE will pay him over $10 million a year with his fall off in #s this year & teams with less money to spend. So if Oakland does offer arbitration and he excepts it Oakland gets Holliday and his $13 million for 2010, not 2 draft picks. See Adam Dunn last year. Why does no one in the media point this out or talk about it?? The media makes it sound like Oakland will get the 2 draft picks.
With that said i DO HOPE the Cardinals will trade for him to play left. Ludwick,Rasmus,Holliday sound great. I do think if Matt Holliday comes back in the NL, & to the Cardinals his #s would get back up. Not to the COORS #s but to Ludwick #s ?? Not bad!! MO go get Matt Holliday for 2 prospects. What do you think??
I like to read,.. I see enough TV. From time to time if it warants a video, by all means do so. Your still a pup in Bernie’s big multi media sea, but hang in there. So lets get back to 10@10 at 11am !!
i also rarely post on here, but read very regularly. I’m of the same nay opinion on the video. While I’d give it value in certain circumstances, 80%+ of it is not really entertaining.
FWIW, and I ditched watching TV w/in the past few years, I prefer to read your interpretations, etc.