McGwire to TSN: Cardinals’ Pujols is worth “$30 million-plus”
TOWER GROVE — Let the annual windfall of awards begin for St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols and his chip-free right elbow. Early this morning, The Sporting News continued its award announcements and revealed that Pujols, for a second consecutive year, is the publication’s choice as the Major League Baseball Player of the Year.
The magazine relied on a panel of 338 current big-league players to make the award selections, and Pujols was the choice for the top player in the game from either league. The magazine, which used to be based in St. Louis and had its formative years as the Bible of Baseball, has given out a Player of the Year award since 1936. TSN editor Jeff D’Alessio pointed out in an email that Pujols is only the third player in that 73-year span to win the award in back-to-back years. The previous two were Ted Williams (1941 and 1942) and Joe Morgan (1975 and 1976).
Rather than recite the numbers we know as well as our social security numbers — nine years of 30-.300-100 — The Sporting News sought a different way to describe Pujols for the edition that hits newsstands today.
They talked to his predecessors.
The magazine contacted 11 former Cardinals’ first basemen for their opinion on Pujols and what he’s done as the decade’s best player. The 11 former Cardinals who contributed to the project were: Mark McGwire, Keith Hernandez, Dick Allen, John Mabry, Tito Francona, Eduardo Perez, Will Clark, Ron Fairly, Tim McCarver, George Kernek, and “Big Cat” Andres Galarraga. It’s obviously the media-shy McGwire who had the most telling things to say about the young hitter he saw seize a major-league job during spring training of 2001. Not the least of which was what McGwire thinks Pujols would make if he ever reaches free agency.
D’Alessio was kind enough to pass along some of the answers McGwire gave about Pujols:
What he’ll be worth a year if he becomes a free agent: “30 million-plus.”
Past great he reminds me of: “No one. He’s on his own planet.”
If I had to get him out, I’d want ____ pitching: “Roy Halladay.”
Message to those who think he isn’t clean: “God gives us greatness a few times in our lifetime. Please, let’s all enjoy it.”
I wish I had his … “Year in, year out batting average.”
True or false: He’ll retire as baseball’s home run king: “True. He’s very capable.”
In other awards presented by the magazine, San Francisco Giants ace Tim Lincecum edged both of the Cardinals’ Cy Young candidates — Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright — for The Sporting News’ National League pitcher of the year. Pujols was a unanimous selection to the magazine’s annual postseason All-Star teams. The All-Star teams are selected by 31 general managers and assistant general managers in an anonymous poll conducted by the magazine. The All-Star team also included Cardinals’ closer Ryan Franklin and catcher Yadier Molina. The season-end awards issue, featuring a three-page awards package, hits shelves Friday.
The NL Cy Young and NL MVP awards, given out by the Baseball Writers Association of America, will be announced in a month.
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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. 
Albert!!! :p/
Please Mark, come be the hitting coach for the Cardinals!!! Cardinal Nation still adores you, who cares about your past…
I just cant give the pitcher of the year award to a guy who won 15 games. I love era, innings pitched and all that but at the end of the day a guys gotta win more games.
Sadly, it’s the actions of players like yourself, Mr. McGwire, that have made many fans suspicious of Albert’s achievements.
MOVE HIM ON FOLKS. WHAT WAS THAT unemployment number again, 10%, get
some kids in here that hustle and play hard and are fun to watch.
BYE BYE AP
I hope Albert really does care more about winning than money because if he cares more about money his days in St. Louis are numbered. There is no way the cards can pay him that kind of money and be competitive. He could go to the Yankees or Boston and get both money and winning, so his days in St. Louis are probably still numbered even if he doesn’t care about money.
I just hope that if they don’t get AP locked up, they trade him to get something tangible back rather than 2 picks. Give Boston or NY whatever kind of window they need to sign him long term - just make sure you rob their minor league system like Madoff.
D’oh!
That Mark McGwire is talking about someone being clean or not is laughable.
And Bill… wins are not a good measure of a pitcher’s talent. It’s too dependent on what his teammates do with the bat, which has absolutely nothing to do with pitching.
Hey hey HEEY!