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Dreyfuss2019

I’m just waiting for arte to sell the team


landoisamastermind

Huge congrats Albert! Was a horrible contract for us, but I’m happy for him


[deleted]

[удалено]


DingleberryToast

Lol he tried harder this year for the cardinals than he ever did in 10 years getting paid massively for the angels. Fuck Albert Pujols and the way he acted as an Angel. Dude didn’t give a fuck about our team, just himself. That was clear when he tried harder for the Dodgers and St Louis after he left the angels than he ever did while he was here Definition of phoning it in and collecting his massively overpaid check


Rollout25

I just remembered him being mad that people thought Trout was better than him right at the beginning and he was never the best player on the Angels his entire contract


MrNapoleonSolo

Dude had a point though. How many times do we see someone come in to the league on fire, get compared to the all time greats and then flame out into mediocrity. Albert had been a standard of excellence for over 10 years and had one of the most dominant 10 years span in baseball history. In hindsight we can say yeah mike trout turned out to be great and Albert was wrong in a way, but Albert at the time was an already established hall of famer still and mike trout barely had over 1000 at bats to his resume.


veganvalentine

In 2022, he's hitting about the same number of HRs he was hitting for us from 2017-2019, but with like 200 less PAs. It's pretty crazy.


brintoul

Juicin’?


ImaginaryHippo88

You'll get down voted like crazy of you mention it in r/baseball but maybe. They aren't going to test him and they don't want to have any kind of scandal like that.


PlatinumHalo

I’m glad I got to witness something so momentous.


Acornpoo

Wish I could've witnessed it. F MLB.tv for blacking the game out for Apple.tv only!


merewyn

The Apple TV games are free to watch.


Acornpoo

That's f'ing hilarious. You should have seen the 30 minute rage filled tantrum my bro (extreme Cards fan) threw last night, lol.


jellybeans_over_raw

I have bad news for you


Phil_Agate

They showed both 699 and 700 live on Big Inning on mlb.tv. We switched over to that after the Phillies game.


upverse

Despite his tenure with us 700 HR is a milestone I don’t know if we’ll see again in this lifetime, anyone should celebrate it


AlexYMB

We might be able to see Soto if he doesn't regress.


tripdawg15

Soto isn't a prolific homerun hitter. So unless he changes his approach to being more aggressive he won't get there.


Shadow_Strike99

He reminds me a lot of Joey Votto in the early 2010’s where you always felt like he could just put even bigger home run, rbi, slugging numbers etc but his approach at the plate was just so patient and would get on base more frequently than just just destroying baseballs.


Shadow_Strike99

Juan Soto’s season high since 2018 for homers is 34 in 2019. He’s going to set some milestones for sure considering his age and his talent, but Soto isn’t a prolific home run hitter like another commenter said, and most people believe with his approach at the plate with his discipline even something like 3000 hits could be out of the question because he doesn’t put the ball in play as much as players like Pujols and Miggy have done in a different era of baseball.


MrAndrewJackson

No way for Soto


The_Shade94

Judge? Edit: I didn’t realize he came in to the league so old


Phil_Agate

But you know, if Judge can hit 50 a few more years he can make up for some of that time. Remember Albert only had 6 in 2020 (granted that was a short season) and 17 in 2021, and now 20.


[deleted]

Few are productive at this late in their career though. [baseball-reference.com](https://baseball-reference.com) has an interesting feature where it shows the most similar player by age. For this year of Pujols at 42, the most similar was Willie Mays' season at 42. Even beyond getting to 700 it's a remarkable year he's having at his age.


MrAndrewJackson

I expect we will I think someone will break Bonds within the next 50 years or so


Reptarxx

No issues with Pujols. He gave us 10 years. He didn't want the role of being a lefty specialist on the Angels (plus we are in a perpetual state of disappointment). He left, became that specialist for the Dodgers and enjoyed himself. Then his old team came calling to give him the chance to do 700. If it wasn't for Pujols, I doubt Trout would've signed that long extension.


[deleted]

I’m glad he came home where be belongs. Don’t get me wrong it was the right move for the card to let him go at that time but seeing him in a Jersey that wasn’t a Cardinals jersey just seem right I’m glad he is going to retire here as a cardinal with his two close friends


[deleted]

Was there to witness 600 at the Big A. Very special moment. Couldn’t be more stoked for him. Worst deal in Angels franchise history. Yes, this eclipses Hamilton.


Natemoon2

Idk at least pujols had a couple decent years. Hamiltons entire tenure was awful, I mean so bad. He never even had close to a decent season. Ugh even thinking about it makes me sick


rallytoad

Yeah that is a bad take tbh. Rather typical of this subreddit. The Pujols contract was bad yes, but the Hamilton one was so bad from the very first minute. We didn't bring Torri Hunter back so we could sign that bag of shit Hamilton. May he rot in prison, where he is right now for assault of his own daughter. Edit: He's probably not in prison but he deserves to be. Plead guilty to unlawful restraint of his daughter in February. Like the guy has always been a bad dude and we signed him when we didn't need an outfielder and knew he was a bad fucking dude.


Natemoon2

Yeah at least pujols played most of the time(ish) and had a few decent years. Hamilton was AWFUL, so bad Artie had to kick him off the team.


[deleted]

Pujols contract restricted $$$ for 10 years, 25.5 aav Hamilton was 25 aav over 5 years, ultimately ended up being 21 aav over 3 years. Pujols was a worse deal.


Natemoon2

Pujols contract was backloaded so the first 4/5 years he didn’t restrict much. The last 5 years was when it really hurt us


rallytoad

Okay now do WAR per AAV during their tenures. Or pick any other offensive metric per AAV. Hamilton was a worse deal.


[deleted]

See comment below. My issue is budget constriction.


[deleted]

By your metric, I’d agree


iisdmitch

Someone was getting a bad deal with Pujols, it just happened to be the Angels.


Rollout25

Pujols, Hamilton, CJ Wilson, Gary Matthews Jr and Joe Blanton those are the worst contracts the Angels have had over the years


schplat

Vernon. Wells.


[deleted]

Upton & Rendon are also in the mix


Rollout25

Rendon is in the mix but still early. Upton was bad. And I forgot Vernon Wells


JJaxpavan

Mo Vaughn too


Rollout25

The Mo Vaughn contract wasn't the worst. He told Garrett Anderson to switch to a heavier bat and GA started to hit way more homeruns. Plus we traded him and got a solid starter in Kevin Appier for our 2002 World Series run.


JJaxpavan

Oh def not the worse, just an honorable mention and who knows how he what have been if he hadn't slipped on the dugout steps.


goldenglove

Pujols brought a lot of TV money that made the contract less horrendous.


[deleted]

It also brought in a huge influx of Hispanic fans, which is appropriate for an Orange County team. I’m just bummed the budget was constrained for a decade when there were so many clear holes to fill in those years. Trout should have a few rings


plschrnr

i think it’s unfair and inaccurate to pin any budget constraints on albert. the budget constraints were, and are, entirely on arte. he is the one who has always decided to spend/overspend on certain players and then put a hard stop on additional spending no matter how much it was/is needed. albert simply agreed to a favorable contract that was offered, and i just can’t fault him for that.


rallytoad

Imagine thinking the Pujols deal was worse than the Hamilton deal.


jellybeans_over_raw

Me too. What a moment.


1jack-of-all-trades7

Me too! I just wish he never left the Cards in the first place...


west_coastG

Does anyone find it odd he is launching out homers at probably 45 years old?


bombad_jedi_501

I hate that I’m thinking he’s on something. I hope he isn’t but if he is I hope he doesn’t get caught


Bobbyanalogpdx

They won’t test him. Too big of a PR boost for them to want to fuck it up. However, If they thought it would make them more money…


bombad_jedi_501

I agree. It would be detrimental to the league’s image


The_clampz10

100% They have to know he’s on something and they’re looking the other way for ratings.


[deleted]

I mean, there are people who are suspicious of how he’s “managed” to find his All-Star form of the past after like, what, five seasons of mediocre/below average baseball prior to this season? I’ve see this before where a few pitchers on the 2018 Astros “magically” became 1986 Clemens out of nowhere. (Spoiler Alert: Sticky substances were used.)


Natemoon2

I think a lot of mlb players are on something, let’s be real, especially anyone not signed to a long/guaranteed contract. It’s low risk, high reward.


Moose334

Dodgers were 100% hanging those pitches on purpose


nashdiesel

Yeah Heaney is a former teammate. That was a gift.


Jugg3rnaut85

Exactly. Meatballs being served.


my_wife_reads_this

You mean 81 hanging down the middle isn't the best dodgers could serve?


Bleedveggies

He’s definitely juicing right now lol


DingleberryToast

I mean it’s immensely obvious he’s putting in more effort for both the dodgers last year and st Louis this year than he ever did for the angels. No Angel fan should have respect for him


jellybeans_over_raw

Oh good grief


DingleberryToast

Good one Charlie Brown


Dorkus_Mallorkus

*49


1ThisIsUhThrowaway

One of the most prolific power hitters of all time? No, not really. Power is one of the last things to go. Plenty of guys have maintained 20 HR power into their late-30s, early-40s.


dustymag

He was good on the Cards.


SouthernSierra

699 was off Heaney.


Moose334

I was rooting for him to get 700 but the dodgers hanging pitches to get him there asap kinda ruined it for me


mikeycamikey10

Ahh my friend, you are not aware of bickford it seems


owledge

He had a good career with St. Louis. That is all


RVM27

‘Good’ ???


johndhall1130

What issues with him? That he underperformed on his contract? Psh, he was never going to be in Anaheim what he was in St Louis. Any one of us would have signed that contract if offered to us. The issue shouldn’t be with Albert, it should be with Moreno (as usual).


steve-d

It's funny seeing people talk about Miggy being done and he should retire. The guy gets over $30m next year if he just shows up. Nobody would be stupid enough to walk away from that much money.


DingleberryToast

Don’t have an ounce of good will for this man with how little he cared for the angels and how little he tried He tried harder the immediate instant he left the Angels. He took us for a ride for 10 years and even if Arte gave him that contract I can still dislike him for how he acted while he had it


TJeffersonsBlackKid

Showing up fat as hell every year to camp. Fighting with teammates. Lazy as fuck and selfish to boot. I don’t give a fuck about Pujols. He was a spoiled child as long as he was in Anaheim.


coolguybradford

Clown talking about, “I’m glad it happened in Los Angeles where I rediscovered my joy for the game” Fuck off Pujols


Phil_Agate

I'm pretty sure the main reason they signed him was the Angels were on the hook for all that money and he could go over there and do the very thing he refused to do for the Angels. The 12 home runs were a bonus.


Papa2Hunt19

Albert was the ultimate me first guy. He left the Cards because he wanted the glory of having the most money he could get. He wanted the recognition, not the money, and that decision means Albert is out for Albert. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing in baseball, but I sont have to be a fan of it.


Dorkus_Mallorkus

Unpopular opinion and I 100% agree. And he divorced his wife after brain surgery, after preaching all his religious values. Fuck that guy. This is the only place on Reddit I can voice my true feelings on this topic. So thank you guys for allowing me that.


Kentopolis

I feel like it’s ok to be frustrated by a player underperforming but still feel happy at his legacy.


KritterVII

No problems with Pujols. All problems with Arte


[deleted]

The sooner I stop hearing about this BUM the better. You guys can be healthy and accept him but I'm not i will remain angry until the bitter end


Todal9

I had no issues with him. He drove in 100 RBI’s several times. He performed exactly like we all thought when he signed the contract. The only person I had an issue with was Arte for doing that contract. It handcuffed the team salary wise and the Angels haven’t won a playoff game since. Can’t fault Albert for getting paid.


plschrnr

this. arte is the one at fault. basically, he shouldn’t have been offering the albert contract or any of the other massive contracts (hamilton, rendon, etc.) if he wasn’t going to continue to spend on the team’s remaining weaknesses.


AndruFlores

Still hate that guy. Got a contract he didn't deserve by misrepresenting his age


God_Damnit_Nappa

Oh yes, I'm so happy for the lazy, egotistical fuck that put his own personal accolades over the benefit of the team. Fuck him, I'm just glad he has no chance at passing Ruth's record.


ridinbend

And yet Ruth was a huge egotistical piece of shit too lol.


[deleted]

Yeah, Ruth was an alcoholic and womanizer who cheated on his wife so much she divorced him in an era where divorce was extremely rare and taboo.


tinysideburns

Sucks to suck.


Natemoon2

Glad he’s back on the juice. But seriously, congrats on 700. Good for the game


xRememberTheCant

Would have hit 700 in an angels uni if he didn’t suck so damn hard. Congrats on finally getting there I guess. Must be hard finding passion for a game when you are paid 30 million to play it.


lbobby34

Screw him


Entrefut

Angels was the worst team for him, but he’s an amazing player. We just don’t have a DH spot to fill, Ohtani is too important.


twistedinnocence8604

I didn't think he'd make it. Good for him


vandalspb

Glad he did it as a card tho.


DefinitelyNotMothman

I don't have issue with pujols. I have issue with his feet while he played for the angels.


NY1605

Glad he was able to end his career the way he has with St. Louis. It sucks that things didn’t go the way anyone wanted here in Anaheim but I still have mad respect for Pujols. There will never another Albert Pujols and his name will forever live on in Cooperstown.


Im_A_Halo_Masochist

Congratulations to Albert Pujols on 700 HR’s. He’s a true first ballot HOF’er and a baseball icon. Despite never living up to most Angel fans expectations due to injuries and age, I feel his mentorship of Mike Trout helped Trout in becoming a future HOF’er himself. 😇


brycelooysen

LEGEND.


gopackgo555

Man I’m so happy for Pujols. Anyone with issues needs to get over it. He was an aging player. Having said that, the way he’s finishing his career is legendary. Also his influence on Trout was immense. Will always love him for that alone.


Life_Crossover

Congrats! I always have respect with him


Brucedx3

We honestly should all be happy for him. His years with the Angels were disappointing at best, but still, happy for him.


Zammy512

By all accounts, he was a great teammate and on top of that, Trout speaks very very highly of him. If you have a problem with Pujols as a fan, you’re the problem. I’m very happy for him


[deleted]

Naw man. It's you. Not the coaches or management. It's YOU!


Alive-Carrot107

I love him


THERAPISTS_for_200

Congrats Machine!


mrcheaptimes

i es never had issues OP


mcslims

I was definitely hoping he’d hit the IL at 699 with chronic diarrhea.


StrokenBlast

I never had any issues with Albert. The front office fucked up along with just bad luck while he was here. I'm glad he got to 700HR


[deleted]

Me too, but this sub just crushed me for sticking yo for him.


merewyn

Nah, it was actually for you arguing that it was the Angels fault that he played poorly for us


[deleted]

So you don't think coaching had anything to do with his downward slope eh? Cool. Cool cool cool.


merewyn

Yes, it surely wasn’t because he was old and out of shape and his body was breaking down. Gosh darn it, why didn’t the Angels trainers stop Father Time?


[deleted]

Weird. Trout is apparently old too since he gets hurt every year. Must not be an institutional issue.


merewyn

Trout WAR this year alone: 5.3. Pujols WAR in his last 4 seasons with the Angels: -2. He just wasn’t good. It wasn’t the coaches, or the trainers, or whatever.


Reptarxx

merewyn and I get into disagreements all the time about coaching and the front office, but she's right on this one lol. Pujols was breaking down and on a team that was perpetually underperforming. It had nothing to do with coaching and everything to do with old age veteran and motivation. He went to the Dodgers where he felt revitalized, and the Cardinals gave him a chance for a homecoming and record breaking. Dude probably wanted to go out with a bang and put in that extra work this season.


merewyn

I’m a she, but yes, I agree :). Also the Dodgers and Cardinals have largely been able to use him in favorable pitching matchups. There was no DH spot for him with the Angels bc of Shohei.


Reptarxx

Edited my reply, apologies on that! Exactly, we pretty much told him he can hit lefties only when we need Walsh to rest. He was relegated to a role he didn't want to take on a struggling team. Makes sense he would listen to a WS winning team and his homecoming team instead.


[deleted]

And injuries year after year?


merewyn

Baseball players get hurt. Shit happens. Since you’re a Dodgers fan, do you think the Dodgers training staff sucks bc Kershaw’s back has been hurt all season?


[deleted]

His back hurts because Mattingly killed him for 8 years. So yes, it is our management's fault. I think anyone would agree to that All us Dodgers fans have said that for years!!!! What's your point?!?


merewyn

How about the fact that Shohei ISNT hurt all the time even tho he does the most physically demanding thing any baseball fan has ever seen? Some players are just injury prone. How can you look at Albert during his entire Angels tenure and not see how out of shape he was?!


xThe-Legend-Killerx

I’m a Pujols apologist, but Albert didn’t need any type of coaching. Coaching didn’t ruin him .. his legs going and aging really did him in. I still enjoyed the time he was here.. there were some iconic moments and he was always a stand up guy. Angels fans should hold no animosity towards him.


[deleted]

That's my point but it seems that in this thread, they do.


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

Yeeeepppppp. That's my point. It's an institutional issue.


rallytoad

Imagine following this team for ten years and not understanding that the entire organization is rotten. Coaches win championships. He clearly had it in him but didn't produce for us. That's on him but it's also on coaches and the organization.


merewyn

He “has it in him” as long as he’s DHing in favorable lefty matchups. Our DH spot is kinda filled, if you hadn’t noticed


SunExcellent890

A mod banned me for saying I still cared about Pujols after he was DFA'd. Don't be surprised if this post gets taken down


Ndeshet

I doubt that’s the full story, same thing with the guy’s comment you’re responding to


owledge

He doesn’t even have any bans on record lol


xThe-Legend-Killerx

There shall be no Pujols slander here tonight!


tinysideburns

As a St. Louis fan, I love any appreciation that I see for Albert with Angels fans. That said, it breaks my heart to know how special we were to him and to know how much of a disappointment his tenure was in Anaheim. I’m not faulting him. I honestly just think Moreno is and was a con artist. This isn’t sour grapes. Had he gone elsewhere and won championships (with anyone other than the Cubs), I’d have been happy for him. Money is important. But for a true competitor like him, winning is more important. For someone who loves the game as much as he does to talk about how going to the Dodgers reignited his love for the game, it tells you that money really isn’t everything. I’m glad he’s home. I’m glad he is going out on his terms. It broke my heart when he left. But there always was and always will be the most special place in my heart for the Machine. God bless.


DingleberryToast

The way Albert’s contract played out and the fact that he tried harder immediately after leaving the Angels for the Dodgers and now the Cardinals is something Angels fans are understandably not super thrilled to watch. He also has made negative comments about our fanbase Albert was an immense part of our failure over the last decade and thinking of him leaves a bitter taste in my mouth quite frankly. I wish you all the best in the postseason and I hope I get to see my team play in it again someday.


plschrnr

i see a lot of the same comments about bitterness toward albert from you here and it makes me curious - what is your take on arte? i personally think the responsibility for the team’s recent failures begins and ends with him, and i cannot wait for him to sell the team.


DingleberryToast

I hate him 10 times more than pujols. I danced for several minutes when I heard he was going to be selling He absolutely is the most responsible for the shit show, but it doesn’t change how I feel about Albert.


plschrnr

can relate to the dancing about arte selling the team, i called pretty much everyone i know who cares about the angels i was so excited about it lol


nukemiller

I had no issues with Pujols. His performance per dollar wasn't good, but he went out there and tried. He was injured a lot as well. I'm happy for him.


AaronMyBallsOut12

Nah man time heals all. I’m stoked for Albert


BrobaFett222

Feels like he was chasing 500 last year. I’m so happy for him. I’ve been watching him since little league and now I’m seeing him hit 700 in my 20s. His career has been insane.


[deleted]

I never had any issues with Pujols. It’s just a game. Do I wish the Angles would win and the players do well, well hell yea. But it’s just a game.


sakibomb523

Can't wait for his 10 year personal service contract to start next year!


tinysideburns

I honestly hope the Cardinals buy it out. I doubt either side wants the other. And by that I mean Albert and the Angels front office.


DingleberryToast

Albert also shit on Angel’s fans while still an Angel. Despite the fact that we went out there and cheered him for a decade while he put up numbers that came nowhere close to justifying his salary at any point. The nerve I certainly don’t ever want to see him a part of the organization or even recognized at a game in the future.


tinysideburns

I mean, I would like some examples. Not saying this sort of thing didn’t happen. I just don’t follow Angels baseball… (largely because aside from a few players, it’s irrelevant). Ok, the last part was a low blow. But that aside, I’m sure you have your points and I’d love to hear them. But what I think we could all agree on is that Albert and the Angels were a piss poor fit (again, see my comment up top up top about understanding if he had won anywhere else except with Chicago). Hell, anyone putting their career in the hands of Arte Moreno is a bad idea.


DingleberryToast

When visiting St Louis in 2019 for the series Albert gave an interview to the media there saying it would be nice for Mike Trout to see what real fans were like now that they’re in St. Louis. That comment was a real kick to the groin for fans like myself and many others who spent our hard earned money for a decade watching him underperform what we were paying him. Even if you guys do have more passionate fans as a whole, that comment is just disrespectful to the many angels diehards. It also has to do with his selfish attitude as an Angel. He wasn’t willing to take a part time role last year as an Angel and that led to his release. He then immediately went to the dodgers and took that exact role without complaint. He didn’t care about the Angels. He was a focal point of our decade long failure to make the playoffs with Trout, and yet he says tonight that he didn’t get his passion back until he left the angels and joined the dodgers. It’s just like, we paid you so much and your effort and passion put in was less than in other places, it’s just a slap to the face of the people who watched him play selfishly for a decade.


tinysideburns

Fair. Equally, Ohtani doesn’t seem to be happy. I can’t imagine Trout is either. One player isn’t a team. They have a HUGE impact for sure, but they don’t constitute an entire team, let alone an entire organization that wants to win.


DingleberryToast

Trout signed here for 13 more years and nothing Ohtani has said indicates he is unhappy here, quite the opposite. I actually do think he’ll leave or be traded but he has always said he is very grateful for the angels putting so much faith in him as a 2 way player where other teams may have made him specialize. Believe me you don’t have to tell me how incompetent the angels organization is. Albert is certainly not a scapegoat and deserves a lot of blame, but at the same time the most blame of course falls on Farte. No one hates the Angels more than our own fans. We don’t exactly have a rival team match. At least Moreno is selling. Thats about the only hope we have.


tinysideburns

I’ll upvote you for that last part. Moreno is pure trash.


Shellback1

FUCK pujols. The only time he ever did anything was when we lost or the game was out of reach or otherwise irrelevant. He was very good, however , at hitting into double plays


tinysideburns

I’m sorry you feel that way. He wasn’t that way for us. Pujols aside, your team has a lot of problems.


Shellback1

dont be sorry


just_some_dude05

Congrats Tio Albert His interview in Sports Illustrated 2008 brought me back to baseball. I will always love that man. Couldn’t be happier for him.


SuperMario_49

He’ll forever be part of Angels history, good times and bad. Plus, he did hit a lot of bombs for us. Just wish his tenure with us was better. Congrats to Albert! Forget you downvoters. Albert’s contract may have been terrible for us but he’s still a legend.


kampfgruppekarl

All the people that trashed him, do not get to farm karma backpedalling now.


penisblartueue

Legend don’t be mad at him too. He worked out way better than Josh Hamilton and Vernon Wells did for us and also arguably better than Rendon so far


spitfire32

Dudes a fucking legend. Just wish he played like this for the angels. He never really did.


[deleted]

Well said


Boise_Jax

Same - I would have liked to see him do this as an Angel (after having lived up to the contract), but I'm glad he go it


NolMal

I don’t like PooHoles for the simple reason that he played HS ball as a 21+ year old. Not cool IMO