Pujols Signs With Angels

[Swirls]

I'm still in shock, to be honest...

[EastonBlues22]

It is my belief that many many of the charitable organizations and foundations have much more to do with image than actual substantive positive change in lives as well as, frequently, being about employing one's wife or other relative in a well compensated do nothing position.

This is not meant to reflect on Pujols since I don't have a clue about who his organization employs and all the good it does.

The woman Pujols married had a child from a previous relationship with Down syndrome. Pujols married her anyway the year after he was drafted, which I'm not sure that I personally would have had it in me to do, and later founded the Pujols Family Foundation which "promotes awareness of Down syndrome and works to support those who have it and their families, aids the poor in the Dominican Republic, and supports people with disabilities and/or life threatening illnesses." It also gave the Down System Association of Greater St. Louis the resources to open and staff an office. I know that Pujols also travelled to the Dominican multiple times with supplies/doctors/dentists to serve the poor there, and that the annual golf tournament he holds raises money to send dentists to the Dominican. I'm not sure about Deidre's involvement with all of that, but I know that she's involved in "Pujols Kitchen", which an offshoot fundraising effort of the Pujols Family Foundation designed to raise money for Dominican impoverished.

That's just the stuff I know about off the top of my head. It seems pretty personal and genuine to me, but I can't claim to know anything for sure obviously.

[docellis]

St. Louis church collects unwanted Pujols gear for L.A. homeless
ST. LOUIS • As members of The Gathering, a Methodist church in St. Louis, began hearing stories Thursday of the gnashing of teeth and rending of garments happening across the city in the wake of news that Albert Pujols had signed with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, they decided to act.
"We heard people were burning their Pujols jerseys, and someone said, 'Why don't we ask them to donate the jerseys, and we'll give them away?" said the pastor, the Rev. Matt Miofsky. "It's a better way to respond."
The five-year-old church christened the effort the "Recyce the Five Drive," and began Facebook and Twitter campaigns to let disappointed Cardinals fans that they could turn their anger into a positive.
"Don't burn those Pujols jerseys!" read the church's Facebook status update Thursday. "Bring them to The Gathering United Methodist Church-during business hours and on Sunday."

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metr ... 0f31a.html

[Joe Shlabotnik]

Ha! Nice work by that church. Wish I had something to give but the only pujols memorabilia I have is some pictures I printed on my home printer. Trash can for those when I get around to it.

[KyCardinalFan]

Fox Sports' latest front page poll:

So what's the breakdown?

[Magneto2.0]

I understand being disappointed, mad even. However...

What I don't get is the whole acting like we're the Pirates/Royals and the only joy we got in the last decade was watching Pujols perform on a terrible team. People are treating Pujols leaving like he left the team for dead. We won two World Series in the last 5 years. Pujols gave us 11 legendary years. We had a great run. It's just a new era.

[ThatGuy]

I understand being disappointed, mad even. However...

What I don't get is the whole acting like we're the Pirates/Royals and the only joy we got in the last decade was watching Pujols perform on a terrible team. People are treating Pujols leaving like he left the team for dead. We won two World Series in the last 5 years. Pujols gave us 11 legendary years. We had a great run. It's just a new era.

Yes. For essentially Albert's entire career in STL, I've constantly asked myself, "Oh my gosh, how the heck is life going to be when he's no longer on our team?" This question will be answered sooner than I wanted, but we definitely have to realize that our team is not the Sisters of the Poor. Winning in a different way than we're used to will be just as awesome.

[docellis]

MLB 12 The Show Screenshot

[jim]

MLB 12 The Show Screenshot

Do his knees buckle when he sees an AW 1-2 curveball? If not, it's not realistic.

[Spider John]

i've noticed a couple posts that infer ryan being traded had something to do with pujols?

It has been pretty well established that Ryan was traded because he had a very annoying, very hyper personality, (possibly ADHD), and it rubbed some in the club house the wrong way. There was an episode that was caught on TV where Schumaker refused to give Ryan a high five, and you could read Ryan's lips saying, "come on, man". Another time Ryan was late getting on the field, and after the inning Carp was caught on camera reaming him out down in the tunnel.

I don't remember any story that said AP was actually bothered by Ryan, but it's not hard to imagine the two personalities clashing. And with AP being the king of the clubhouse, it has been assumed, rightly or not, that he was responsible for pushing for the trade.

Recently Ryan was interviewed about his time in STL, and he was very classy, with nothing but good things to say about his time here.