Pujols defending Bonds

[aboz56]

ST. LOUIS -- Albert Pujols defended Barry Bonds on Wednesday, saying he respects the accomplishments of the San Francisco Giants' slugger.

 

Pujols was in the St. Louis lineup after a nasty slip and fall and felt good enough to discuss the widespread belief that Bonds' pursuit of Babe Ruth's hallowed 714-homer total is tainted by alleged steroid use. Bonds is one shy of tying Ruth for second on the career list. Pujols also addressed whispers that have followed him since he broke into the major leagues in 2001 that he fudged on his age.

 

Last year's NL MVP said people have been "too hard" on Bonds. He and the Cardinals play the Giants for the first time next week in San Francisco.

 

"I know he's probably made some mistakes in the past, but come on, give the guy a break," Pujols said. "Respect the numbers in the career he has put up."

 

Pujols feels like he's under suspicion, too, because people don't believe he's really 26.

 

"You know how many times I hear -- and I'm sick and tired of people saying it -- that I'm not 26?" Pujols said. "I know how old I am and I know that I don't use any of those bad things people are talking about that I use."

 

Pujols said in the current climate, players seem to be guilty until proven innocent.

 

"People talk. That's their job, to write something stupid without finding out," he said. "Like Barry, people are talking about him and they haven't found anything out about the guy. They're talking about making the guy a bad guy. Prove the point first and then you can write anything about it. But before, leave the guy alone."

 

Pujols added that Major League Baseball could test him for illegal drugs "every day if they want."

 

"I don't need any type of things like that to help me out with my game," said. "I don't need to do anything more than what I've done in the past or doing right now.

 

"I'm happy with my career so far and what I've done in my career, and I don't need anything extra."

 

Pujols, who leads the majors with 19 homers and 48 RBI, also fouled a ball off his left shin on Tuesday and was a lot more sore than usual. But he was determined to keep playing.

 

"I'm a little banged up," Pujols said. "But when I'm out there performing I'm going to do my best and I'm going to forget about any pain that I'm going through."

 

Not long after a rain delay of 101 minutes Tuesday night, Pujols slipped on the plastic on-deck logo that had become dangerously slick while chasing Jose Reyes' foul pop near the Cardinals' dugout in the eighth inning.

 

Pujols said the thought crossed his mind that the logo was going to come into play just before he slipped. He landed hard on his back and was down for several minutes before deciding to stay in the game.

 

"Right before I called for the ball I knew I was going to step on it, I think, and I knew I was going to have problems with it," Pujols said. "Hey, it happens. I'm glad it only had to happen one time before they took it out."

 

Pujols said his upper back took the brunt of the impact, and he also felt his neck pop, but somehow he avoided banging his head, too.

 

"It could have been worse," he said. "I could have broken my neck, I could have broken my back. The good Lord was watching me."

 

Pujols had back issues before the slip. He missed his only game of the season earlier this month due to a lower back strain.

 

"This doesn't help," trainer Barry Weinberg said. "Someone with a good back would be sore today. So, I'm not surprised that he's sore."

 

Manager Tony La Russa, who's been testy recently when he feels Pujols gets too much attention, seemed to believe reporters were interested in Pujols' condition because of his star status.

 

"It doesn't concern me any more because it's Albert," La Russa said. "So maybe we should pull the whole team off the field after rain delays and forfeit?"

 

Just like he wanted to be in the lineup on Wednesday, Pujols said he did not want to leave the game on Tuesday.

 

"The last thing I want to do is my spot comes up with the game on the line and me being out of the lineup when I know I could have stayed there and hit," Pujols said. "If I can't play, I'm going to come out.

 

"But if I'm able to do some damage I'm going to stay in there, and I felt I was fine."

 

Wow, anyone who defends this bum I have to jump on. I think it's funny he is even defending himself saying he doesn't need to take roids. No one said you did, but now people may start to talk about it since you brought it up yourself.

[greasywheels121]

Meh. He did the right thing. It'd be even a bigger deal if he said no comment or bashed him.

[aboz56]

Meh. He did the right thing. It'd be even a bigger deal if he said no comment or bashed him.

Yeah, he did the right thing.

 

We all know what he probably thinks.

[WilliamTell]

Albert's a classy guy, nothing wrong with defending him in public.

[whitesoxfan101]

Players always defend players it seems like with only a few exceptions, so I'm not surprised. If I thought Albert actually thought that about Bonds, I'd rip him....but since I think he's just trying to be nice since he's a class guy, I'll back off.

[Balta1701]

So...on the other topic that's mentionned in that article...Albert not really being 26, who the Hell cares at this point? Whether he's 26, 18, 35, 47...he's doing some amazing things with the bat.

[WilliamTell]

So...on the other topic that's mentionned in that article...Albert not really being 26, who the Hell cares at this point? Whether he's 26, 18, 35, 47...he's doing some amazing things with the bat.

 

Yeah no kidding. It's obviously not as bad as Julio Franco, but just like him, aslong as they produce who cares.

[Soxbadger]

Good for Pujols.

 

The media tries to destroy half of these players careers just to sell a story.

 

And while it might not mean much to you, Im sure it means a lot to Albert when people demean his accomplishments with no proof. Just like it probably annoys Contreras and others when people constantly accuse them of lieing about their age.

[Balta1701]

Good for Pujols.

 

The media tries to destroy half of these players careers just to sell a story.

 

And while it might not mean much to you, Im sure it means a lot to Albert when people demean his accomplishments with no proof. Just like it probably annoys Contreras and others when people constantly accuse them of lieing about their age.

I doubt if even Contreras knows how old he actually is. No offense to him, but that's just the quality of Cuban record keeping.

[knightni]

I doubt that smart active MLBers are going to bash Bonds.

 

If they have anything to say, they will save it for their biographies.

[Soxbadger]

Balta,

 

Im sure if the articles said "Cuba has bad records and not even the players know their own age" no one would mind.

 

But the articles imply that the players are purposefully deceiving their owners and the public, trying to make them out to be the bad guys.

[Kalapse]

Balta,

 

Im sure if the articles said "Cuba has bad records and not even the players know their own age" no one would mind.

 

But the articles imply that the players are purposefully deceiving their owners and the public, trying to make them out to be the bad guys.

Well, some players do do that. Others will steal birth certificates from relatives inorder to decieve owners of teams. At one time Ervin Santana was named Johan Santana, it turned out he was using a relative's birth certficate. Also, with Juan Cruz it turned out that he was actually a few years older than he said he was. It's not like players don't do this but I do agree with you the unsubstantiated claims on some players is just ridiculous. Just because Albert Pujols is the best player in baseball at the age of 26 doesn't mean that he's actually 32.

[Soxbadger]

Kalapse,

 

Im fine with a player getting caught. Albert specifically differentiates between stories where the media has "proof".

 

If you catch a player, print it and sell all the stories you want.

 

Its the guilty first attitude that just pisses me off.

[whitesoxfan101]

Good for Pujols.

 

The media tries to destroy half of these players careers just to sell a story.

 

And while it might not mean much to you, Im sure it means a lot to Albert when people demean his accomplishments with no proof. Just like it probably annoys Contreras and others when people constantly accuse them of lieing about their age.

 

First of all, I doubt Count even knows his real age, and it's not his fault if that is indeed the case. Second, some of the stuff the media does is witch hunting, but the court documents and info from them that I read with my own eyes make it painfully obvious Bonds is completely guilty, and if somebody could read all of those things and still think Bonds isn't proven to be a cheater, than your obviously reading with your eyes closed.

[Phuck the Cubs]

Why would Pujols need to lie to impress scouts? His "listed" age in the majors as a rookie was like 20-21

[CardsJimEdmonds15]

Trust me he's been hearing things thrown at him from every way possible as of right now since of the pace he's on, etc.

 

I actually took this:

 

"He said Wednesday that he had watched Bonds' television program on ESPN and that it is "really sad the life that he is living." Pujols went on to say he never wants "to live that life like that. If I had to live a life like that better to quit this game because that's not what it is all about.""

 

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/st...C2?OpenDocument

 

I didnt nec see the praising Bonds.. really..

[Drew]

Trust me he's been hearing things thrown at him from every way possible as of right now since of the pace he's on, etc.

 

I actually took this:

 

"He said Wednesday that he had watched Bonds' television program on ESPN and that it is "really sad the life that he is living." Pujols went on to say he never wants "to live that life like that. If I had to live a life like that better to quit this game because that's not what it is all about.""

 

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/st...C2?OpenDocument

 

I didnt nec see the praising Bonds.. really..

 

Me neither.

 

Any reporter in the US would love to get some sort of damning statement on Baroid out of the game's new marquee slugger, so if they can't get that, they spin it the other way.

 

Who can't agree with Pujols on Baroid?

 

His reality show is pretty sad. It is pretty sad to live a life like Baroid is living now, with the boos and the signs and the beanings because he had built a solid case that he indeed was the best player of his generation--what he really thought of himself and wanted all along, if you believe that part of Game of Shadows--before BALCO was even a whisper in the headlines.

 

It's really sad that a player with that much talent has made himself into such a pariah.

Edited May 19, 2006 by Drew