Because of the negligent and frequently downright deceitful methods of record-keeping in the Dominican Republic when it comes to dates of birth, Pujols' age is therefore in question. In fact, numerous key figures in baseball today believe Pujols to be 33 or 34 years old, rather than The question is not moot, since Pujols has made clear he wants a year contract that would carry him into his 40s even if his birth date is accurate.
If he is only 31, that demand might be reasonable: Alex Rodriguez's current contract will carry him through his 42nd birthday. If Pujols is older, though, it introduces a lot of variables into the equation for would-be suitors. Let's examine what's at stake. Pujols finished with a sparkling. The only problem is this: All of those numbers fall short of Pujols' usual performances. The batting average is the lowest mark of Pujols' year career.
The on-base percentage marks the third-worst showing of his carer, and the worst since His slugging average also ranked third from the bottom for his career. Overall, his Wins Above Replacement have fallen in each of the past two seasons, and was his second-worst overall campaign by that measure, according to FanGraphs.
Pujols remains an elite player, then, but for how much longer? It seems a cruel question to ask, but to whom shall we extend the benefit of the doubt?
If Jose Bautista can be forced to deal with such implicit suspicion after a breakout, why ought Pujols whose best years came during the height of the steroid era in the early s, and who came up through collegiate and minor-league ranks in the late s be exempted? It's almost certain that he is clean now—especially since it has become all but impossible to avoid detection as a user under new testing procedures and policies.
But did he once use? For how long? Pujols shaves his head to disguise aggressive premature baldness: that is a known side effect of some steroids. More common ones, like joint pain and irregular heartbeat, can linger years after discontinuing use.
Could those things come home to roost and cost Pujols years at the tail end of his career? Guerrero was and is one of the best pure hitters of his era; the Angels viewed him as a franchise cornerstone. He had won the American league MVP award in In his first four years as an Angel of Anaheim, Guerrero's average season looked like this: games played. In , Guerrero had taken a modest step back. He played in only games, hit. Nagging injuries forced him to come in from the outfield and perform designated hitter duties 44 times, and he stole only five bases.
Still, unfazed, the Angels exercised their option. After all, Guerrero was only going to be 33 in , and had every chance to bounce back from the tough year in Months later, and before the first pitch of the season, Guerrero would reveal that he was actually a year older than his reported age. He would be 34 that season, and it would be a nightmare: Hampered by injury and a slow bat, Guerrero hit. He took to the outfield only twice all season. FanSided 8 months Angels news: Albert Pujols clarifies reports saying he's retiring after season.
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Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. Jackson Thompson. Albert Pujols is listed as 41 years old, but that could be false, according to a former MLB exec.
The ex-Miami Marlins president said "not one person in baseball believes" Pujols' listed age.
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