Our countdown of the greatest athletes of the decade arrives at the 9th spot in the countdown. Today, our focus turns to baseball's current ambassador, the great Albert Pujols.
Resume
-2006 World Series Champion
-2-time NL MVP (2005, 2008)
-8-time NL All-Star Selection
-2001 NL Rookie of the Year
-2006 Gold Glove Winner
-2008 Roberto Clemente Award Winner
Facts
-1st to start his career with 8 straight seasons of .300 BA, 30 HR, and 100 RBI
-Lifetime BA of .334, SLG .630, OPS 1.058
-Currently 4th all-time in slugging percentage and OPS
-Garnered the most votes ever for a NL All-Star in 2009
-Has never played less than 143 games in a season
Why He's Here
-Albert Pujols belongs on this list because he is one of the most dominant all-around forces in the last decade of baseball and in sports. Even in only his eight-year career, Pujols has put up Hall of Fame numbers that place him among giants of the game like Ruth and Gehrig. He has matured into not only the game's most feared offensive threat, but also a very capable defensive 1st baseman and team leader. He capped off his amazing personal achievements with a World Series victory in 2006. From batting titles, to MVPs, Pujols has earned every possible accolade that could be bestowed on a baseball player. Surely, his on-field accomplishments alone merit his selection as one of the best athletes of the decade.
Lasting Impact
Pujols's lasting impact can't be fully known because he is still in the middle of his prime. Barring unforseen circumstance, he will further cement his status as one of the all-time greats of the game in years to come while possibly challenging many of baseball's most prestigious records and achievements. However, because of the era in which he has played, Pujols becomes a victim of other great hitterss of his time who have been surrounded by the cloud of performance enhancing drugs. While sluggers such as Bonds, McGwire, Sosa, Rodriguez, Ramirez, and Ortiz have been implicated, Albert Pujols remains one of the few clean stars in his game. Because of his success without the aid of steroids, he is considered a hero by many fans of the national pasttime. Still, some skeptics will always look at his monstrous numbers with an air of suspicion, not because of Pujols the man, but because of the culture of baseball which surrounded him during his career.
Pujols doesn't make it higher on the list because he hasn't been able to be as transcendent a star as some of the other athletes on our list. Only recently, the veil of mystery that surrounded "The Machine" has begun to be lifted, most notably with his appearance in a recent SportsCenter ad. Again, perhaps his lack of crossover appeal has more to do with baseball's current reputation than Pujols's own marketability. Still, without the same endorsement deals of other top athletes, no one can doubt Pujols is the most popular athlete in one of the great sports towns in America, St. Louis. At only 29, Pujols has plenty of time to become that rare athlete who is transcendent across many different sports while becoming a household name.
On the field accomplishments aside, Pujols also has made a lasting impact in his community, both in St. Louis and back in the Dominican Republic. As such, he was recognized with the Roberto Clemente award for contribution to his team and community in 2008. Perhaps even more impressive in this day of the diva/celebrity athlete, can you remember anyone, ever, having anything bad to say about Albert Pujols? Neither can I. Not a bad legacy for the 402nd pick in the 1999 draft. In closing, here is Pujols's greatest moment, his game-winning home run in Game 5 of the 2005 NLCS. Note that this is a fancast from two random people who actually do a better job than Thom Brenneman, Joe Buck, or whoever else Fox had calling the game.
Join us next time as we reveal the #8 Athlete of the Decade. Who will it be? Make your predictions and tune in back here to RSS tomorrow for the results. Also, remember our Hot off the Grill previews for the upcoming football weekend are still to come as well. Until then, it's bye for now!
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