NL Central

Is Albert Pujols the victim or the villain?

The Chicago Cubs are a great team. I may be a big White Sox fan, but I'm no slouch when it comes to knowing baseball. Believe me when I say that the Cubs will be bad next year.

Every year it's the same. The Cubs are World Series favorites, they start off hot, but then the second half is filled with losses and they eventually miss the championship series.

And, I am very happy.

But this article isn't about me. This piece is about the Cubs and their misfortunes.

Albert Pujols, The Most Popular Player In the History of the Cardinals?

Albert Pujols is the most popular player the recent history of the Cardinals.

But that certainly might change down the road if he chooses to leave St. Louis.

That has us thinking about the most popular players in the history of each MLB franchise.

The top four outfielders—Carl Crawford, Carlos Gonzalez, Ryan Braun and Matt Holliday—are so tightly bunched that they could conceivably finish the season in any order and I wouldn’t be surprised. And no, Josh Hamilton was not an accidental omission; his injury history is too worrisome for an early-round pick in my book.

Sports betting experts know that money makes the world go ‘round, and while player salaries do not enter into the college basketball betting picture, they are a big deal in MLB.

As the NHL trade deadline approaches and MLB spring training opens, the contracts of some key players are making sports headlines.

Albert Pujols is being offered an eight-year deal worth over $200 million, according to a report from Sports Illustrated. The three-time MVP has given the Cardinals a deadline lasting until Wednesday, to offer him a contract that he would sign, if it matched what he is looking for.

The current proposed contract would average out to over $25 million a season, almost identical to the deal Alex Rodriguez currently has with the New York Yankees.

Before anybody gets excited here, this is just a hypothetical situation. 

It's a situation created in order to prove a point, and to create an awareness of the value of top prospects.

But are they really worth the insanely high price tag placed upon them?

That's what I hope to accomplish with this article. 

By the time you are done reading this, I want you to question the train of thought of general managers around the game when they deem a minor league kid untouchable. 

So far, I've taken quite a beating on my predictions for the American League.  Choosing the Rays to finish last in the AL East stirred up a little bit of debate.  But, hey, it's all part of the game.  Everyone makes their bold predictions, and that's mine for the upcoming season.

Will I be correct?

Probably not, but it never hurts to make a bold prediction. 

Can the St. Louis Cardinals afford to let Albert Pujols slip through the cracks? Could the St. Louis fanbase even fathom the notion of their beloved team without their adored first baseman?

Well considering that possibility could perhaps become reality, the Gateway City may well be facing a heavy aftershock of seismic proportions.

I love the Chicago Cubs. I have always loved the Chicago Cubs. Every summer, I take my sons to a game at Wrigley where they make fun of me for loving the Chicago Cubs.

And every summer the Cubs break my heart—year after year after year.

When I watch some other team lift the World Series Trophy, I promise to cheer for another team. Any other team. Except, the White Sox.

I hide my Cubs gear, and I put away all my memorabilia.

Then, in the winter, it starts.