Beyond the bottom line, I still have no idea what Dewitt was thinking throughout the entire ordeal – personality management was obviously not his strong suit with AP.

Yadier Molina appears to have benefitted from a lesson learned, we’ll see if the same line of thinking is used with Wainwright if he proves to be healthy.

By all accounts, Waino is extremely aware of the market and where the bar could be set for his next contracts AAV.

I think the distinguishing factor for AP is his ability maintain that uncanny high level of motivation through whatever means despite all of the personal accolades and team success he’s been a part of.

Dude just never lets up.

Sounds like he’s a bit ticked at the Marlins as well for the “pulling the $275 million off” the table line of BS the Marlins tried to spin when they perceived they were no longer in play.

Anyway…

At least for now, the Angels are getting a pissed off Albert – and a pissed off Albert is the best Albert.

This doesn’t make Pujols any different than most other pro athletes, does it? Nearly every athlete that is good enough to have a job after his prime works harder every year to overcome the natural decline….they don’t just throw up their hands and give up…they fight tooth and nail to hang on as long as possible.

Pujols has the second-richest contract in baseball and a home filled with MVP and All-Star awards and World Series rings, but it’s as if none of that matters to him. He feels like it’s 2001 all over again, trying to make the major leagues while showing that every club in baseball made a horrific mistake, passing on him until the 13th round of the draft. He wasn’t selected until the 402nd pick by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1999.

“I always have that chip on my shoulder, no matter what kind of success I’ve had,” Pujols says forcefully. “This is going to be an extra chip on my shoulder that I’m going to have the next 10 years, maybe for the rest of my life. I don’t want to ever change that attitude.”

Well played, sir. Well played indeed.

I totally didn’t believe in him: the age thing when he first came out of nowhere, the claims that he was *always* playing hurt and still performing, and a general taint I sense from many players on Tony LaRussa teams. There was a lot that was too good to be true, so I totally hung casual labels on him like Age, Steroids and Whiner.

I’m more of an American League guy, so eventually I stopped paying particular attention to Albert, but he’s pretty much proven to be the real deal over time. Mea culpa, I didn’t ever let him know that so he’s still all mad and stuff. He’s clearly a guy who can carry a grudge, so I probably should shoot him a text or something. But at this point I’m afraid he’d finally get comfortable and relax about the whole thing and then he’d suck. Arte Moreno’s crew would come looking for me, my kids would be in danger, I’d end up in hiding. My life would be ruined.

Screw him. He’s probably a 35 year old druggie anyway…

And never, ever, cut his sandwich any other way than diagonal.

Wait…what?

Global Warming?