Can Pujols Ever be a "True" Angel?

Wow… I can’t say that I saw this coming. It is now official that the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have signed Albert Pujols for 10 years and a staggering $254 million dollars. Even with numerous rumors swirling that the Miami Marlins were courting the slugger, I (naively) assumed that Pujols and the Cardinals would ultimately hash out a deal. Pujols on the Cardinals always seemed right. Pujols is a truly transcendent baseball player and the passionate St. Louis fans are knowledgeable enough to recognize and appreciate this. I originally wanted to write this column about how loyalty in sports has disintegrated, but I will avoid that at risk of sounding like an old, out of touch curmudgeon. A quarter of a BILLION dollars is a lot of money for anybody to turn down. Instead, I think it is more interesting to examine what Albert Pujols has to accomplish over the next ten years to be “remembered” as an Angel. Pujols has spent the past 11 years establishing a legacy with the Cardinals. It will take a lot to replace these memories.


Ten years is a lot of time. It is impossible to forecast any number of events that could occur that would affect Pujols’ performance over the duration of the contract. For the purpose of this column, I would like to make a few basic assumptions. First, let’s assume that Pujols’ is relatively injury free over the life of the contract. Pujols has made 3 trips to the disabled list during his career, and it is highly probable that he will serve at least a few more stints on the DL as he ages. With that said, let us suppose that he doesn’t suffer a career altering or career ending injury before the end of his contract. Let’s also assume that Pujols’ skills erode a bit as he ages. Barring a Barry Bonds-like career renaissance (or steroid overload), it is reasonable to think that Pujols won’t be the same player at age 42 that he is at age 32. Finally, let’s assume that Pujols retires at the end of this contract. These assumptions are fairly large, but I think that they are perfectly reasonable for a purely speculative column.

The first argument for Pujols being remembered as an Angel has absolutely nothing to do with baseball. In fact, it is rooted in basic psychology (and common sense). Recent events are, for the most part, more easily remembered then events that happened in the distant past. This is appropriately known as the “Recency Effect.” Although it seems weird to see Pujols in an Angel uniform now (At least the color scheme is the same!), this will not be the case after witnessing Pujols play 10 seasons for the Halos. In fact, it will probably be more shocking to see old pictures of Pujols with the Cards by that time. I don’t put too much weight into the recency effect, but if Pujols is able to post his typically outstanding numbers with the Angels for a sustained period of time people might be more biased towards his more current team.

The next argument is also rooted in psychology. Events that conjure an emotional reaction (positive or negative) are more likely to “stick-out” than ones that don’t. Albert Pujols has 2,073 hits thus far in his career. Some of these hits are more memorable than others. I remember being greatly excited when Pujols crushed this bomb off of Brad Lidge in Game 5 of the 2005 NLCS. Even though this particular hit occurred more than six years ago, I can recall it like yesterday because it was such an impressive blast. If Pujols can provide a number of “unforgettable” moments as an Angel, it will vastly improve his chances of being remembered as an Angel. Call it the Reggie Jackson effect. Reggie played for the A’s twice as long as he did for the Yankees. He also won more World Series, won an MVP award, and put up better statistics over a longer period of time as an Athletic. But it’s tough to top hitting three home runs in a World Series game (coincidentally something that Pujols did this year). So Reggie is mostly remembered, and enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame, as a Yankee. So even if Pujols is unable to match his statistical performance as a Cardinal, a series of really “special” moments would help reinforce him as an Angel.

Finally, Pujols’ statistical performance can shift the balance one way or another. Quite simply, if Pujols puts up better numbers as an Angel it would enhance his standing as a Halo. This will be nearly impossible. Through his first 11 seasons as a pro, Pujols has compiled a slash line (batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage) of .328/.420/.617, hit 445 home runs, and amassed 88.7 Wins Above Replacement (WAR). By comparison, Barry Bonds hit .288/.404/.508 with 334 home runs and 85.3 WAR in his first 11 seasons. Willie Mays posted .318/.390/.585 with 319 home runs and 76.3 WAR in this time span. Hank Aaron hit .320/.376/.567 with 366 home runs and 83.2 WAR. The list goes on. Pujols’ first 11 years compare favorably to nearly anybody not named Ruth. I don’t think his next ten years will be as good as his first 11. Albert is a machine but even machines rust as they age. Even with a fairly substantial regression, Pujols should be able to end his career with numbers worthy of a first ballot hall of famer. But will it be enough to put him into the hall as an Angel?

It is not entirely unreasonable to think that Pujols could be remembered as a Los Angeles Angel of Anaheim. The recency effect will be working in the Angels’ favor. While unlikely, Pujols could also potentially generate some truly unforgettable memories as a Halo that will outshine his Cardinals performances. Finally, Pujols could simply play better as an Angel than he did as a Cardinal. This is a real long-shot but I guess it’s not impossible. It will be tough to supplant his Cardinals memories, however it could be possible if Pujols is able to post strong statistics and sprinkle in a few signature moments.

-Matty B.