h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

St. Louis Cardinal fans have been in an ever increasing state of angst for nearly two years over the probable departure of Albert Pujols when he qualified for free agency at the end of the 2011 season. We all knew it was coming, and that he is worth more money than we can afford to pay him. Well, those of us with functioning brains knew that.

What we feared has happened. Today Albert signed a very sweet contract with the Angels, a contract worth at least 30 million more than the Cards could offer. Truth is, I personally don't think they could afford the offer they made, let alone match the Angels. It would have seriously affected their ability to pay other players and improve the team when needed.

Here's the deal. Los Angeles is a massive market compared to St. Louis. The Angels are currently renegotiating a lucrative TV contract that could bring them an addtional $100 million a year. They can afford to pay Pujols and still have a ton left over.

The Cardinals aren't even in the top 10 teams when it comes to money available for players. Sure, we have a lot of loyal fans who keep the ballpark mostly full and buy the shirts. But there is never going to be enough money there for a 10 year, $250 million contract without totally hamstringing the team.

So, congratulations to Angel fans. You've gotten one of the best players in the history of the game. He's also a gentleman, won't embarrass the team with appearances in the tabloids, will do a good job in the community and should give you 5 or 6 good years before you have to turn him into a very highly paid DH.

And congratulations to Albert for getting a contract that reflects your status. You've earned it. I'll miss having you at first. I wish you as much success in your Angels uniform as you had wearing the birds on the bat.

What the Cardinals do have, something that has nothing to do with Pujols or any one player is a tradition of winning. During my lifetime I've seen lots of great players come and go. That is the nature of the game. Don't order our tombstone yet, just because we lost Albert.

I want to say one other thing while I'm on the subject. This is to all those Cardinals fans who are villifying Albert, burning your #5 jerseys, accusing him of being a traitor to the team and the fans -- put a sock in it. I know you think he should have taken less money and stayed in St. Louis. You need to get real. Baseball is a business. And for a player of his stature signing that enormous contract is similar to achieving any other baseball stat. Sure the guy has an ego. Why not? Which one of us would turn down a hefty raise if it was offered to us, especially if we knew we were worth the money? As to loyalty, Albert doesn't owe us anything. He produced amazing numbers for the team year after year. That's what he owed us, and that's what he delivered. Now, get off his back and wish him well instead of behaving like ill mannered children.

I don't really have any negative feelings for Albert, truthfully, I'm glad he's gone. True, a lot of great players have come and gone, and will continue to do so, and the fact will remain: our TEAM is never comprised of one player. Our TEAM is comprised of lots of good players, and a few great ones, that together make it the most successful team in the National League, and the second-most successful team in baseball.

And Cardinals fans have every right to feel jilted. When a professional athlete makes a statement committing himself to the team, the city and the fans, we expect him to live up to it. If your ultimate goal is to go for as much money as you can possibly make, then don't stand on a podeum and profess that you want to end your career in a particular place. That's why local fans villify players like Albert, and Mark McGwire and Brett Hull and Wayne Gretzky (although Gretzky never said he wanted to stop here, he was just a greedy pr*ck), but they are really proud to call others like Marshall Faulk and Ozzie Smith and Tony Twist their own.

Just sayin.

But really, I'd have been really upset if the owners had made every effort to keep him at the expense of other talent, and the fans. Because, after all, we're the ones who would have ended up paying him.

Broe, I agree that Albert invited a lot of the anger by giving everyone the impression that the team and city were more important to him than money. He shouldn't have said that if he didn't mean it. But maybe he thought that the Cardinals would find a way to give him what h wanted and wouldn't have to actually make the choice whether to leave or stay. Who knows.

Also, I don't actually live there. You do. It makes sense that you would feel strongly about it. But I've been reading some really vile, childish comments that I think makes us all look bad.

I really must stop reading sports discussion boards. For every well thought out comment there are dozens of knee-jerks, trolls and the just plain misinformed.


This all reminds me of a love affair gone wrong. Cardinals fans are reacting like a lover overthrown by a younger, flashier model. Love and devotion has turned to hate.

Another analogy that comes to mind is one from a CCD lesson back in the dark ages. (It was about tithing to the temple, not baseball. I'm sure they would have played baseball if it had been around, but the poor people were forced to endure a life without it.) Anyway, and paraphrasing since I don't remember exactly how it goes, a poor widow gave a single coin whereas a rich man nearby gave a large sum. Which offering was more acceptable to God? The answer of course is the single coin since it was all the woman had and was therefore much more valuable to her than the rich man's large offering was to him.

Well, Albert, the Cardinals offered you all they had. What that indicates to me is that they actually placed more value on you than the Angels did.

I'm still disappointed. I'll stay disappointed for a very long time. But less than 24 hours in and I'm absolutely convinced that this is a blessing in disguise for the Cardinals.