Verducci: Pujols half-season NL MVP
SI’s Tom Verducci picks Pujols as his NL MVP at the (almost) halfway point, with Scott Rolen fifth.
Prince Albert was out three weeks with a strained muscle in his side and still might hit 60 home runs. He leads the league in homers (29) and slugging (.703, on pace to become only the 16th player to slug better than .700) and is second in RBI (76) and OBP (.435).
I know, big surprise there. But that slugging record is pretty cool. In case you were wondering whom the 16 (by my count) are, here’s the list from Baseball-Reference (number of times in parentheses):
- Babe Ruth (9)
- Barry Bonds+ (4)
- Jimmie Foxx (3)
- Lou Gehrig (3)
- Larry Walker (2)
- Mark McGwire+ (2)
- Rogers Hornsby (2)
- Ted Williams (2)
- Al Simmons
- Albert Belle
- Frank Thomas
- Hack Wilson
- Jeff Bagwell
- Mickey Mantle
- Sammy Sosa
- Stan Musial
+ denotes PED-assisted accomplishment
July 12th, 2006 at 9:12 am
How can you honestly put a “+” next to the names of Bonds and McGwire but not any of the others such as Albert Belle (you think he broke down due to natural causes?), Jeff Bagwell (bum shoulder, huh?), or Sammy Sosa (did you see his ARMS three years ago at the All-Star game?)?? I don’t know if we’ll ever actually have proof of performance enhancing drugs really making THE difference in a statistic or records such as these, but we have to be careful with these types of accusations.
July 12th, 2006 at 11:28 am
Well, as much as the circumstantial evidence may point to others “deserving” of the +, I’m relying on more solid evidence, such as in the case of Bonds and McGwire. Steroid List also has a comprehensive list.
If you have some credible info on the others, please let me know. I would say I’d be glad to note that for the players, but it’s not something I take pleasure in but rather do for the sake of integrity.