The big splash round these parts is the recent signing of Albert Pujols by the Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim.Team owner Art Moreno continues his quest for a World Series Championship by throwing big money into the hunt.
The deal for Pujols is unprecedented in Angels history and in a rare class for Major League Baseball. The 10-year commitment that will pay Pujols at least $250 million is approximately $70 million more than Arte Moreno paid for the franchise when he purchased the Angels from the Disney Company in 2003.Wow. $25 million a year for ten years, for a slugger who should be hitting his downside long before the contract runs out.
To add, I think it fitting that Moreno paid so much for a last name that sounds very much like my nickname for him.
I'm calling it now: It won't work.
I placed a curse upon the Angels when Moreno decided he wanted to give the team a Los Angeles identity after taking millions of dollars from Anaheim's taxpayers in exchange for naming rights.
The Angels will be frustrated every year that they continue to be a Los Angeles team.
No more World Series titles for them until they make it right. That is my curse.
Nobody believed me then, but I make sure to remind my heart broken Angelphile friends every October.
Lastly, I hope Mr. Pujols enjoys his time in one of the best places to live on earth, but I advise him not to start counting all of his money just yet. Moreno has a record of breaking contractual obligations and getting away with it.
4 comments:
Every year there are teams that forget the lessons of Moneyball and can't stop themselves. It either makes a great success or a tremendous flop. Either way winning results can also be gotten by the use of on-base-pect in hitters and strikeouts-to-walks ratios and HRs per 9 innings for pitchers. Bargains exist in undervalued players. Anyway I have no way of knowing if this works or not - it could - but big payrolls don't seem to be an guarantee for anything. The more things change...
I do speak & write in English, most days, too.
the angels have come a long way from the days of Autry ownership and low payrolls.
but i liked the scrappy little team that sometimes almost could better than this creation.
the World Series team had none of these megamillions players. i liked that.
I agree -- Pujols will not get the money on the back end of that contract.
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