By Ronald Blum
The Associated Press

DALLAS – Albert Pujols could have been a wealthy Cardinal for life, planning for the day his statue would be erected outside Busch Stadium next to those of Stan Musial, Bob Gibson and the other St. Louis greats.

Instead, exactly six weeks after leading the Cardinals to a second title in one of the most thrilling World Series ever, he decided to accept the second-highest contract in baseball history for a new future in southern California with the Los Angeles Angels.

The three-time NL MVP agreed Thursday to a $254 million, 10-year contract with the Angels, leaving behind a heartbroken fan base by jilting one of the sport’s traditional teams for an expansion club with only one championship in its half-century.

For baseball, it was a virtually unprecedented move.

Many top stars have changed teams in their careers, from Babe Ruth to Willie Mays to Barry Bonds. But this is perhaps the best player in the game over the past decade, exiting shortly after one of the great postseason power shows.

A big and burly offensive force with a shaved head, the nine-time All-Star has a room full of honors, winning the 2001 NL Rookie of the Year award, NL MVPs in 2005, 2008 and 2009, a batting title in 2003 and a pair of Gold Gloves at first base. Who would have predicted that when the Cardinals selected him in the 13th round of the 1999 amateur draft with the 402nd overall selection?

And now, he’s going West.

As his deal fell into place on the final day of the winter meetings, the Angels struck another big agreement, a $77.5 million, five-year contract with left-hander C.J. Wilson, the ace whose Texas Rangers lost to the Cardinals in the seven-game World Series.

“This is obviously the moment where we have thrown our hat in the ring,” new Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto said.

Had he stayed in St. Louis before packed, adoring crowds, Pujols would’ve established a Cal Ripken-like legacy of loyalty, a rare modern star who remained with a franchise from first at-bat to final swing.

Instead, some of his former fans will see him as a sellout.

Pujols rejected a multiyear extension last offseason that was said to include a small percentage of the franchise and cut off negotiations a day before he arrived at spring training. St. Louis also offered the slugger a 10-year deal that chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said was in excess of $200 million.

“I would like our fans to know that we tried our best to make Albert a lifetime Cardinal,” he said in a statement, adding later in a telephone interview: “They were substantially higher than our bid.”

In St. Louis, Pujols has accomplished so much that he would have been beloved no matter his future performance. But in Anaheim, he will have to prove himself anew.

“I think his body’s going to start breaking down and he’s not going to be good for 10 years,” said Katie Coyle, fitness coordinator at the Webster-Kirkwood YMCA in Missouri, a die-hard fan who wore team colors to work during the playoffs. “I think he’s going to regret leaving here. If he’d have stayed here and signed a long-term deal with the Cardinals, they’d have had compassion for him because they’ve seen him at his best.”

Pujols’ contract, which like Wilson’s is subject to a physical, is only the third to break the $200 million barrier, following Alex Rodriguez’s $252 million, 10-year deal with Texas before the 2001 season and A-Rod’s $275 million, 10-year agreement with the Yankees before the 2008 season.

“This is a monumental day for Angel fans and I could not be more excited,” said owner Arte Moreno, who bought the team for $184 million from The Walt Disney Co. in 2003, a year after its only title.

Despite a top-four payroll this year, the Angels finished second behind Texas in the AL West. They spent $331.5 million on just two players, capping an unusual winter meetings in which the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox watched while the Angels and Miami Marlins spent as if they were the sport’s financial elite.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The final day of the Los Angeles Angels‘ disappointing season already was a bitter experience. Mike Napoli‘s two trots around the bases of his former home field just made it slightly more acidic.

And the Angels will have to wait six months to get this taste out of their mouths.

Napoli broke a tie in the ninth inning with his fourth homer in two games, and the Texas Rangers finally clinched home-field advantage in the AL division series with a 3-1 victory over the Angels on Wednesday night.

Gil Velasquez drove in the only run for the Angels, who have missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time in a decade. Los Angeles (86-76) was in playoff contention until Monday, but lost six of its last seven and nine of its last 13 to finish September at .500 (13-13).

“This was a roller-coaster year for us,” manager Mike Scioscia said. “I mean, it really tore us inside and out, and it teased us. We thought we had a chance to get there, but we just didn’t play at a high enough level towards the end of the season. But we’re going to turn the page on it, and it’s going to start tomorrow.”

Napoli, the longtime Angels catcher, also homered in the second inning for the Rangers, who swept the Angels to set a club record with their 96th victory — including six straight heading into the postseason.

The Angels wrapped up their 50th anniversary season by missing the playoffs, yet manager Mike Scioscia hopes fans won’t forget what they’ve built. Los Angeles still had the AL’s sixth-best record, winning at least 80 games for the eighth straight season — easily the best stretch in franchise history.

Texas left-hander Matt Harrison yielded five hits and a run in six innings during a strong tuneup for the postseason, while Garrett Richards pitched five innings of two-hit ball in his third career start for the Angels.

Napoli’s departure turned out to be a harbinger of everything that went wrong for the Angels this season.

Napoli hit six homers this season at Angel Stadium — three more than Bobby Abreu, who struck out to end the season for Los Angeles. Napoli even hit four homers in the final innings against the Angels, who traded him in a package for Vernon Wells last winter.

Napoli finished with career-highs of 30 homers and 75 RBIs in Texas, while Wells went 1 for 4 to end his dismal season at .218 with 25 homers — and the three catchers who replaced Napoli have all been offensive disasters.

“When he plays us, it’s like he’s definitely trying to put an exclamation point on something,” Angels outfielder Torii Hunter said. “He’s swinging the bat well. We all knew he could hit home runs and that he had the potential … but the average (.320), that’s what’s pretty impressive. He’s grown into one of the elite hitters in the game.”

With 14 wins in their final 16 games, the Rangers (96-66) held off Detroit (95-67) for the right to host Tampa Bay at Rangers Ballpark on Friday. Although Texas ascribes little significance to the win beyond travel convenience, Napoli is grateful he’s not headed to Yankee Stadium on Thursday.

“I looked (at the scoreboard) every inning, I’m not going to lie,” Napoli said. “But we went out and controlled what we could control.”

Seven innings after Napoli homered over the ficus trees in deepest center field, he connected in the ninth off Angels rookie closer Jordan Walden (5-5), capping his career year with another huge game at the park he once called home.

Walden made the AL All-Star team and earned 32 saves, but also blew 10 chances.

“Overall, I’d say I had a decent season,” Walden said. “I mean, towards the end right here, I kind of fell apart, but there were good times in the season and a lot of bad. So it was a good learning process for me, and I’m ready for next spring.”

Mike Adams (2-3) pitched the eighth, and Neftali Feliz picked up his 32nd save.

Before the game, Scioscia bristled at the suggestion Los Angeles wasn’t going all-out to beat the Rangers — to the detriment of the Tigers. Angels starters Hunter, Howie Kendrick, Maicer Izturis and Abreu all were out of the lineup Wednesday night, while 18-game winner Jered Weaver and Ervin Santana were scratched from their final starts.

Scioscia insisted every missing regular had a legitimate injury, while Weaver was “at heightened risk” after pitching hard down the stretch.

“We absolutely understand the integrity of the game and how important it is,” Scioscia said in a rare burst of passion from the Angels’ cool bench boss. “We’re putting out the talent that we can to try to win ballgames. There’s no doubt that the integrity of the game is something we take very seriously. We went as hard as we could, as long as we could.”

Richards, a first-round draft pick in 2009, made the best appearance of his short major-league career in his first start since Aug. 15. He issued three walks, but paid for only one bad pitch when Napoli homered in the second.

NOTES: Angels 1B Efren Navarro’s third-inning single was his first major league hit. Navarro, a native of nearby Lynwood with 15 family members in attendance, played the final two games at first base with rookie slugger Mark Trumbo shut down for the season with a broken foot. … The Angels drew more than 3 million fans for the ninth straight season, finishing with 3,166,321. They even outdrew the crosstown Dodgers, who didn’t crack 3 million.

Here is proof that the Los Angeles Angels actually play in nearby Anaheim, home of Disneyland and other dreamers, like Mike Butcher.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, the Angels pitching coach said he would take Jered Weaver, Dan Haren, and Ervin Santana “over anybody’s top three starters.”

Even over the Phillies’ aces?

“Absolutely,” Butcher replied. “We’re not pitching to a pitcher. I obviously respect what they do in Philadelphia. Those four guys are all very good. You can’t deny their stuff. But I love our three guys.”

Admittedly, the Angels are good: Weaver is 17-7 with a 2.40 ERA, Haren (who was to start Friday) is 15-8 with a 3.06 ERA, and Santana is 11-11 with a 3.30 ERA. And the Angels have a team ERA of 3.55, good for fourth in the majors.

But the Phillies have a team ERA of 3.00 (to lead the majors), the best record in baseball, and two pitchers who are bona fide candidates for the Cy Young Award.

Time to wake up, Angel fans.

 

Trouble in L.A.

The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Dodgers, 6-2, in Los Angeles on Thursday, eliminating them from the playoffs. From here on the only questions about this troubled season that remain are: whether Clayton Kershaw wins the Cy Young, if Matt Kemp is named league MVP, and who owns the Dodgers?

The first two will be answered at the end of the season. Who owns the team will likely be decided next year.

The Los Angeles Times has reported that Frank and Jamie McCourt expect to settle their divorce – and with it the question of who owns the team – in a trial during the 2012 baseball season. The trial is to last 30-45 days, according to a timetable set forth by lawyers for both sides.

Of course there’s still the issue of a bankruptcy filing in Delaware and Major League Baseball’s displeasure with the McCourts and their ruining an honored franchise.

Case in point: With ballpark attendance way down, the Dodgers have begun asking season-ticket holders whether they were likely to renew.

If a fan indicates renewal is unlikely, the Dodgers then ask why, offering a list of possible factors that include “team performance,” “pricing,” and “ownership.”

 

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Contact Francisco Delgado at fdelgado@phillynews.com.

This article contains information from Inquirer wire services.

 

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Felix Hernandez pitched eight innings of four-hit ball to win at Angel Stadium for the first time since 2006, and the Seattle Mariners snapped a five-game skid and slowed the Los Angeles Angels’ playoff surge with a 2-1 victory Tuesday night.

Justin Smoak and Kyle Seager scored unearned runs for the Mariners, who had lost 18 of their last 21 games at Angel Stadium before Hernandez (14-11) outdueled Ervin Santana and silenced the Angels’ improved lineup for his sixth victory in eight starts.

Alberto Callaspo drove in an unearned run for the Angels, who committed four errors and dropped 3½ games behind Texas in the AL West standings. The loss was just the Angels’ second at home since Aug. 17.

The Rangers pounded Tampa Bay 8-0 earlier Tuesday. Los Angeles was a season-high 13 games over .500 after Monday’s win over the Mariners, but still faces an uphill climb in the regular season’s final three weeks to make the playoffs for the seventh time in 10 seasons.

Hernandez improbably hadn’t won in Anaheim since June 11, 2006 — also his first career complete game. He has just six victories in 25 career starts against the Mariners’ division rivals, but after failing to beat the Angels at all since Sept. 29, 2009, Hernandez has two wins over Los Angeles in seven days.

On Aug. 31 in Seattle, Hernandez finally beat the Angels for the first time in nine tries, pitching a five-hitter and getting a 2-1 win on a fortunate two-out, two-run double in the eighth inning by Mike Carp. He was nearly as sharp in Anaheim, striking out seven and giving up two walks.

Santana (11-10) yielded seven hits and two walks over six muddled innings in his 200th career start for the Angels, losing for just the second time in 13 starts. Although he didn’t give up an earned run, he allowed a baserunner in every inning, and his usually sure-handed teammates weren’t much help.

Seattle loaded the bases with nobody out in the second inning after two Los Angeles errors, but managed just one run on Trayvon Robinson’s sacrifice fly. Seager then reached on an error in the fourth inning and eventually scored on Michael Saunders’ grounder.

Los Angeles scored in the sixth when Torii Hunter singled, advanced on Hernandez’s throwing error and scored on Callaspo’s single off the second-base bag.

After Hernandez retired the final seven batters he faced, Brandon League pitched the ninth for his 33rd save in 38 chances.

NOTES: Los Angeles failed to homer for just the fourth time in its last 28 games. … Hernandez made his 202nd career start, tying Kelvim Escobar for fifth-most in major league history by a Venezuelan pitcher. Freddy Garcia holds the record with 324 starts. … RF Hunter made a sprinting catch at his shoetops, followed by a barrel roll, to strand two Seattle runners in the fifth inning. Hunter won nine Gold Gloves in center field before yielding the position to Peter Bourjos this season. Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle’s 10-time Gold Glover in right field, then followed up Hunter’s grab with a leaping catch near the wall on Vernon Wells’ liner moments later. … Angels 2B Howie Kendrick and OF Mike Trout got a day off from the starting lineup, but both appeared in the game.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP)—The back end of the rotation has been a major problem
this season for the Los Angeles Angels, so manager Mike Scioscia and pitching
coach Mike Butcher are hoping Joel Pineiro’s(notes) best starts are ahead of him with
the club still in playoff contention.

Pineiro posted his first victory in almost two months, leading the Angels to
a 4-1 win over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday in the rubber game of the weekend
series.

Los Angeles remained 3 1/2 games behind AL West-leading Texas, which won 11-4
at Boston.

“Every game I go out there I want to contribute and not just count on the
big three, like we’ve been doing all year,” Pineiro said. “Hopefully me and
Tyler Chatwood(notes), or whoever is at the back of the rotation can help our team the
rest of the season. We need it.”

Pineiro (6-6) allowed a run and five hits over seven innings. The
right-hander, making his third start since a brief demotion to the bullpen, was
0-3 with a whopping 10.30 ERA in six starts since beating Seattle 9-3 on July 9
at Angel Stadium.

“I’m just trusting my stuff now and believing in not trying to invent the
wheel,” said Pineiro, who made three relief appearances before returning to the
rotation. “I’m just finding my sinker, working down in the zone and being
aggressive with it instead of just trying to get a feel for it. Today I had a
good sinker that stayed down and I got a lot of ground-ball outs, and I also had
good defense behind me.”

Bobby Abreu(notes) homered for the Angels, and Torii Hunter(notes) and Vernon Wells(notes) added
insurance runs with RBI singles in the eighth inning. Rookie Jordan Walden(notes)
followed Scott Downs(notes) out of the bullpen with a hitless ninth to get his 28th
save in 37 chances.

Scioscia gave Abreu a day off on Saturday, ending any chance he had of
playing in 150 or more games for the 14th consecutive season. He remains tied
with Willie Mays for the major league record in that category.

“I don’t control that,” Abreu said. “I don’t want a day off. I just like
to play every single day. But there’s nothing I can do about it. Today I hit a
homer that helped the team win, and that’s all that really matters to me.”

Abreu connected in the first for his seventh homer, hitting a towering drive
to right field on a 3-2 pitch that ended up in the back of the old Angels
bullpen. It ended a home run drought of 18 games and 60 at-bats since his
tiebreaking two-run shot against Yankees closer Mariano Rivera(notes) on Aug. 9 in New
York.

“It’s been a long time since I hit a homer,” he said. “I think that I
need to just work on my approach. I don’t feel the same a little bit. Sometimes
I just miss pitches that I used to hit, so I’ve been going to the video to see
what I’ve been doing wrong and make my adjustments.”

Minnesota starter Kevin Slowey(notes) (0-4) allowed two runs and seven hits in
seven innings before calling it a day because of a slight hamstring problem.
Twins catcher Joe Mauer(notes) returned to the lineup as the designated hitter, going 1
for 2 with a homer and two walks after missing two games because of an upper
respiratory infection.

The Angels made it 2-0 in the third when second baseman Trevor Plouffe(notes) lost
track of the number of outs and didn’t attempt a relay to first following Howie
Kendrick’s(notes) one-out grounder to third. Hank Conger(notes) scored on the play and
Kendrick was credited with his 51st RBI.

Plouffe apologized to Slowey after the inning ended.

“Slowey pitched well and he doesn’t deserve that,” Plouffe said. “Bottom
line, it’s just a stupid play. Every play is big. But we all know that mistakes
happen. Gardy (manager Ron Gardenhire) said: ‘Forget about it. You’ve got a big
at-bat coming up. Let’s go.’ That’s what a good manager would say. That’s what
he said to me and that’s what I did. I’ll tell you what, it’s not going to
happen again to me.”

Mauer got the Twins on the board in the fourth with his second home run of
an injury-plagued season that has limited the three-time AL batting champ to
just 73 games. He had a career-high 28 homers in 2009, when he was the AL MVP.

NOTES: The Angels increased their active roster to 31 players by recalling
RHP Trevor Bell(notes) from Triple-A Salt Lake to help shore up their bullpen. … The
Angels’ Orem farm club in the Advanced Rookie League made the playoffs for the
11th consecutive season under manager Tom Kotchman. Three of the players in
Sunday’s Angels lineup—Kendrick, SS Erick Aybar(notes) and 1B Mark Trumbo(notes)—started
out on that club. So did CF Peter Bourjos(notes), who had the day off. … The Angels
are 6-4 this season when they get a first-inning home run—including Saturday
night’s 10-6 victory, which Trumbo ignited with his first career grand slam. …
Aybar extended his hitting streak to 14 games with two singles, including his
11th bunt hit of the season. … Conger threw out Jason Kubel(notes) and Danny Valencia(notes)
trying to steal second base in the second and fifth innings, respectively. The
rookie came in having thrown out only eight of 58 baserunners trying to steal.
… Downs has not allowed an earned run in 27 2-3 career innings against
Minnesota, spanning 26 appearances.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The back end of the rotation has been a major problem this season for the Los Angeles Angels, so manager Mike Scioscia and pitching coach Mike Butcher are hoping Joel Pineiro’s best starts are ahead of him with the club still in playoff contention.

Pineiro posted his first victory in almost two months, leading the Angels to a 4-1 win over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday in the rubber game of the weekend series.

Los Angeles remained 3½ games behind AL West-leading Texas, which won 11-4 at Boston.

“Every game I go out there I want to contribute and not just count on the big three, like we’ve been doing all year,” Pineiro said. “Hopefully me and Tyler Chatwood, or whoever is at the back of the rotation can help our team the rest of the season. We need it.”

Pineiro (6-6) allowed a run and five hits over seven innings. The right-hander, making his third start since a brief demotion to the bullpen, was 0-3 with a whopping 10.30 ERA in six starts since beating Seattle 9-3 on July 9 at Angel Stadium.

“I’m just trusting my stuff now and believing in not trying to invent the wheel,” said Pineiro, who made three relief appearances before returning to the rotation. “I’m just finding my sinker, working down in the zone and being aggressive with it instead of just trying to get a feel for it. Today I had a good sinker that stayed down and I got a lot of ground-ball outs, and I also had good defense behind me.”

Bobby Abreu homered for the Angels, and Torii Hunter and Vernon Wells added insurance runs with RBI singles in the eighth inning. Rookie Jordan Walden followed Scott Downs out of the bullpen with a hitless ninth to get his 28th save in 37 chances.

Scioscia gave Abreu a day off on Saturday, ending any chance he had of playing in 150 or more games for the 14th consecutive season. He remains tied with Willie Mays for the major league record in that category.

“I don’t control that,” Abreu said. “I don’t want a day off. I just like to play every single day. But there’s nothing I can do about it. Today I hit a homer that helped the team win, and that’s all that really matters to me.”

Abreu connected in the first for his seventh homer, hitting a towering drive to right field on a 3-2 pitch that ended up in the back of the old Angels bullpen. It ended a home run drought of 18 games and 60 at-bats since his tiebreaking two-run shot against Yankees closer Mariano Rivera on Aug. 9 in New York.

“It’s been a long time since I hit a homer,” he said. “I think that I need to just work on my approach. I don’t feel the same a little bit. Sometimes I just miss pitches that I used to hit, so I’ve been going to the video to see what I’ve been doing wrong and make my adjustments.”

Minnesota starter Kevin Slowey (0-4) allowed two runs and seven hits in seven innings before calling it a day because of a slight hamstring problem. Twins catcher Joe Mauer returned to the lineup as the designated hitter, going 1 for 2 with a homer and two walks after missing two games because of an upper respiratory infection.

The Angels made it 2-0 in the third when second baseman Trevor Plouffe lost track of the number of outs and didn’t attempt a relay to first following Howie Kendrick’s one-out grounder to third. Hank Conger scored on the play and Kendrick was credited with his 51st RBI.

Plouffe apologized to Slowey after the inning ended.

“Slowey pitched well and he doesn’t deserve that,” Plouffe said. “Bottom line, it’s just a stupid play. Every play is big. But we all know that mistakes happen. Gardy (manager Ron Gardenhire) said: ‘Forget about it. You’ve got a big at-bat coming up. Let’s go.’ That’s what a good manager would say. That’s what he said to me and that’s what I did. I’ll tell you what, it’s not going to happen again to me.”

Mauer got the Twins on the board in the fourth with his second home run of an injury-plagued season that has limited the three-time AL batting champ to just 73 games. He had a career-high 28 homers in 2009, when he was the AL MVP.

NOTES: The Angels increased their active roster to 31 players by recalling RHP Trevor Bell from Triple-A Salt Lake to help shore up their bullpen. … The Angels’ Orem farm club in the Advanced Rookie League made the playoffs for the 11th consecutive season under manager Tom Kotchman. Three of the players in Sunday’s Angels lineup — Kendrick, SS Erick Aybar and 1B Mark Trumbo — started out on that club. So did CF Peter Bourjos, who had the day off. … The Angels are 6-4 this season when they get a first-inning home run — including Saturday night’s 10-6 victory, which Trumbo ignited with his first career grand slam. … Aybar extended his hitting streak to 14 games with two singles, including his 11th bunt hit of the season. … Conger threw out Jason Kubel and Danny Valencia trying to steal second base in the second and fifth innings, respectively. The rookie came in having thrown out only eight of 58 baserunners trying to steal. … Downs has not allowed an earned run in 27 2-3 career innings against Minnesota, spanning 26 appearances.