Albert Pujols has won the MVP Award three times. He should have won it three other times, but in each of those three seasons, he finished behind players who either benefited from using performance enhancing substances or were suspected of using such substances.
Bud Selig should give Pujols those three awards.
In his rookie year of 2001, Pujols finished fourth in the MVP voting, behind winner Barry Bonds, runner-up Sammy Sosa and third-place finisher Luis Gonzalez.
The Bonds saga is still playing out, Sosa tested positive for using a banned substance in 2003 and Gonzalez was allegedly on the same list as Sosa.
In 2001, Pujols hit .329/.403/.610 with 37 home runs and 130 RBIs.
The next season, Bonds repeated as the MVP winner. It was the fifth time in his career that he won the award. Pujols finished a distant second.
In 2002, Pujols hit .314/.394/.561 with 34 home runs and 127 RBIs.
Bonds wasn’t finished winning the award. He was voted the MVP in both 2003 and 2004.
In 2003, Pujols finished right behind the convicted perjurer and in 2004, he finished third, behind Bonds and Adrian Beltre.
In 2003, Pujols hit .359/.439/.667 with 43 home runs and 124 RBIs. He won the batting title.
In 2004, Pujols hit .331/.415/.671 with 46 home runs and 123 RBIs. He won the slugging title.
Bonds was unable to play much in 2005. Pujols won his first MVP award. He won it again in 2008 and 2009.
If Bud Selig and those whom he serves were sincere when the claim they are concerned about baseball’s records, they would declare Pujols the MVP in each season from 2001-04.
Of course, that could never happen. The excuse would be that there is no precedent in baseball for taking away an already presented award or championship. So what?
No one will ever know if the 1919 World Champion Cincinnati Reds would have won the World Series if they hadn’t received help from some of their opponents.
What would have the result of the 1951 National League pennant race if the New York Giants hadn’t stolen the opposition’s signs by unapproved methods?
In 1947, Ted Williams finished within one point of MVP winner Joe DiMaggio in the balloting, but one Boston writer left him off the ballot. Even a ninth place vote would have given Williams the award.
Albert Pujols has accomplished his feats without cheating. Those who attempt to denigrate his accomplishments quickly shut up because it is impossible to substantiate anything negative.
Albert Pujols’ own statement magnificently explains the man and many in the media who can’t stand players such as Derek Jeter and Albert Pujols.
“I can understand why people don’t know who they can trust or their hero was caught. I want to be the guy people look up to. But I want to be the person who represents God, represents my family and represents the Cardinals the right way.
“So many people can’t wait until I do something negative. I can’t understand it.”
If Bud Selig cared about baseball and wasn’t concerned with getting fans to forget the steroid problem, he would give Pujols the MVP Award he earned.