The Pecan Park Eagle

Once Upon a Time, in a Deep Purple Blue Funk, There Lived a Young Prince Named Albert. ...

There once was a prince – named Albert Skidoo,

Who took the big money – to the west coast he flew,

Higher than a Cardinal – with new Angel wings,

He soared toward the sunset – and beautiful things

– that, so far – have not come even close to his grasp.

What has happened to Albert Pujols?

No, check that question. There is no past tense to it. What IS happening to Albert Pujols?

The 12-season veteran from the National League took the money over the winter in preference to a most certain future ordination as one of the two greatest Career Cardinals of All Time. He even rolled out the “nothing personal, but baseball is a business” explanation in a no chance attempt to quell the disappointment of adoring St. Cardinal fans in his decision to leave and join the Los Angeles Angels at Anaheim by Way of Pismo Beach (or whatever).

Nothing worked on the understanding for Albert side. Cardinal fans discarded their Pujols #5 jerseys. St. Louis retailers gave away or trashed their unsold stock of Pujols memorabilia. Everything the St. Louis people did, they did  in extreme negative reaction to Pujols’ abandonment of them.

Yes, that’s how it felt in St. Louis, and it was expected.

What wasn’t expected was the 2012 MLS season starting gate performance of Albert Pujols in the American League. The man went over there with a career batting average of .327, a slugging percentage of .612, and a total of 445 career home runs.

And what has Prince Albert done in his first 94 plate appearances? Well. he’s walked 6 times and then hammered out 88 times at bat that have counted heavily against his batting average. Everyday, he floats closer and closer to a waltz with Senor Mendoza of the metaphorically famous .200 line land of lost, never were, and no longer are – hitters and sluggers of the baseball.

As an Angel in 2012, through games of Sunday, April 29th, Albert Pujols has 19 hits 88 official times at bat and a batting average of .216. Only 7 of his 19 hits were for extra bases and these were all doubles. That’s right. – Pujols has no triples and NO HOME RUNS. – NADA! His .295 slugging average isn’t even half the size of his .612 lifetime mark and his 7 runs scored and 4 runs batted in are hardly anything either to write home about.

Yeah, I know. Baseball’s a long season and things can change for a talent like Pujols on a dime, but the question remains: What’s wrong with Prince Albert? I have no idea, but I’m dispassionately overwhelmed by a range of possibilities.

Do the American League pitchers have a better book on Albert than their NL brothers – one that’s that much better?

Did Albert develop a mechanical hitch that someone in St. Louis could have helped him correct when that person was available?

Is it mental? Is Pujols hurting his own recovery by putting pressure on himself that takes away his ability to “get well.”

Is Albert suffering from, or covering up, an injury or personal issue that affects his daily performance?

Does Albert regret leaving the Cardinals?

Did Pujols suddenly fall off the age clock cliff and lose his ability to play the game at his old level?

I don’t know. – What do you think? – And please leave a comment as a response to this column.