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The Candidates
Baseball is a different sport, and could be exactly why I love it the most. There isn't really one position that dominates the game. It is one of the only sports that incorporates
all out team play. It's true. In basketball, a player like LeBron James can dominate the whole game and score as much as he wants, and lead his team to victory.Nonetheless, let's round down the candidates, shall we?
Let's take the game's biggest stars now. There's Tim Lincecum, but he hasn't even been around for half the decade. Cross him off the list. You could include Johan Santana, and he would probably be somewhere in the top 25, but he's not even top 5 worth. There's Roy Halladay, and he's probably the closest pitcher to it, but he hasn't been consistent enough considered.
There are two men who cross my mind. They're probably one of the 2 people that comes to your mind when the word baseball is used. They are Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols.
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The Statistics (courtesy of Sporting News)
Albert Pujols: .334 batting average, 366 home-runs, 1106 RBIs, 59 stolen bases
Alex Rodriguez: .304 batting average, 432 home-runs, 1232 RBIs, 176 stolen bases
It's obvious that Alex Rodriguez has been the better power hitter of the decade than Albert Pujols, beating him by 66 home-runs and 226 RBIs. One thing however, that his hidden in the stats, is that Albert Pujols has hit 30 home-runs, 100 RBIs, and a .300 batting average for each of the past 9 seasons. That is truly a great feat.
Albert Pujols: 2 MVPs, 1 championship title
Alex Rodriguez: 3 MVPs, 1 championship title (Sporting News did not include it because the article was written before the championship won by the Yankees)
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The Verdict
It is without question that both of these players are baseball's elite. Night in and night out, these two provide shows for audiences watching. They both play power baseball. They both have a competitive spirit. However, it isn't Players of the Decade, it is Player Of The Decade.
So, with that being said, I crown baseball's Player Of The Decade to St. Louis Cardinals' first baseman, Albert Pujols. There are a couple of reasons as to why I made this decision.
First of all, I do realize that Alex's numbers are pretty lobsided, but Alex Rodriguez hasn't hit 30 home runs, 100 RBI's, and .300 every season for the decade. Albert Pujols did. That just goes to show his all-around playing ability, which can go further than just hitting it out of the park. Secondly, and which I think is a huge reason, is that professional athletes have to control their antics outside their playing venues. Whether it be off the court, the field, or turf, they have to keep their composure. We've seen many that have fallen under the public microscope, like Allen Iverson, Plaxico Burress, Michael Vick, and the latest one, Tiger Woods. Albert Pujols, throughout his time in the majors, has always kept out of things that help athletes lose fans, interest, and sponsorships. Alex Rodriguez has been caught in a steroid scandal, and has always been under the public eye, mostly for the bad.
So, let it be known, that Albert Pujols has been the best MLB player this past decade.
The Verdict
It is without question that both of these players are baseball's elite. Night in and night out, these two provide shows for audiences watching. They both play power baseball. They both have a competitive spirit. However, it isn't Players of the Decade, it is Player Of The Decade.
So, with that being said, I crown baseball's Player Of The Decade to St. Louis Cardinals' first baseman, Albert Pujols. There are a couple of reasons as to why I made this decision.
First of all, I do realize that Alex's numbers are pretty lobsided, but Alex Rodriguez hasn't hit 30 home runs, 100 RBI's, and .300 every season for the decade. Albert Pujols did. That just goes to show his all-around playing ability, which can go further than just hitting it out of the park. Secondly, and which I think is a huge reason, is that professional athletes have to control their antics outside their playing venues. Whether it be off the court, the field, or turf, they have to keep their composure. We've seen many that have fallen under the public microscope, like Allen Iverson, Plaxico Burress, Michael Vick, and the latest one, Tiger Woods. Albert Pujols, throughout his time in the majors, has always kept out of things that help athletes lose fans, interest, and sponsorships. Alex Rodriguez has been caught in a steroid scandal, and has always been under the public eye, mostly for the bad.
So, let it be known, that Albert Pujols has been the best MLB player this past decade.
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