Disappointed in Pujols...

[xpress34]

Re: Disappointed in Pujols...

its not the money that does that, its the adoration of the fans and the fact that they pretty much have everything done for them which gives them all a super inflated ego.

Nail on the Head!

An example... Coors Field quit letting cabs drive in out back two years ago (after the infamous 'shoe bomber' incident on an airliner. (They say it's not racist - most of the cabbies in Denver are Muslim - but I digress)

Anyway, there have been players who have gotten out of the cab, asked the gate attendant to call someone, told the small group (usually LESS than 10 people) out back who are TRUE autograph seekers (The Dealers here stick to the hotels) that they 'don't have time' to sign right now while they just stand there for 5 to 10 minutes waiting for the cart to come pick them up. The funniest part is they are pro ATHLETES and the walk would have taken them less than 3 minutes to make!!!

If you don't want to sign, just say it and be honest - don't insult my intelligence with some BS excuse... as an example, a couple of years ago Lastings Milledge told us he couldn't sign because his 'balls hurt'... Aaron Rowand told us his hands were full (he had a rolling bag and a newspaper) while another player was signing for us with two bags and a cup of coffee... oh yeah, I've heard about every excuse.

That said, do I think players OWE me an autograph - absolutely not. BUT, I do deserve - at a minimum - to be treated with respect and as a human being. Anyone that knows me will tell you that I have dumped entire collections of a player after seeing how they interact with fans if they are a complete douche.

Sorry for the 'off-topic' rant, but had to get t out there...

- Smitty

[rj_lucas]

Re: Disappointed in Pujols...

Griff -

I posted that MLB has announced that NO 2011 Team Signed WS Champion Balls would be made available due to Pujols fee making the ball 'cost prohibitive'.

Your comments appear to be based on a rumor tweeted by Darren Rovell, which was based on a rumor not attributed to a source. Rovell has since removed the tweet from his account and is currently backpeddling in response to criticism:

#darrenrovell
"For any1 who thinks I have issues attributing to original sources, I challenge you to go back through all my tweets." (November 6)

I've read posts from you in the past and you strike me as a bright guy. Too bright to put stock in 162-character rumors based on rumors.

If you've stated everything as your opinion, I take no issue with it. But if you're characterizing this as reported fact, I respectfully challenge you to support your statements with verifiable, original attribution.

[godwulf]

Re: Disappointed in Pujols...

I'm embarrassed by the players who seem to exude the attitude that they're too good to sign autographs, or that they can't bring themselves to give their sig away; at the same time, I'm even more embarrassed at the guys (it's almost always guys) who show up at Fall League, ST, Instructional League games, etc, with big binders full of cards and want a player to sign 10-40 of the same card. I actually admire the players who, so confronted, will say, "Just two" or "Just five". Those greedy dealers make it very difficult for somebody's who is just trying to get a single baseball or a photo signed, and the players who are really nice about it, and actually stand there and sign all those cards, are just enabling the behavior.

Sorry for the somewhat off-topic rant. Back on-topic: If someone like Pujols wants to start charging three figures for his signature at some point down the road, when he's retired and not making millions, more power to him. People are going to be wanting his autograph twenty years from now, I'm sure. But while he's an active player, he should be signing at every opportunity, for his fans, just like players have been doing since the game went pro 150 years ago. During DBacks ST, the players are scheduled, for a couple of hours a week, to sign items for the team to contribute to charities, and no one is exempt.

Incidentally, an early report on a young player's signing propensities: Anthony Gose, who will almost certainly be a Major Leaguer in the next year or two - definitely one of the "too good to sign" variety. I stood right next to his mother the other day, and couldn't get him to come over.

[OaklandAsFan]

Re: Disappointed in Pujols...

its not the money that does that, its the adoration of the fans and the fact that they pretty much have everything done for them which gives them all a super inflated ego.

[momen55]

Re: Disappointed in Pujols...

when we had REAL ballplayers, they got paid pennies and signed all day and free.
now these overpaid babies have to charge for a chicken scratch on a ball! this society has gone to hell in a handbasket. i make 20M a year, but i still want $500 for my sig on a ball or photo or whatever. on reason why i don't collect this crap and never will. the ones that like to spend money on this stuff are the ones that keep it going.
not a ballplayer, but walter payton made a lot of money and still signed for free, at least the times i saw him. he signed for me at one of his night clubs i was at and was happy to do so. too much money has made these dummies think they are better than everyone else. $&*%$%.

[flota89]

Re: Disappointed in Pujols...

Has anyone considered that Albert chooses to charge so much because the money goes to a good cause? Albert uses revenue from his signings and other auctions to help his Pujols Family Foundation in many cases. He knows the market ... and he knows that the more he signs and the cheaper he signs the less he will get in the future. There are two sides to every story. I couldn't really care less if he signs autographs. Most "fans" choose to bash him for ridiculous reasons anyway.

[yankees506]

Re: Disappointed in Pujols...

id be weary of any "team" signed items that arent mlb authenticated, if albert is this uptight about his auto i doubt he'd be signing team signed balls through the back door. both balls here are questionable imo

[xpress34]

Re: Disappointed in Pujols...

The team ball posted is not authentic. That is not a real Pujols signature.

Griff -

That's kind of my point.

I posted that MLB has announced that NO 2011 Team Signed WS Champion Balls would be made available due to Pujols fee making the ball 'cost prohibitive'.

So far, the only two 'team signed WS balls' to surface are questionable at best and both are on unknown sites.

None of the major players have made a 2011 WS Champion Team Signed ball available for sale...

- Smitty

[Griffey24fan]

Re: Disappointed in Pujols...

The team ball posted is not authentic. That is not a real Pujols signature.

[xpress34]

Re: Disappointed in Pujols...

Spotlight Authentics

Hell, even this site doesn't mention if more than ONE is available.

As of right now, a VERIFIABLE StL Cardinals 2011 WS TEAM SIGNED Ball w/ Pujols has not been made available by any of the major distributors:

• Steiner
• MLB
• Mounted Memories

- Smitty

[xpress34]

Re: Disappointed in Pujols...

Guess you heard wrong, huh?

RJ - just saw your posting for the auction site. And based on the fact you have an auction for ONE ball that someone got signed, I did NOT hear wrong.

What I am talking about is that the StL Cardinals themselves and MLB will NOT be making Team signed WS Balls available in BULK - not a SINGLE ball that someone has up on an auction.

Nowhere on the site you linked does it say that more than ONE ball is available.

Webstore is basically another version of eBay so this does NOT disprove the report.

- Smitty

[rj_lucas]

Re: Disappointed in Pujols...

I'm still waiting for RJ Lucas to reveal the site he found the team signed ball on. For all we know, he got the ball signed IP during the series? The picture alone that he provided doesn't prove anything.

http://www.webstore.com/2011-St-Louis-Cardinals-Team-Signed-World-Series-Baseball-,name,12488956,auction_id,auction_details

[xpress34]

Re: Disappointed in Pujols...

The email was confusing, I went to the site it appears that they are single signed balls signed by select players. They have Frese and Pujols on WS balls. Albert is going for 499 dollars. Here is the link if anyone is interested: http://www.steinersports.com/albert-...-baseball.html

LE -

That's CHEAP. Single signed Pujols WS balls on MLB done through Mounted Memories are $750!!!

- Smitty

[legaleagle92481]

Re: Disappointed in Pujols...

Then maybe they think they will sell... what was their $$$ on the preorders?

This information was put out by MLB Network yesterday and has legs on the web, so maybe the preorders will be cancelled. I guess we will have to wait and see.

I'm just reporting what I heard and read like so many others do on this site...

All the best -

Smitty

The email was confusing, I went to the site it appears that they are single signed balls signed by select players. They have Frese and Pujols on WS balls. Albert is going for 499 dollars. Here is the link if anyone is interested: http://www.steinersports.com/albert-...-baseball.html

[xpress34]

Re: Disappointed in Pujols...

I don't know who to believe in this one. That site has the balls for sale, and this looks like Albert is just asking for his standard autograph fee. I wish I could get $250 to sign my name...

http://www.businessinsider.com/cardi...-money-2011-11

Slam -

I'm sure that figure is his normal fee if he is doing a Private Signing, but my guess would be that he 'upped the ante' after they won the WS, thus making the ball 'cost prohibitive'.

I'm sorry, I don't care whose on the ball, no modern team WS ball is worth $2,0000.00.

For $2,000.00 I can buy certified VINTAGE WS and Team balls loaded with HOFers on them. Just my .02.

Smitty