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Readers of the Zealot probably know that despite my Cub fandom, Albert Pujols is one of my favorite players in the MLB. 

I just read something that made me like him even more. 

He’s been chosen as St Louis nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award.  And that’s not the only reason for my newfound respect for him.  It’s his understanding of Clemente and who he was.  Too many players these days, have no clue who their predecessors were nor do they really care. 

Not Pujols.  He gives a crap. 

“He was a great player, but he was a better person off the field,” said Pujols, who is the Cardinals’ nominee for the 2005 Roberto Clemente Award. “There were so many things that he did, not only for Latin America, but everybody that needed help. He has a good reputation that he did a lot of great things through his career. It’s too bad it was cut short.

“He was just a great person. I wish he was alive right now because I’m pretty sure he would be enriching those people right now who really need help. That’s what’s good about it, that we learn about it. He opened those doors to us, to reach those people out there that need our help. That’s what I’m trying to do, follow in his footsteps.”

 

I’d like to see more players with that kind of understanding of the players who came before them.  As for why he his being nominated:

 

Pujols is actively involved with the Down Syndrome Association of Greater St. Louis, heading up several fundraisers. This year will be the fourth year that he kicks off the “Buddy Walk” at Busch Stadium, and he will catch a ceremonial first pitch from a participant. Remarkably, every year to date, Pujols has hit a home run the day of the Buddy Walk.

This year, however, the slugger has taken it to another plane. He and his wife, Deidre, established the Pujols Family Foundation, which has the stated mission “to live and share our commitment to faith, family and others.” For the time being, the foundation has set its sights on the St. Louis area, but it has long-term plans to make its presence felt in Pujols’ native Dominican Republic as well.

 The Pujols Family Foundation’s first fundraiser, a golf tournament, was held June 9 at Missouri Bluffs Golf Club in St. Charles, Mo. In addition, Pujols has pledged to build a baseball stadium in the Dominican Republic, and has recorded public service announcements for Down Syndrome Association and for Special Olympics.

Pujols has donated $52,500 to the Down Syndrome Association, $20,000 to Zoe Ministries and $20,000 to West County Community Church from awards that he received over the past few years, including the National League’s Outstanding Player Award and the NL Rookie of the Year Award back in 2001.

Each year, Pujols joins his teammates in delivering teddy bears to young fans at Cardinal Glennon Hospital. Each player purchases teddy bears from the St. Louis-based Build-A-Bear Workshop stores and autographs specially made Cardinals T-shirts for the bears to wear as they are handed out to young fans at the hospital.

A cynic would say that a man with his means should give back to his community and it shouldn’t be a big deal.  But the sad fact is many don’t.  And it seems to me Pujols is going above and beyond the norm. 

Nice going, AP.

 

 

 

On a somber note, the good people who have been affected by Hurricane Katrina need your help.  A lot of positive talk has been put forth in the media regarding the cleanup but a lot of people are still in need who are not getting help. 

For those Zealot readers who live in the Champaign-Urbana area, there is a drop-off area on Mattis two blocks north of Bradley in Champaign.  They are collecting canned and dry food goods as well as toiletries that will be shipped down to relocated victims in Mississippi to those that really need it.  They will be collecting goods on Wednesday and Thursday from 11am-2pm and 5-8pm. 

(A big hat tip to TLC Trucking who is not only donating a truck but the driver to transport it)

For those outside the C-U area, it won’t take too much investigating to find a local support effort going on.  Get involved!  Donate your time and goods.  If there isn’t anything going on, start up your own local support effort.  It’s amazing what one or two people can do.

Finally, one easy way to help is to donate to the Red Cross.  I’ve put a banner in my sidebar. 

Thanks.

For those who didn’t catch it, MSNBC’s Chris Matthews dropped the ball when interviewing Texas Gov. Rick Perry when asking about the Astrodome, which was being used to temporarily house people displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

This comes from The Political Teen:

MATTHEWS: Small point, I don’t mean to be whimsical but at this time it wouldn’t hurt for a little whimsy. How did you get the Astros out of their ballpark?

GOV. PERRY: Well they’re playing at a place called Minutemaid, not the Astrodome.

MATTHEWS: Oh really?

GOV. PERRY: Welcome to this year in baseball.

Hehe… love that last line.

 

My family and I went to see the opening game of the University of Illinois women’s softball season.  They faced the cross-town Parkland Cobras.  The energy was already high at Eichelberger Field when we got there in the third inning as the Illini were already up 5-0. 

I have to admit up front, this is my first UI softball game.  Never made it to a game last year.  After last night’s game, I see what I was missing.

 

Starting pitcher Kacey Coonce had her stuff going allowing only 3 hits and no runs in 5 innings.  She also went 2 for 3 with 2 runs and 2 rbis.

 

Yeah, she’s big and burly… that’s Jenna Hall, last year’s All Big Ten selection for firstbase.  And in case you’re wondering why…

…I think the look on the Parkland catcher says it all.  She’s watching the ball that Hall hit clear the right-centerfield fence. 

I enjoyed watching Hall.  She’s definitely a team leader, giving teammates encouragement, watching the game, always part of the action.  As for her performance, she was 3 for 3, with a homerun, double and 3 rbis.  Good job, Jenna.

Jackelyn Diekemper came in relief with a 9-run lead.  She had a rough inning allowing 3 runs but I have to say she was fun to watch pitch.  She had a hard, fast pitch but was a bit off with her control last night.

As  it goes with two little ones, we had to leave early so we missed the 5 run sixth inning by the Illini.  Brooke Buzard shut down the Cobras in the final inning.  Final score:  Illini 14  Cobras 3

Congrats team!

 

San Diego catcher Miguel Olivo’s strange night began with the Colorado Rockies leading 4-0 over the Padres in the 7th inning of last night’s game. Olivo’s attempted pickoff of Cory Sullivan, who had walked to open the frame, skipped past firstbaseman Robert Fick, and went into the rightfield corner. Todd Helton walked and Matt Holliday hit a sacrifice fly to leftfielder Ryan Klesko. Klesko’s throw was up the firstbase line. Miguel fielded the throw, walked toward home, and flipped the ball to a bat boy near the Padres dugout rather than returning it to the pitcher. Helton was waved in from secondbase. The Padres lost the game 6-5, dropping their record to 68-69, which is the latest a division leader had a losing record.

Three veteran major leaguers who at one point were all locks for the Hall, made the news recently. 

Barry Bonds

It’s reported that Barry Bonds while he may report with the Giants sometime soon, it won’t be today.  According to ESPN:

 Bonds, whose workout with the San Francisco Giants on Monday in Los Angeles included taking batting practice and testing his throwing arm, was re-evaluated Tuesday morning, ESPN’s Pedro Gomez reports. But Giants general manager Brian Sabean told ESPN’s Karl Ravech that Bonds will not be activated for Tuesday’s game against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Sabean told Ravech that Bonds will not suit up because Bonds has yet to be medically cleared to run the bases.

I’m going to have to take a *yawn* on this one.  When I read the headline, Bonds Will Not Be Activated Tuesday, that tells me nothing new.  I’m not getting too terribly excited about hearing that Bonds is not going to play.

Rafael Palmeiro

Palmeiro is being sent home to heal his ankle and knee problems and he is pondering his 2006 plans.  Quoth the Oriole management:

 ”It is in his and the Orioles’ best interests for Palmeiro to stay off the knee as much as possible to allow it to heal completely,” the team said in statement. “At the same time, remaining with the team while unable to play has created an unnecessary distraction for both Palmeiro and the ballclub.”

Translation:  “It is in the Orioles best interests that he stay as far away from Camden Yards and not come back.  We don’t want him here.” 

Ken Griffey Jr.

I truly felt bad when Junior got injured.  He’s played his heart out this year.  It’s my contention that despite what others might say, he is a legit HOF candidate.  He’s had the misfortune of having a few injury-laden years in the autumn in his career which tends to downplay a player’s value (perhaps unfairly).  I feel that this season was doing a lot to revive his candidacy among the skeptics.

Griffey and the Reds both say he’ll be back this season.  I hope he will.  And not just because he’s on my APBA team either.

 

 

‘Nuff said.

 

According to FoxSports, the Baseball Hall of Fame has been offered Barry Bonds’ 700th homerun ball.

But they’re not taking it.

The current owner is Sportsbook.com, an online gambling operation who bought the ball for $102,000.  Though they would give the ball with no strings attached, the HOF isn’t interested according to HOF spokesperson Jeff Idelson,

 ”The Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum will never accept an artifact from any company whose business is promoting gambling,” Idelson said. “We have a responsibility to preserve the game’s history.

“We would not intentionally compromise its integrity when there are other ways to tell the history of this milestone,” he said.

Some might think “What’s the big deal?  Take the ball.”  But I understand the position the HOF is taking.  If anyone thinks that Sportsbook.com won’t use this to their advantage is being naive.  The HOF needs to maintain the integrity of the game (or at least maintain the facade of such) by not associating or assisting gambling organizations. 

Shoot, if they did that, they would have to let Pete Rose in, wouldn’t they?

 

Jeremy Hermida hit a Grand Slam home run in his first major league at bat in the 7th inning of last night’s game for the Florida Marlins. It was the first time since April 21st, 1896 that this feat was accomplished. A pitcher by the name of William “Frosty Bill” Duggleby did it then for Philadelphia against the New York Giants. With a nickname like that you’d think he could play for DonS’ APBA team, or at least go out drinking with him, or possibly be a member of his bowling team. Barry Bonds is the only other player in the history of the game to hit a Grand Salami in his first game in the majors.

Although it’s not been nearly as long ago as 1896, on Tuesday AROD became the first righthanded hitter to hit forty home runs as a New York Yankee. Alex Rodriguez’ numbers thus far are 40 homers, 105 RBIs, & a .320 batting average. These are the numbers expected from the highest paid player in the game today. Joe Di Maggio hit 46 home runs for the Bronx Bombers in 1937.