Breathe, Angels fans: not physical pain. They say money isn’t everything. Surely there are plenty of unhappy billionaires in the world, but that doesn’t mean we have to feel sorry for them. Albert Pujols just inked a contract that guarantees him $245 million over the next ten years of his life. Most of us would cut off a finger for that type of financial security, but his former coach says Pujols is not completely satisfied with his life.
According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, former Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said Pujols has been “in pain” since he decided to sign with the Angels.
“I know it was a painful decision and it pains him now,” La Russa said. “He deserves what he got. He earned it. There’s no bad guy here. I think the Cardinals went where they thought they should go. If they can’t go farther, they shouldn’t. I believe in Albert’s case he was disappointed there wasn’t more enthusiasm from the Cardinals. The (Miami) Marlins came at him hard and then here comes Anaheim. I think that the Cardinals were being careful.”
If the things Deidre Pujols said earlier in the week are true, it is plausible that Pujols could be hurt by the lack of aggression the Cardinals showed in trying to retain him. That being said, the guy just made a quarter of a billion dollars. La Russa obviously has a great relationship with both Pujols and the Cardinals organization, so he has no choice but to tread lightly. Pain or no pain, Pujols shouldn’t expect any sympathy from the people who have turned his jersey into a money symbol.
Fist pound to Hardball Talk for passing the story along.
