Pujols is certainly a heads-up player. "I'm on third. No outs. Down one run. Ninth inning. Weak grounder to third baseman. Hey, the NL's MVP is gonna run to home."
Who I feel sorry for is Edmonds. What would his numbers be if he could camp out at first base like Pujols? Instead he destroys his body diving for balls.
Another thing about Pujols is all his finger-pointing to the sky after a base hit or run scored. Of course it's preferable to Satanism or something, but it seems all the Latin players have to cross themselves and appeal to Jesus Cristo in the most elaborate ways.
And I don't think it's religion really, rather an expression of ethnicity. Think of all the really religious White players; J.D. Drew, Pettite, Ensburg, etc. They manage to play without constant petitions and acknowledgements to the Lord.
It seems the Astros have a better chemistry. Nothing to do with a lack of Black players or anything.
Did you see the interview with Clemens when he talked about his mother's last day? She really knew baseball and mentioned Shoeless Joe Jackson three times. You know, the White Sox player with Hall of Fame stats who will never be considered for the Hall of Fame. If only he had played in the Negro Leagues, or been a steroid  ;-jockey from Cuba like Palmeiro.
But he was illiterate. From the South. Victimized by Arnold Rothstein. Let's move on.
In a way it's all come full circle. How did teams win way back when? Being smart, taking advantage of mistakes. Paying attention. Thinking.
My theory is heavily-minority teams simply don't think very much. Even when speaking English no one speaks the same language as Blacks, Whites, Asians, and Latins haveradically different ways of seeing the world. Things must be kept simple and criticism-free.
