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Joe Buck made a statement that Albert is even more valuable in the clubhouse than on the field. With his work ethic and attitude I don't doubt that statement. He is really the glue that holds that team together. The Cardinals have FAR less talent than the Yankees and Red Sox.
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this is correct, but those who are not fortunate enough to follow the Cards have no idea
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i agree that the cardinals have far less talent than the red sox or yankees. i do not agree that pujols's effect on the clubhouse is worth 12 wins a season, unless he's the one who casts the voodoo on the cardinals, allowing their pitching to lead the league in
luck every year.
reading about how clubhouse chemistry causes teams to win reminds me of the argument that having your running back go for 100 yards is a critical ingredient in winning a football game. when a team wins, the clubhouse gets along a lot better. when a team is winning in football, they run more to chew up the clock. determining which is the cause and which is the effect is not rocket science.
i remember hearing reports of how milton bradley had turned himself around in 2004. as near as i can tell, the only difference is that the dodgers had a good year. a.j. pierzynski's rep as a clubhouse cancer suddenly disappeared last year. why?