It’s an honor that is no surprise to us at Aaron Miles’ Fastball!
Albert Pujols was named National League Player of the Week today for his stellar performance last week.
Albert Pujols won N.L. Player of the Week honors today.
According to a press release from MLB, Pujols received the honor for his work between May 31 and June 5. During that time, Albert scored 11 run and had 10 RBI, five home runs and two stolen bases.
The press release states:
In seven games last week, Pujols hit .444 (12-for-27) and was tops in the Majors with five home runs, a 1.074 slugging percentage, 29 total bases and 11 runs scored while his 10 RBI ranked second.
Pujols was also tied for the N.L. lead in hits (12) and walks (5), and had the third-highest on-base percentage (.545). The nine-time All-Star, who currently leads all N.L. first baseman in voting for the 2011 All-Star Game had five multi-hit performances during the week and factored heavily in the four wins for the N.L. Central-leading Cardinals.
On May 31st, Pujols clubbed an RBI double and scored the game-tying run in the bottom of the eighth as the Cardinals edged the defending World Champion San Francisco Giants, 4-3 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. In the first game of a three-game set with the division-rival Cubs on June 3rd, “The Machine” went 2-for-3 with two RBI and hit his 100th-career Busch Stadium home run in a 6-1 rout.
On Saturday, Pujols collected four RBI and homered twice, including a game-winning walk-off blast in the bottom of the 12th inning to deliver a 5-4 victory for the hometown Cardinals. The Dominican Republic native clubbed his second consecutive walk-off home run in Sunday’s series finale, leading-off the bottom of the 10th inning with a 446-foot blast to break a 2-2 tie.
The big fly, which was Pujols’ 10th-career game-ending homer, marked the first time that a National Leaguer has hit walk-off home runs in consecutive games since Chicago’s Ron Santo in 1966. The 31-year-old is currently ranked second in the N.L. with 42 runs scored this season while his 13 homers are tied for third. This marks his 11th career N.L. Player of the Week Award and his first since June 21, 2009.
Yes! Albert is back!
If you don’t believe, the Post-Dispatch staffers debate it here.
Here’s a blog from Bernie Miklasz about Albert and what he means to the Cards.
Aaron Miles' Fastball 
His first Player of the Week honor in two years? I know it’s true, but doesn’t that strike anyone else as a little hard to believe?
If Albert truly is back, and the Cardinals get back a healthy Matt Holliday and Lance Berkman, and later, a healthy David Freese, along with what Allen Craig and Colby Rasmus are capable of doing, the Brewers will be of absolutely no concern.
It is hard to believe!
I can’t wait for a healthy Holliday, Berkman and Freese! The Brew Crew won’t matter… as they shouldn’t!