So I’m sure you’ve heard by now, but Buster Olney reported on ESPN.com that the Phillies had internal discussions about trading for Albert Pujols.
Of course they did. No sarcasm. I bet every team has had internal discussions about trading for Albert Pujols at some point or another. They probably go something like this:
“Wouldn’t it be cool if we could trade for Albert Pujols?”
Then they end, because they’re unfeasible and because wishcasting will get you nowhere in a Major League front office.
If Pujols did somehow end up on the Phillies in a massively lopsided swap for Ryan Howard, I’d leave the country. No sarcasm there, either.
True story: When my fiance (now wife) was applying to medical school, I was happy to move to anyplace she wanted to go, with only two rules. 1) There had to be a Major League team there. 2) Not Philadelphia.
If Pujols wound up with the Phillies, punishing the Mets some 19 times a year, I’m out. That’s just too much to bear. I can go blog about baseball in Japan or Mexico or Australia or the Netherlands.
Anyway, the rumor seems to have really riled up the Phillies and Cardinals, and produced a couple of telling quotes about and from Albert Pujols:
“I see Albert today and he’s exactly like he always is.” – Tony La Russa.
That sounds about right. Albert Pujols strode into Cardinals’ camp that morning exactly like he always is: completely and utterly awesome. I imagine he showed up prepared to hit about .330 with an OBP around .430 and a .650 slugging while playing excellent defense. You know, “exactly like he always is.”
“There’s people, stupid, that like to write something when it’s not the truth.” – Albert Pujols.
I believe, Buster Olney, that Albert Pujols just called you stupid. That… sucks. One time Willie Randolph yelled at me, but I’m really glad I’ve never had one of the top 10 hitters in the history of baseball call me stupid.
That might make me leave the country, too.
Tedquarters 
Why did Willie Randolph yell at you? And didnt you almost get kicked off the field at Shea once for yelling things at Steve Phillips?
The Phillips thing is two separate stories — I did yell all sorts of nasty things at him as a fan, while he was out on the field and I had moved up to the front row during a rain delay in Jason Jennings’ ridiculous Major League debut way back when, and was merely tempted to yell things at him recently, when I was on the field and credentialed and he was there for Baseball Tonight.
Willie yelled at me because I baited him in a postgame press conference. It was early 2007 and I was working on a story about how Jose Reyes was walking more, and Reyes struck out looking to end the game. So I asked Willie if he’d like to see Reyes take a more aggressive approach in that spot, hoping he’d say no and praise Reyes for his patience so I could get a good quote for my story.
Instead, he blew up at me, asking me how I expected him to tell Jose Reyes how to hit, and saying he didn’t understand the question, and making me feel like quite a schmuck. To be fair, I shouldn’t have tried to lead him like that, but on the other hand, I’m sure he knew exactly what I meant by the question. I was terrified, though. Didn’t ask him another question for the remainder of his tenure.
Wow, Willie Randolph went gangsta on you.
My inside sources tell me the Mets internally discussed trading Pujols for Chris Carter and a sex tape of Steve Phillips and his mistress. BAM! You heard it here first.
Yes I was reffering to the time you were credentialed and on the field. I think you wrote about it once in a column.
Good job Ted.
Oh yes the Yankees, love the team or hate them, that team is good. I do miss Joe Torre though. Thank you for Derek Jeter. Not a huge Arod fan however