COMMENTARY

By Sean Deveney

updated 12:04 a.m. ET May 19, 2006

Sean Deveney

Truth is, Albert Pujols just can't take a compliment. Toss aside every stunning feat, every head-scratching chapter of the prodigious Pujols legend: his migration from the Dominican Republic to New York (where, legend has it, he witnessed a murder) to Independence, Mo., his mastery of English after about 212 days of study (or, maybe, a year; legend's memory is always fuzzy), his storming the big leagues after one minor league season, the fact he's the only player in history to start his career with five 30-homer seasons, that he is the reigning MVP and that he set the major league record for homers in April (14).

Forget that he's humble, hardworking and has tornado-speed hands and a chest like the hood of a Buick to go with his intense faith in God and love of family.

Sounds like bliss to you and me, but Pujols didn't make it to best in the game on bliss. No, no — he got here because of dissatisfaction. He got here because no matter how often his ability and place in history are confirmed, he never stops being driven by the negative.

Last October 20, one day after the Cardinals were eliminated from the NLCS, Pujols was on the phone with Chris Mihlfeld, a Kansas City trainer who works with Pujols in the offseason. "Chris," he said, "we need to work on my situational hitting." Situational hitting? Pujols had just finished a season in which he hit .329 with runners in scoring position.

"But that's Albert," Mihlfeld says. "He is always going to find a reason to be unhappy with his game because he believes if he does not do that he's going to level off. He doesn't want to level off."

Hard to say what would be wrong with leveling off at Pujols' numbers over his first five seasons: He hit .332 with an average of 40 home runs and 124 RBIs. But Pujols wanted to be a better situational hitter, so he made that a focus of his offseason.

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Through his first 36 games, Pujols was batting — ahem — .548 with runners in scoring position, tops in the league. Last Saturday, despite already collecting two hits with runners on, and despite a 9-1 Cardinals lead, Pujols slammed both his helmet and bat to the turf after striking out with the bases loaded in the seventh inning. "He doesn't want to give at-bats away," manager Tony La Russa says. "He has a tough mind-set on every at-bat."

That toughness on himself might yield another MVP trophy — and perhaps more. When the week started, Pujols was hitting .341 (tied for third in the N.L) and led the game in home runs (19), RBIs (47), runs (39) and slugging percentage (.854). He was on pace for 140 walks, 83 homers and 206 RBIs. He also has elevated his defense to a Gold Glove level by committing no errors in his first 36 games.

Such talent turns opponents into comedians. "Hope he gets hit in the ankle the series before you see him," is one scout's advice on how to deal with Pujols. "Make sure the two guys in front of him have the most miserable nights in their offensive careers," was Pirates manager Jim Tracy's suggestion.

La Russa, it seems, has gone dry on Pujols adjectives and lets a head shake and a heavy sigh finish this thought: "He gets base hits in the first inning, the third, the fifth, the seventh, eighth, ninth. This guy is. . . . what this guy is doing is. . . ."

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What this guy is doing, however historic, is unimpressive to the guy himself. Informed Saturday night that he became the fastest player to 19 home runs in history, Pujols might as well have been told that fire hydrants are red. "Who cares?" he said.

"We won the game. I don't play for records." It was remarkably similar to his reaction after he knocked his 1,000th hit in April: "It's 1,000 hits. Now I've got 1,001. I've got to keep going." After winning the MVP last year, he said, "I don't get caught up in all this. Then you start taking things for granted."

Pujols, 26, is gruff and short with the media, and it's not until you understand this maniacal aversion to compliments that it all makes sense. Most of us in the media want tidbits, insight and secrets of the success of athletes. Why would Pujols want to sit around and discuss what makes him so good if what makes him so good is the certainty that he needs to get better?

That certainty is deep-rooted, says Marty Kilgore, who recruited Pujols to Maple Woods Community College in Kansas City. (Mihlfeld left to work in the minor leagues before Pujols' only college season.) A chunk of the Pujols legend was crafted at Maple Woods in 1999. He had met his future wife, Deidre, while still at Fort Osage High in Independence and was looking for the fastest path to the big leagues without leaving the area.

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