Albert Pujols Hugs Chicago Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols shares a hug
 with Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry prior to
 Tuesday's game at Wrigley Field.  Is this a big deal? -
Photo courtesy of US News wires

Everybody knows that Albert Pujols is expected to be a free agent this winter.  It was highly publicized earlier this spring when the St. Louis Cardinals organization was unable to come to terms with their future Hall of Fame first baseman on a long term contract extension. 

So, national media members speculate weekly when the news wires are slow on where Pujols may land this off-season.  They question if the Cardinals are going to have the resources to sign Pujols to a long-term extension now that other teams will be able to compete for his services.

One of those teams is almost surely going to be the Chicago Cubs.  Everybody knows that Cubs owner Tom Ricketts is salivating about the idea of Pujols at Wrigley Field for 82 games a year.  A thought that is absolute nightmare for Cardinals fans. 

So you can understand that Cardinals fans and media members may get a little unnerved when they hear that Pujols shared an on-field, public hug with Cubs general manager Jim Hendry before Tuesday nights Cardinals victory.

So is it a big deal that the lifetime Cardinal is caught hugging the general manager of his team's bitter rival just six months prior to becoming a free agent?

Pujols doesn't think it is a big deal. 

"I figured that would happen, that they would play with it," Pujols said regarding the "hug".  "At the end, it's not what you do on the field. It's what kind of person you are off the field. That's the kind of relationship you want to build with somebody you respect. He's on the other side. I'm on our side. I just think it's kind of ridiculous. Three writers came and talked to me about that and the contract.  Are you serious? C'mon."

Pujols seems to have many friends in the game of baseball, both on and off the field.  You routinely see Pujols chatting with opposing players when they visit him at first base.  Pujols often acknowledges the opposing team's catcher in his first at bat of a series. 
 
So it is easy to make the case that Pujols, while a fierce competitor, also likes to be friendly on the field.  And evidently, with off field friends involved with baseball too. 
 
I do not personally feel like this is a big deal, but I do have to wonder why he would do it?  Haven't the Cardinals players tortured their fan base enough this season?  Between Pujols hugging the Baby Bears general manager, Ryan Theriot slamming the wardrobes of Cardinals fans, and Ryan Franklin bashing fans for booing, Cardinals players have really tried to stick it to the fan base. 

No wonder why it feels like Busch Stadium is not filled with as many fans as normal.  
 
Here is my final point. Pujols hugging Hendry really is not a big deal.  The only big deal regarding Pujols at this is that he is only hitting .266 on the season with just seven home runs.  Numbers that are certain to go up as the season progresses.
 
And when they do, Cardinals fans will quickly forget about the "hug."
 
Sources:

• Albert Pujols hugs Jim Hendry of the Chicago Cubs
• Albert Pujols 2011 stats
• Albert Pujols quote addressing "hug"

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