Show Me The Money

Show of hands.

How many of you have gone out on a date with a girl.

Or a guy.

Even though you knew the relationship was already over.

Don’t lie.

You sit through the movie.

Or the dinner.

Or God forbid, the dinner AND movie.

Just to get to the happy (or not-so-happy) ending.

Listen, benefits is benefits.

I get it.

And so do the good people in Milwaukee and St. Louis.

But love is blind.

Even though everyone knows the break-up is right around the corner.

Baseball fans in those two cities are hoping for just one more fling.

A one-night-stand-up-double if you will.

Before the love of their life skips town.

I get it.

As long as something is in it for you.

I say go for it.

This is America.

And greed is good, right?

It is when you are one of the high-flyin first basemen in this year’s National League Championship Series.

Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder.

Both will be free agents when their season finally ends.

One the end of this week.

One right after that.

And with the end of this season comes the D word.

Divorce.

Dumping.

aDios.

Pick one.

It’s gonna happen.

The speech is already written.

“It’s not you, it’s me.”

And there’s nothing the fans in Milwaukee and St. Louis can do about it.

But cheer.

And drink beer.

In that order.

Pujols and Fielder are both great players.

Both are having a great post-season.

And both are on the verge of becoming public enemy #2 and #2A in the sports world.

Nobody will ever beat LeBron.

Except the Mavericks.

Fred Durst may have done it for the nookie.

But Pujols and Fielder are going to do it for the money.

Lots and lots of money.

If that sounds like a Scott Boras wet dream.

It is.

Well half of one.

Boras, the baseball SuperAgent  -- slash -- the man who has destroyed the game of baseball, is Fielder’s representative.

Pujols is represented by some other guy.

But in both cases, Boras and that other guy are licking their lips knowing the big pay day is right around the corner.

Well, another big pay day.

Pujols is making $16 Million this year.

Fielder is making only $15.5M.

That may sound like a lot of money to you.

And to me.

And it is.

But it’s nuthin’ compared to what these guys are about to get.

And for good reason.

You’d be hard pressed to find someone better than Pujols.

He just completed his 11th Major League season.

And in 10 of those seasons, he hit at least .300 with 30+ homers and 100+ RBI.

This year, he hit .299 with 37 HR and 99 RBI.

Clearly he’s slowing down.

But he is now 31-years-old.

And if 31 is too old for you -- as it is for my friend Phil.

Try Prince.

He’s only 27.

In his six full seasons in the majors, he’s averaging 38 homers and 108 RBI.

Those are not good numbers.

Those are sick numbers.

But not as sick as this.

According to Sports Illustrated, six months ago Pujols turned down $195 Million dollars from the Cardinals to stay in St. Louis.

Yes, you read that right.

ALBERT PUJOLS TURNED DOWN $195 MILLION DOLLARS.

Now before you throw your unemployment check at the computer.

Don’t forget.

It was going to take him nine years to earn all that money.

Even though it’s all guaranteed.

But he turned it down.

He thinks he’s worth more.

I think I’m worth more too.

Difference is.

He’ll probably get it.

As for Fielder.

The only 275-pound vegetarian I’ve ever heard of.

Ok, he’s not a vegetarian anymore.

And this just in -- he’s not 275 anymore either.

Just a few weeks ago, with his team in the middle of a playoff chase, he said.

On the record.

This is “probably the last year” he’ll play in Milwaukee.

Go team!

There’s no I in Prince.

Oops.

There’s no I in Fielder.

Ummm.

Oh yeah, he’s represented by Boras.

What did you expect.

I just found a story from 2004 that said Boras demanded $35 Million to rescue a drowning child.

I think that was a joke.

I think.

Here’s the bottom line.

This is America.

Yada yada yada.

And you should be able to work anywhere you want.

But in both of these cases.

Your fans have done nothing but love you.

Your team has done nothing but pay you.

And your agents have done nothing but tease you.

Be careful what you wish for.