Albert Pujos earns new nickname

By Derrick Goold
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Pujols jokes that peers call him “The Invisible Man” for the way he steals bases and swipes extra bases on hits. He’s got a well-earned reputation for tagging up from first on fly balls if he thinks he has a chance to surprise the outfielded and take second. Last summer, he did what remains an unthinkable act — he scored from second on a groundout to Colorado’s second baseman. I was explaining how this happened to another writer Sunday and all he could do was shake his head: “He really is the best, isn’t he?” This past week Pujols stole a base in three consecutive games. He had never stolen two bases in two consecutive games before. But it’s not like he hasn’t stolen bases before. In 2005, he stole 16. La Russa said there’s one reason why Pujols may be stealing again: Health. Sore feet and that nagging hamstring ache kept Pujols fairly visible during the past couple seasons. “He’s feeling good running again,” La Russa said.