title: Billy Hardy (footballer)

texts:
<mask> (18 April 1891 – March 1981) was an English professional footballer who played as a half back. He began his career with his hometown side Bedlington United before moving to Scotland where he made his professional debut with Heart of Midlothian in 1910 at the age of 18. He remained with the side for a year, making sporadic appearances, before joining Football League Second Division side Stockport County. However, he made only one appearance for the first team. In 1911, he joined Cardiff City along with his Stockport manager Fred Stewart where he quickly became established in the first team. Prior to World War I, he helped the side win their first Welsh Cup in 1912 and the Second Division of the Southern Football League a year later. After the war, he was part of the Cardiff side that joined the Football League in 1920 and won promotion to the Football League First Division in their first season.He remained a mainstay in the first team for seven more years in the First Division, helping the side finish as runners-up in the 1923–24 season and reach two FA Cup finals, in 1925 and 1927. In the latter, Cardiff became the first team from outside England to win the competition. <mask> was appointed player-coach in 1930 and remained with the side until 1932 by which time Cardiff had been relegated to the Third Division South. He was released by the club after 21 years. He remains Cardiff's record appearance holder having featured in 590 matches in all competitions between 1911 and 1932. He took up a coaching position with Second Division Bradford Park Avenue before becoming manager of the side in 1934. He reverted to his coaching position after two years in charge after finishing in the bottom half of the table in each of his two seasons.Career

Early years
<mask> began his playing career at his hometown club Bedlington United before moving to Scotland with Heart of Midlothian in 1910. He made his debut for the club on 2 April in a 2–2 draw with Third Lanark at the age of 18, and made a further three league appearances near the end of the 1910–11 season. The following season, he made his first appearance in a 3–2 defeat against Leith Athletic in the first round of the East of Scotland Shield in September 1910. However, he made only one further appearance for the club, in a 3–0 loss to St. Mirren two months later. He joined Stockport County in early 1911 on a free transfer after being spotted by Fred Stewart playing for Hearts' reserve team. Stockport had recently sold two players to the Scottish side with the deal including Stockport having the choice of any two from the club's reserves in return. Stewart travelled to watch them play and selected <mask> along with one other.Hearts initially denied the request as they did not wish to sell <mask>, but relented when Stewart reiterated the terms of the deal. Although they eventually sanctioned the move, Hearts stipulated that Stockport would be required to pay £200 if <mask> signed on for the following season. He made one senior appearance for the side, in a 4–0 defeat to Leeds City in the Football League Second Division on 1 April, but Stockport were unable to meet the £200 asking price to keep <mask> on for the 1911–12 season. Cardiff City

Pre-World War I
In 1911, Stewart left his role with Stockport and took up the managerial position at  Southern Football League Second Division side Cardiff City. His first signing in his new role was to bring <mask> to the club from Hearts who had retained his registration. The two sides agreed a fee of £25. Due to Cardiff's financial position at the time, the fee was paid by Stewart himself, although he was later reimbursed when finances improved.<mask> made his debut for Cardiff on the opening day of the 1911–12 season in a 3–1 victory over Kettering. In his first season, <mask> made 32 appearances in all competitions as Cardiff finished third in the Second Division. He also helped the club to victory in the 1912 Welsh Cup final by defeating Pontypridd 3–0 in a replay to become the first team from the south of Wales to win the competition. Cardiff achieved a higher finish in the 1912–13 season, winning the Second Division of the Southern League and gaining promotion to the First. <mask> missed only one league match during the campaign and scored his first senior goal for the club in a 1–1 draw with Pontypridd on 24 March 1913. The success was built around <mask> and Stewart's new signings, Patrick Cassidy and Kidder Harvey, who formed a partnership with <mask> that became known by fans as the "holy three". The side conceded only 15 goals en route to the Second Division title, and suffered  a single defeat.The following year, <mask> recorded his first ever present season for the club; he played in all 38 matches as Cardiff finished 10th in the First Division and helped the side to their second Welsh Cup title in the penultimate season before the outbreak of World War I. During the war, <mask> served on the front lines and was wounded in action. Southern League return and Football League

When competitive football resumed after the war, <mask> immediately returned to Cardiff and remained a prominent first team player. He missed only one match during the 1919–20 season, featuring in 38 matches in all competitions. Cardiff joined the Football League in 1920 and were placed in the Second Division. <mask> featured in the club's first match in the new league against his former side Stockport. In his tenth year since joining Cardiff, <mask> was awarded a benefit match for a league fixture on 21 April 1921 against Rotherham County, sharing the proceeds of the match with goalkeeper Herbert Kneeshaw.<mask> was ever present for the second time in his career having played in all 42 league matches as he helped the side finish as runners-up and win promotion to the First Division. He also scored his first goal in the Football League in a 1–0 victory over South Shields on 16 April 1921. <mask> featured in Cardiff's first four matches in the top tier, but his start to the campaign was disrupted by a bout of influenza that restricted him to only two appearances between mid-September and the end of November. He eventually returned to the first team on 26 November, defeating Everton 1–0. From then on, <mask> missed only one further league match during the campaign and was victorious in his third Welsh Cup final as Cardiff defeated Wrexham 2–0. After his first season in the First Division, the Daily Herald wrote "It is impossible to persuade any soccer follower in South Wales that there is a better left-half in the country". Two months into the following season, <mask> was approached to stand as a candidate for the Labour Party in an election for Cardiff City Council.Former Cardiff player Charlie Brittain had successfully ran in previous years and was already serving on the council. He again made more than 35 appearances during the campaign and, in the 1923–24 season, he missed only two matches as Cardiff finished second in the First Division. The latter season was also his most prolific goalscoring campaign for the club, netting four times over the year. Cardiff missed out on winning the league title after failing to beat Birmingham on the final day of the season. In the 1924–25 campaign, <mask> played in all eight matches of the club's FA Cup run as they reached the final before losing 1–0 to Sheffield United. Two years later, the club reached their second FA Cup final, this time emerging victorious after defeating Arsenal 1–0 to become the only team from outside England to win the competition. In its match report of the final, the Westminster Gazette stated that <mask>'s "tactical knowledge of handling a wing was never seen to greater advantage".He made a career high 52 appearances during the campaign, including all seven matches of the club's successful FA Cup run. He also helped the club to victory in the Welsh Cup, defeating Rhyl in the final, and the 1927 FA Charity Shield early the following season. Shortly afterwards, <mask> was also selected in a Football League XI for a match against their Irish counterparts. Later years

After one further season, <mask>'s advancing years saw his first team place come under threat. Cardiff were relegated from the First Division in the 1928–29 season, during which <mask> made 22 appearances in the league, his lowest tally in more than a decade. Upon the club's relegation, <mask> became mostly a reserve player and, in September 1930, was appointed as a player-coach. Cardiff suffered a second relegation the following year, to the Third Division South.<mask> played his final game for Cardiff on 28 March 1932 in a 1–0 win over Gillingham at the age of 41. Despite his achievements, <mask> was never selected to play for the England national football team. This is commonly attributed to him playing for a Welsh team and selectors from the Football Association being reluctant to include players from outside England. In the later years of his career, the Sheffield Daily Independent wrote "had <mask> been with an English club dozens of international caps might have come his way. As a half back, he had few equals." <mask>'s long career with Cardiff established him as a revered figure among the club's support. Ahead of Cardiff's 1927 FA Cup victory, the  Daily Herald remarked "there is no more popular player in South Wales than "<mask>" <mask>".It was said that when he appeared on a newsreel shown in Cardiff cinemas, the audience cheered for 10 minutes. <mask> remains Cardiff City's record appearance holder with 590 appearances over all competitions between 1911 and 1932. With the club suffering financially from the drop in divisions, <mask> was released by Cardiff in 1932. Shortly before the outbreak of World War II, <mask> was awarded a second benefit match by Cardiff, this time in a specially arranged match against Fulham in May 1939. Bradford Park Avenue
<mask> retired from playing upon his release and left Cardiff after 21 years to take up a coaching position with Second Division side Bradford Park Avenue. When the club directors chose not to extend the contract of manager Claude Ingram in 1934, <mask> was appointed in the role instead. He stepped down as manager at the end of the 1935–36 season having finished 15th and 16th in his two years in charge.He was replaced by David Steele with <mask> instead returning to his coaching role at the club while also undertaking scouting assignments. Style of play
<mask> gained a reputation as a tenacious half back, a 1922 article in  John Bull described him as "a full-blooded 90 minutes player, one of the most relentless tacklers in the game". Although primarily a half back, <mask> often played in defence when required. Stewart, who managed <mask> for nearly two decades, regarded him as the best player he ever managed, remarking "he has never played a bad game in his life". Upon news of his release from Cardiff in 1932, the Blyth News wrote that <mask> was considered "one of the greatest, and also one of the most popular players to have taken part in English football." <mask> became well-known for his appearance as well as his playing style. John Bull noted that he possessed a "thickset body and short, sturdy legs" which may have affected his early career.He was also practically bald from a young age, which became a noted feature during his career. Personal life

Alongside his playing career, <mask> started his own business as a coal merchant in 1913, operating in Cathays, Cardiff. As a player for Cardiff City, his business was often promoted in the club's programmes. Following his retirement, he emigrated with his wife Olive to Tasmania where he ran a grocery store. They returned to Cardiff in 1963 before moving to Iver, Buckinghamshire. He died in March 1981 at the age of 89. Career statistics

Honours
Cardiff City
 FA Cup
 Winner: 1927
 Finalist: 1925
 FA Charity Shield
 Winner: 1927
 Welsh Cup
 Winner: 1922, 1927, 1928
 Division One
 Runner-up: 1923–24
 Division Two
 Runner-up: 1920–21

References

Bibliography

1891 births
1981 deaths
English footballers
Bedlington United A.F.C.players
Heart of Midlothian F.C. players
Stockport County F.C. players
Cardiff City F.C. players
English Football League players
Bradford (Park Avenue) A.F.C. managers
British Army personnel of World War I
People from Bedlington
English Football League representative players
Association football wing halves
English football managers
Bradford (Park Avenue) A.F.C. non-playing staff
FA Cup Final players

masks:
William Hardy
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title: Charles Willson Peale

type: original

texts:
<mask> (April 15, 1741February 22, 1827) was an American painter, soldier, scientist, inventor, politician and naturalist. He is best remembered for his portrait paintings of leading figures of the American Revolution, and for establishing one of the first museums in the United States. Early life
<mask> was born in 1741 between modern-day Queenstown and Centreville, Queen Anne's County, Maryland, the son of <mask> and his wife Margaret. He had a younger brother, <mask> (1749–1831). He was the brother-in-law of Nathaniel Ramsey, a delegate to the Congress of the Confederation. <mask> became an apprentice to a saddle maker when he was fourteen years old. Upon reaching maturity, he opened his own saddle shop and joined the Sons of Liberty.However, he was unsuccessful in saddle making. He then tried fixing clocks and working with metals, but both of these endeavors failed as well. He then took up painting. Career as a painter
Finding that he had a talent for painting, especially portraiture, Peale studied for a time under John Hesselius and John Singleton Copley. John Beale Bordley and friends eventually raised enough money for him to travel to England to take instruction from Benjamin West. Peale studied with West for three years beginning in 1767, afterward returning to America and settling in Annapolis, Maryland. There, he taught painting to his younger brother, <mask>, who in time also became a noted artist.American Revolution

Peale's enthusiasm for the nascent national government brought him to the capital, Philadelphia, in 1776, where he painted portraits of American notables and visitors from overseas. His estate, which is on the campus of La Salle University in Philadelphia, can still be visited. He also raised troops for the War of Independence and eventually gained the rank of captain in the Pennsylvania militia by 1776, having participated in several battles. While in the field, he continued to paint, doing miniature portraits of various officers in the Continental Army. He produced enlarged versions of these in later years. He served in the Pennsylvania state assembly in 1779–1780, after which he returned to painting full-time. Peale was quite prolific as an artist.While he did portraits of scores of historic figures (such as James Varnum, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson, and Alexander Hamilton), he is probably best known for his portraits of George Washington. The first time Washington sat for a portrait was with Peale in 1772, and they had six other sittings; using these seven as models, Peale produced altogether close to 60 portraits of Washington. In January 2005, a full-length portrait of Washington at Princeton from 1779 sold for $21.3 million, setting a record for the highest price paid for an American portrait. One of his most celebrated paintings is The Staircase Group (1795), a double portrait of his sons Raphaelle and Titian, painted in the trompe-l'œil style. It is in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Peale Museum

Peale had a great interest in natural history, and organized the first U.S. scientific expedition in 1801. These two major interests combined in his founding of what became the Philadelphia Museum, later known as Peale's American Museum.It housed a diverse collection of botanical, biological, and archaeological specimens. In 1786, Peale was elected to the American Philosophical Society. The museum contained a large variety of birds which Peale himself acquired, and in many instances mounted, having taught himself taxidermy. In 1792, Peale initiated a correspondence with Thomas Hall, of the Finsbury Museum, City Road, Finsbury, London proposing to purchase British stuffed items for his museum. Eventually, an exchange system was established between the two, whereby Peale sent American birds to Hall in exchange for an equal number of British birds. This arrangement continued until the end of the century. The Peale Museum was the first to display a mastodon skeleton (which in Peale's time were referred to as mammoth bones; these common names were amended by Georges Cuvier in 1800, and his proposed usage is that employed today) that Peale found in New York State.Peale worked with his son to mount the skeleton for display. The display of the "mammoth" bones entered Peale into a long-standing debate between Thomas Jefferson and Comte de Buffon. Buffon argued that Europe was superior to the Americas biologically, which was illustrated through the size of animals found there. Jefferson referenced the existence of these "mammoths" (which he believed still roamed northern regions of the continent) as evidence for a greater biodiversity in America. Peale's display of these bones drew attention from Europe, as did his method of re-assembling large skeletal specimens in three dimensions. The museum was among the first to adopt Linnaean taxonomy. This system drew a stark contrast between Peale's museum and his competitors who presented their artifacts as mysterious oddities of the natural world.The museum underwent several moves during its existence. At various times it was located in several prominent buildings including Independence Hall and the original home of the American Philosophical Society. The museum would eventually fail, in large part because Peale was unsuccessful at obtaining government funding. After his death, the museum was sold to, and split up by, showmen P. T. Barnum and Moses Kimball. Personal life

In 1762, Peale married Rachel Brewer (1744–1790), who bore him ten children, most of them named for Peale's favorite artists, male and female. Among their sons and daughters, some of whom he taught to paint, were:

 Raphaelle <mask> (1774–1825), who some consider to be the first professional American painter of still-life. Angelica Kauffman <mask> (1775–1853), who was named for Angelica Kauffman (Peale's favorite female painter) and who married Alexander Robinson.Rembrandt <mask> (1778–1860), portrait painter, inventor, businessman, museum owner/operator in Baltimore. He founded the "Gas Light Company of Baltimore" in 1817, now Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE). He was the father of artist Rosalba Carriera <mask>. Titian <mask> I (1780–1798), ornithologist. He died at age of 18. Rubens <mask> (1784–1865), museum administrator and artist. Sophonisba Angusciola <mask> (1786–1859), ornithologist.She married Coleman Sellers (1781–1834) in 1805. She was the mother of Coleman Sellers II. After Rachel's death in 1790, Peale married Elizabeth de Peyster (1765–1804), a descendant of Johannes de Peyster, the next year. With his second wife, he had six additional children, including:

 <mask> <mask> (1794–1832), who was named for <mask>, the Swedish botanist and zoologist. <mask> (1795–1870), who became the Chief Coiner at the Philadelphia Mint. Titian <mask> II (1799–1885), explorer, ornithologist, scientific illustrator, and photographer. Elizabeth De Peyster <mask> (1802–1857), who married William Augustus Patterson (1792–1833) in 1820.Hannah Moore, a Quaker from Philadelphia, married <mask> in 1805, becoming his third wife. She helped to raise the younger children from his previous two marriages. Peale's slave, Moses Williams, was also trained in the arts while growing up in the Peale household and later became a professional silhouette artist. In 1810, Peale purchased a farm in Germantown, where he intended to retire. He named this estate "Belfield" and cultivated extensive gardens there. After Hannah's death in 1821, Peale lived with his son Rubens and sold Belfield in 1826. Peale died on February 22, 1827, and was buried at the Saint Peter's Episcopal Church in Philadelphia alongside his wife Elizabeth DePeyster.Expertise
A Renaissance man, Peale had expertise not only in painting but also in many diverse fields, including carpentry, dentistry, optometry, shoemaking, and taxidermy. In 1802, John Isaac Hawkins patented the second official physiognotrace, a mechanical drawing device, and partnered with Peale to market it to prospective buyers. Peale sent a watercolor sketch of the physiognotrace, along with a detailed explanation, to Thomas Jefferson. The drawing is now held with the Jefferson Papers in the Library of Congress. Around 1804, Peale obtained the American patent rights to the polygraph from its inventor John Isaac Hawkins, about the same time as the purchase of one by Thomas Jefferson. Peale and Jefferson collaborated on refinements to this device, which enabled a copy of a handwritten letter to be produced simultaneously with the original. Peale wrote several books.Two of these were An Essay on Building Wooden Bridges (1797) and An Epistle to a Friend on the Means of Preserving Health (1803). Legacy and honors

 Three of his sons, Rembrandt <mask>, Raphaelle <mask>, and Titian <mask>, became noted artists. The World War II cargo Liberty Ship S.S. Charles Willson Peale was named in his honor. Notable works

See also
 Peale's Barber Farm Mastodon Exhumation Site
 George Escol Sellers, grandson who was an inventor

References

Sources
 Lily Bita, <mask> <mask>, the patriarch "Apodemon Epos" Magazine of European Art Center (EUARCE) of Greece, 2st issue 1997 p. 3

Further reading
Ward, David C. 2004 <mask> Peale: Art and Selfhood in the Early Republic Berkley, California : University of California Press

External links

 Reynolda House Museum of American Art: Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Robinson, 1795
 <mask> <mask>e-Sellers Family Collection at the American Philosophical Society
 Portrait of General David Foreman, Berkshire Museum
 The Winterthur Library Overview of an archival collection on <mask> Peale. History of Peale at Belfield, now the grounds of La Salle University, Philadelphia, PA
 Union List of Artist Names, Getty Vocabularies. ULAN Full Record Display for <mask> Peale. Getty Vocabulary Program, Getty Research Institute.Los Angeles, California. James Madison, Bust Portrait Miniature by Peale from the *Rare Book and Special Collection Division at The Library of Congress
Catherine "Kitty" Floyd, Bust Portrait Miniature by Peale from the Rare Book and Special Collection Division at The Library of Congress

1741 births
1827 deaths
18th-century American painters
19th-century American painters
American male painters
American slave owners
American people of English descent
American portrait painters
Trompe-l'œil artists
Museum founders
Pennsylvania militiamen in the American Revolution
People from Queen Anne's County, Maryland
Charles
Sibling artists
People of colonial Maryland
Burials at St. Peter's churchyard, Philadelphia
19th-century male artists
Members of the American Philosophical Society

masks:
Charles Willson Peale
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Charles Peale
James Peale
Charles
James Peale
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Ramsay Peale
Peale
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Charles Linnaeus
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Franklin Peale
Ramsay Peale
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Charles Willson
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title: Collin Balester

texts:
<mask> (born June 6, 1986) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2008 to 2015 for the Washington Nationals, Detroit Tigers, and Cincinnati Reds. <mask> has also played for the Samsung Lions of the KBO League. <mask> grew up in Huntington Beach, California, the son of a surfboard maker. He was drafted by the Montreal Expos in 2004, making his professional debut that year. By 2007, he was considered a top prospect for the newly relocated Nationals, with him participating in that season's All-Star Futures Game. On July 1, 2008, he made his MLB debut with the Nationals.He won his debut as a starter, becoming the first Expo or National to do so since 1999. That season, he went on to make 14 starts for Washington, recording a 5.51 earned run average (ERA). In 2009, <mask> split the year between the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs and Washington, making a combined 27 starts. <mask> was converted into a relief pitcher in 2010, after struggling with Syracuse at the beginning of the year. In both 2010 and 2011, he would continue to split time between Syracuse and Washington. The Nationals traded <mask> to Detroit on December 9, 2011, for pitcher Ryan Perry. In 2012, <mask> started the season on a major league roster for the first time in his career but was designated for assignment in May.Signed to a minor league deal by the Texas Rangers in 2013, he underwent Tommy John surgery midway through the year. It was not until 2015 that he would pitch in the major leagues again, this time for the Reds, with whom he had a 7.47 ERA. He made three starts for the Lions in Korea in 2016 before elbow pain led to his release. After one final professional season in 2017, he and his wife started the Local Roots Juice Co. in Perrysburg, Ohio. Early life
<mask> <mask> was born on June 6, 1986, in Huntington Beach, California, the son of Tom and <mask>. He has two sisters, Lauren (older) and Jenna (younger). His father runs a surfboard shop off of Slater Avenue in Huntington Beach and also makes "Balestar" surfboards, which are sold widely in surf shops.. <mask> surfed regularly growing up.Playing Little League Baseball for the Huntington Valley team, Balester threw a pitch that was recorded at , making his father realize that his son might be a major league prospect one day. At Huntington Beach High School, his velocity had gone down during his senior year, and scouts were saying he might be better off going to college. Balester worked on throwing harder, responding with multiple shutouts towards the end of the season. In his last year at Huntington Beach, he had a 6–4 record and a 1.63 earned run average (ERA), striking out 63 batters in 64 innings pitched. Baseball America was only mildly impressed with his performance, stating that he "didn't dominate". Professional career

Washington Nationals

2004–2007
Balester was drafted by the Montreal Expos in the fourth round of the 2004 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft. On July 10, <mask> signed with the Expos and was assigned to the Rookie-level GCL Expos.In five games, he had a 1–2 win–loss record, a 2.19 ERA and a 1.014 walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP). Before the 2005 season, the Expos relocated to Washington, D.C., and became the Washington Nationals. Baseball America also named <mask> the 10th best prospect in the Nationals organization and listed him as having the best fastball of any minor leaguer in their system. To begin the season, <mask> joined the Single-A Savannah Sand Gnats and made his debut for the club on April 11, giving up just three hits in six innings and being awarded with the win. In a start against the Greensboro Grasshoppers on July 10, Balester allowed just one hit in eight innings of work, prompting Greensboro News & Record columnist Bill Hass to claim that, "The young right-hander [Balester] turned the Hoppers hitters into traffic cones." On July 29, John Manuel of Baseball America mentioned <mask> as a breakout player, along with infielder Kory Casto. In 24 games for Savannah, 23 of which were starts, he went 8–6 with a 3.67 ERA, and a 1.176 WHIP.After the season, Baseball America listed <mask> as the second-best prospect in the Nationals system, behind third baseman Ryan Zimmerman. Balester began the 2006 season with the High-A Potomac Nationals, where he got off to a bad start, going 1–3 with a 6.91 in nine starts. On the bad start, Balester said, "It kind of has been hard. I did so well last year. I think it's going to be good for me that I am failing a little bit more so that I know how to fail. I know I can use this in the future." He also added that, "I get way too high expectations for myself and I've got to realize I am only 19 years old."In late August, after going 4–5 with a 5.20 ERA and a 1.521 WHIP in 22 starts for Potomac, <mask> was called up to Double-A Harrisburg. According to The Washington Times, <mask> had already booked a flight home to Huntington Beach, expecting not to receive a call-up to Double-A. In three starts for Harrisburg, he went 1–0 with a 1.83 ERA. In 2007, he was named the top prospect in the entire Nationals organization. <mask> started the season with Harrisburg. On July 7, <mask> was named to the Team USA roster for the All-Star Futures Game at AT&T Park. The following week, he was called up to the Triple-A Columbus Clippers.In his eagerness to join the Clippers, he got a speeding ticket while driving to Columbus from Harrisburg. In 17 starts for Harrisburg, he went 2–7 with a 3.74 ERA, which The Orange County Register called "middling numbers". In 10 starts for the Clippers, he went 2–3 with a 4.18 ERA. After the season, there were rumors that the Nationals could trade him to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in exchange for outfielder Elijah Dukes. The Nationals did trade for Dukes in December, but they sent Glenn Gibson to the Devil Rays instead of Balester. 2008
Balester began the 2008 season with Columbus, going 9–3 with a 4.00 ERA in 15 starts for the club. He was called up by the Nationals on June 30, and he made his MLB debut the following day against the Florida Marlins.He pitched five innings, striking out three and allowing one hit in a 9–6 Nationals win. With the win, he became the first Nationals starter to win his debut since Dan Smith did in 1999, when the team was still playing in Montreal. He started 14 more games for the Nationals, going 3–7 with a 5.51 ERA. 2009

In spring training 2009, <mask> was part of a battle with Jordan Zimmermann and Shairon Martis for one of the final two spots in the Nationals starting rotation. After going 1–1 with a 6.75 ERA during spring training, he was reassigned to the minors on March 28, but he remained a part of the organization's long-term plans. Over the offseason, the Nationals had switched minor league affiliations, and <mask> joined their new Triple-A affiliate, the Syracuse Chiefs. On July 23, after Zimmermann was placed on the 15-day disabled list with elbow pain, <mask> was called up to take his place in the rotation.On August 25, the Nationals signed Liván Hernández from free agency and, to make room on the roster, optioned <mask> to Triple-A. In seven starts for the Nationals in 2009, he went 1–4 with a 6.82 ERA. After returning to Syracuse, <mask> strained a muscle on his left side, ending his season. In 20 total starts with the Chiefs, he went 7–10 with a 4.44 ERA. 2010
On March 15, 2010, <mask> was sent to minor league training camp, ensuring that he would start the 2010 season in Syracuse. <mask> recorded an 11.65 ERA in his first five starts for the Chiefs, prompting the Nationals to send him to extended spring training to begin the process of converting him to a relief pitcher. On July 24, <mask> was called up by the Nationals to replace Luis Atilano, who had been placed on the disabled list with floating bone chips in his elbow.That day, <mask> came into the game to replace J. D. Martin and hit Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Rickie Weeks in the head with a fastball. Nine days later, <mask> again hit a batter in the head. This time, it was Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Mark Reynolds. Neither batter suffered a serious injury, but Balester still commented that, "You don't want to do that kind of stuff. It's the second time I did that, but it's one of those things you never want to have happen in your career. It's obviously unintentional. It's not a good situation to be in."On August 8, <mask> was optioned back to Syracuse, only to be recalled on August 24, when Stephen Strasburg was placed on the disabled list. However, a day later, he was sent back down to Triple-A. <mask> was recalled again for a third time on September 5. In 35 total games for Syracuse, he went 3–3 with a 5.87 ERA, while in 17 games for Washington, he went 0–1 with a 2.57 ERA. 2011
In 2011, <mask> was optioned again to Triple-A Syracuse to begin the season. On April 17, after throwing five scoreless innings in his first outing of the year, he was called up to replace Todd Coffey, who had been placed on the disabled list. He was optioned back to Syracuse on April 24, after making two appearances, allowing three runs.After Tom Gorzelanny was placed on the disabled list on May 28, <mask> was recalled by the Nationals. At the time of his call-up, he had made 13 appearances with a 3.71 ERA and struck out 18 batters for Syracuse. He spent just one day with Washington as he was optioned back to Triple-A the next day without making an appearance, however, he was recalled again on June 15. He was designated for assignment on July 5. In eight games with the Nationals, he had a 4.61 ERA and a 1.683 WHIP. He was re-added to the 40-man roster on July 7, after the Nationals secured optional waivers for him, meaning they could take him off waivers, should a team try to claim him. On August 2, he was recalled by the Nationals, replacing Atahualpa Severino on the 25-man roster.He spent the rest of the season in the bullpen for the Nationals. In 23 games, he had a 1–4 record, a 4.54 ERA, and 34 strikeouts in  innings. On December 9, Washington traded <mask> to the Detroit Tigers for Ryan Perry. Detroit Tigers
In 2012, <mask> made the Tigers' Opening Day roster as a relief pitcher, marking the first time in his career that he started a season in the major leagues. He picked up wins on April 12 and May 15, both times relieving a starting pitcher who had failed to make it through five innings. However, he was designated for assignment by Detroit on May 23 to make room for Quintin Berry on the roster. In 11 games with the Tigers, he had posted a 2–0 record, a 6.50 ERA, 12 strikeouts, and 11 walks in 18 innings.<mask> spent the rest of the season with the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens, posting a 1–1 record, a 3.64 ERA, 45 strikeouts, and 47 innings pitched in 31 relief outings. He was granted free agency on November 2. Texas Rangers organization
<mask> signed with the Texas Rangers on November 28, 2012. He was assigned to the Triple-A Round Rock Express to begin the 2013 season. He began the year in Round Rock's rotation, but after allowing six runs in  innings in a start against the Iowa Cubs on April 30, he was placed on the disabled list. On June 6, <mask> underwent Tommy John surgery, ending his season. In six games (five starts), he had posted a 1–4 record, a 7.33 ERA, and 22 strikeouts in 27 innings.On November 5, he became a free agent. Pittsburgh Pirates organization
<mask> signed a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates on November 20, 2013. Although he was initially assigned to the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians, <mask> opened the season on the disabled list and did not start pitching until he underwent a rookie-level rehab assignment. On July 31, he joined the Double-A Altoona Curve. In 10 relief appearances, he had a 1–4 record, a 6.55 ERA, and 10 strikeouts in 11 innings pitched. After the season, he pitched in three games for the Venados de Mazatlán of the Mexican Pacific League. In 2015, <mask> split the first part of the season between Altoona and Indianapolis.In 13 games with Altoona, he had a 1–0 record, 4 saves, a 1.77 ERA, and 14 strikeouts in  innings pitched. With Indianapolis in 8 games, he had no record, a 3.07 ERA, and 8 strikeouts in  innings pitched. On June 19, <mask> was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for cash. Cincinnati Reds
<mask> began his Reds tenure with the Triple-A Louisville Bats. He had no record, seven saves, a 2.05 ERA, and 13 strikeouts in 21 games for the Bats. On August 23, the Reds purchased <mask>'s contract when Manny Parra went on the disabled list with shoulder trouble and biceps tendinitis. "The last two (years), I've thought: 'Man, am I going to get back?'...To get back today was a big thing for me," <mask> said. He pitched in his first MLB game in three years that same day, then got his first win in three years on August 24, pitching two scoreless innings as the Reds scored 10 runs in the sixth inning to come from behind and beat the Tigers, 12–5. "It was unbelievable -- it was the best inning I'd ever seen," <mask> said of the offensive outburst. He remained with the Reds for the rest of the season. In his final outing of the year, against the Pirates at PNC Field on October 2, <mask> entered a tied game in the 11th and took the loss in the 12th when he gave up a two-run, walk-off home run to Starling Marte. <mask> posted a 1–1 record, a 7.47 ERA, 13 strikeouts, and 13 walks in 15 appearances ( innings pitched). He became a free agent on November 4.Samsung Lions
For the 2016 season, <mask> was signed by the Samsung Lions of the KBO League. He did not pitch much for them, experiencing a sore right elbow early in the season. He lost all three of his starts for the Lions, recording an 8.03 ERA in the process. The Lions released him on May 18, and Balester considered retirement. Last professional season
After moving to Perrysburg, Ohio, <mask> starting throwing a baseball again in November. The elbow pain which had plagued him earlier in 2016 was gone, so he decided to make a comeback. On December 20, 2016, he signed a minor league contract with the Tigers.Failing to make the team, he was released on March 29, 2017. On April 19, he signed with the Wichita Wingnuts of the independent American Association. He was released on May 4, before the start of the Wingnuts' spring training, when the Wingnuts signed Danny Moskovits. On May 6, 2017, <mask> signed a minor league deal with the San Francisco Giants. He was assigned to the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels on May 22. In 12 games (1 start), he had a 1–4 record, a 2.75 ERA, 21 strikeouts, and 3 walks in  innings. On July 18, he was temporarily assigned to the Single-A Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, but he did not make any appearances with them before getting assigned to the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats on July 22.In 14 games, he had a 1–0 record, a 5.79 ERA, 25 strikeouts, and 7 walks in  innings. The Giants did not call him up at the end of the year. He became a free agent on November 6 and has not pitched professionally since. Pitching style

Balester threw three pitches: a fastball, a curveball, and a cutter. His fastball was his primary pitch, which he threw over 60 percent of the time. It averaged  in the major leagues, topping out at . He tended to throw his curveball anywhere from 20 to 30 percent of the time, though in 2010 he threw it 35.5 percent of the time.It averaged . Though he resorted to the changeup 14.8 percent of the time in 2008, Balester usually threw it less than three percent of the time with the Nationals. It averaged . His back leg tended to drop too low while he was throwing pitches. Earlier in his professional career, <mask> used to yell at umpires when he did not like a call, but he had become more docile by 2007. "I think I’ve made some progress, especially on the emotional side. When they make a bad call now I just sort of turn my back and walk to the other side of the mound.It’s the type of thing that got me in trouble before," he said that year. Personal life
Balester married Ashley Sterling in 2009. They have multiple children. Ashley was from Ohio originally, and in 2016, the Balesters moved to Perrysburg, Ohio. They started Local Roots Juice Co., which sells healthy smoothies, cold-pressed juices, and snacks. Balester's sister, Jenna, won several surfing competitions growing up. At various times with the Nationals, he had a mustache.He re-grew it in November 2010 for Movember, as part of an effort to educate people about cancers affecting men. None of his family had been affected by such cancer, yet Balester wanted to be part of the cause. References

External links

Official website
Local Roots Juice Co. - business started by Balester and his wife

1986 births
Living people
Baseball players from California
Major League Baseball pitchers
Sportspeople from Huntington Beach, California
Washington Nationals players
Detroit Tigers players
Cincinnati Reds players
Harrisburg Senators players
Columbus Clippers players
Syracuse Chiefs players
Savannah Sand Gnats players
Potomac Nationals players
Gulf Coast Expos players
Toledo Mud Hens players
Round Rock Express players
Gulf Coast Pirates players
Bristol Pirates players
Altoona Curve players
Indianapolis Indians players
Louisville Bats players
Samsung Lions players
American expatriate baseball players in South Korea
Venados de Mazatlán players
American expatriate baseball players in Mexico
Richmond Flying Squirrels players
Sacramento River Cats players

masks:
Collin Thomas Balester
Balester
Balester
Balester
Balester
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Balester
Collin Thomas
Balester
Sally Balester
Collin
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title: Anton Dostler

texts:
<mask> (10 May 1891 – 1 December 1945) was a  German General of the Infantry who was executed after the end of World War II for war crimes. He was shot by a United States Army firing squad after being found guilty of ordering the execution of American prisoners of war during the Italian Campaign in March 1944. <mask> was convicted in the first Allied war crimes trials to be held after the end of the war in Europe. Military career
<mask> joined the German army in 1910 and served as a junior officer during World War I. From the start of World War II to 1940, he served as chief of staff of the 7th Army. Subsequently he commanded the 57th Infantry Division (1941–42), the 163rd Infantry Division (1942) and, after some temporary stand-ins at corps, was appointed commander of 75th Army Corps (Jan-July 1944) in Italy and then commander of the Venetian Coast (Sept-Nov 1944), when its name was reassigned to 73rd Army Corps, where he finished the war. Execution of U.S. soldiers

On 22 March 1944, 15 soldiers of the U.S. Army, including two officers, landed on the Italian coast about 15 kilometers north of La Spezia, 400 km (250 miles) behind the then established front, as part of Operation Ginny II.They were all properly dressed in the field uniform of the U.S. Army and carried no civilian clothes. Their objective was to demolish a tunnel at Framura on the important railway line between La Spezia and Genoa. Two days later the group was captured by a combined party of Italian Fascist soldiers and troops from the German Army. They were taken to La Spezia, where they were confined near the Headquarters of the 135th (Fortress) Brigade, which was under the command of German Col. Almers. His immediate superior was the commander of the 75th Army Corps—Dostler. The captured American party was interrogated by Wehrmacht intelligence officers, and an officer revealed the mission. The information, including that it was a commando raid, was then sent to Dostler at the 75th Army Corps H.Q.The following day he informed his superior, Field Marshal Albert Kesselring, Commanding General of all German forces in Italy, about the captured U.S. commandos and asked what to do with them. According to <mask>'s adjutant, Kesselring responded by ordering the execution. Later that day <mask> sent a telegram to the 135th (Fortress) Brigade passing on the order that the captured commando party was to be executed, in line with the Commando Order of 1942 issued by Adolf Hitler, which ordered the immediate execution without trial of all enemy commandos and saboteurs taken prisoner by the Wehrmacht in the field. Colonel Almers at the 135th (Fortress) Brigade was uneasy with the execution order, and approached <mask> again to delay the execution command. In response <mask> dispatched another telegram ordering Almers to carry out the execution as previously ordered. Two last attempts were made by Colonel Almers to stop the execution, including some by telephone, as he knew that executing uniformed prisoners of war was in violation of the 1929 Geneva Convention on Prisoners of War. His appeals were unsuccessful, and the 15 Americans of the commando raid were executed on the morning of 26 March 1944, at Punta Bianca, south of La Spezia, in the municipality of Ameglia.Their bodies were buried in a mass grave that was afterwards camouflaged. Alexander zu Dohna-Schlobitten, a member of <mask>'s staff who, unaware of the existence of Hitler's "Commando Order", had refused to sign the execution order for the American commandos, was dismissed from the Wehrmacht for insubordination. Trial and execution
<mask> was taken prisoner of war by the United States Army and, after it discovered the fate of the commando raiding team, was put on trial for war crimes on 8 May 1945. A military tribunal was held at the seat of the Supreme Allied Commander, the Royal Palace in Caserta, on 8 October 1945. In the first Allied war crimes trial, he was accused of carrying out an illegal order. In his defense he maintained that he had not issued the order but had only passed it along to Colonel Almers from Field Marshal Kesselring, and that the execution of the OSS men was a lawful order. <mask>'s plea of superior orders failed before the tribunal, which found that in ordering the mass execution he had acted on his own outside the Führer's orders.The Military Commission also rejected his plea for clemency, declaring that the mass execution of the commando party was in violation of Article 2 of the 1929 Geneva Convention on Prisoners of War, which prohibited acts of reprisals against prisoners of war. In its judgment the Commission stated that "no soldier, and still less a Commanding General, can be heard to say that he considered the summary shooting of prisoners of war legitimate, even as a reprisal." Under the 1907 Hague Convention on Land Warfare, it was legal to execute spies and saboteurs disguised in civilian clothes or enemy uniforms, but not those captured in uniforms of their own army. Because the 15 U.S. soldiers were properly dressed in U.S. uniforms behind enemy lines, and not disguised in civilian clothes or enemy uniforms, they should not have been treated as spies but as prisoners of war, a principle which <mask> had violated in enforcing the order for execution. The trial found General <mask> guilty of war crimes, rejecting the "superior orders" defense. He was sentenced to death, and executed in Aversa by a 12-man firing squad at 0800 hours on 1 December 1945. The execution was photographed on black and white still and movie cameras.Immediately after the execution <mask>'s body was lifted onto a stretcher, shrouded inside a white cotton mattress cover, and driven away in an army truck. His body was buried in Grave 93/95 of Section H at Pomezia German War Cemetery. References

External links
 The Ginny II Mission
 Dostler's defense Explained by Kent Emery, Jr., son of one of <mask>'s defense attorneys. <mask>ler

1891 births
1945 deaths
German military personnel of World War I
People executed by the United States military by firing squad
German people convicted of war crimes
Executed military leaders
Generals of the German Army (Wehrmacht)
Generals of Infantry (Wehrmacht)
Military personnel from Munich
People from the Kingdom of Bavaria
Filmed executions
Executed people from Bavaria
Reichswehr personnel
Recipients of the clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st class
20th-century executions by the United States military
Nazis executed by firing squad
Germans convicted of war crimes committed in Italy during World War II
Perpetrators of World War II prisoners of war massacres

masks:
Anton Dostler
Dostler
Dostler
Dostler
Dostler
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Anton Dost


title: Pretzels Getzien

texts:
Charles H. "<mask>" <mask> (surname sometimes spelled as Getzein; February 14, 1864 – June 19, 1932) was a German-born American professional baseball pitcher. He played all or parts of nine seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with five different National League teams from 1884 to 1892. He was the first German-born player in the National League. Sources conflict as to whether the nickname was derived from his German ethnicity or from the belief that he was able to throw a "double curve" following "the curves of a pretzel." During his major league career, Getzien compiled a 145–139 win–loss record and a 3.46 earned run average (ERA). He threw 277 complete games, a total that ranks 58th in major league history. Only three pitchers threw more complete games in major league careers shorter than Getzien's nine-year career.Getzien had his most extensive playing time with the Detroit Wolverines, compiling records of 30–11 and 29–13 in 1886 and 1887, respectively. In the 1887 World Series (which Detroit won, 10 games to 5), Getzien pitched six complete games and compiled a 4–2 record with a 2.48 ERA. He also won 23 games for the Boston Beaneaters in 1890. Early years
Getzien was born in 1864; present-day baseball references list his place of birth as Germany, and while an 1887 article in Sporting Life stated that he was born in Chicago, his entry in the 1900 United States census lists his birth country as Germany and that he immigrated to the United States in 1865. Getzien began playing baseball as a boy in Chicago. He played as an amateur in the Chicago City League. Professional baseball

The "Pretzel Curve"

During his career, Getzien drew acclaim for his curveball.Getzien's version of the pitch was sometimes referred to as the "pretzel curve." Sporting Life described Getzien's unusual delivery as follows: "In delivering his 'pretzels' 'Getz' faces third base with one foot in either corner of the lower end of the box. Bending the left knee slightly, he draws his right arm well back. Then, straightening up quickly, he slides the left foot forward with a characteristic little skip, and, bringing his arm around with a swift overhand swing, drives the ball in at a lively pace." After a Getzien victory over the Kansas City Cowboys in 1886, the Detroit Free Press wrote: "The Pretzel is all right. He went into the box to-day and pitched one of his finest, his curves circling around in the form of the delicious pastry from which Getz takes his sobriquet." However, the editor of the Grand Rapids World opined that Getzien's "curved ball" was a fiction.He wrote:"The baseball enthusiasts claim for Getzein that he is able to so pitch a ball that it will describe the arc of a circle on a horizontal plane before reaching the catcher, and that therein lies the secret of his marvelous pitching . . .  Scientifically, this theory is utterly absurd. The forces that act upon a ball pitched by Getzein are not different from those which operate upon a projectile thrown from any other source, and the results must be the same, and governed by the same laws. The curves are in the imagination of Getzein's admirers. When the ball leaves his hand it is beyond his control, and it moves forward from the impulse last given it as it leaves his hand. It is then controlled by the force of propulsion, the resistance of the atmosphere, and gravitation. . . . Getzein's antic and deceptive motions may deceive the batter, so that he is unable to discover the exact course of the ball in time to strike it, but he cannot throw a ball so as to make a curve on the horizontal plane." The Scientific American magazine responded in July 1886 by publishing an article written by Henry Chadwick (accompanied by several diagrams, two of which are reproduced above) explaining the physics behind the curve ball pitch.In 1891, O. P. Caylor in Outing magazine examined "The Theory and Introduction of Curve Pitching" and noted that many "ignorant ball players" had believed that Getzien was capable of throwing a "double curve." Caylor deemed the "double curve" to be "an ocular delusion", but claimed that Getzien's nickname was based on the delusion: "[W]e have the nickname of 'the Pretzel Pitcher,' given to Getzein by players who imagine the curve from his hands comes at them with the curves of a pretzel." Getzien was known by the nickname "Pretzels". Sources conflict as to whether the nickname was derived from his German ethnicity or from the belief that he was able to throw a "double curve" following "the curves of a pretzel." Grand Rapids
Getzien was listed at 5 feet, 10 inches, and 172 pounds, and he batted and threw right-handed. In 1882, Getzien made his professional baseball debut with the Grand Rapids, Michigan, team in the Northwestern League. According to an account published in The Sporting News, he "pitched his puzzling twisters and curves in the Northwestern League while that organization was in existence."During the 1884 season, Getzien started and completed 30 games, and threw 11 shutouts, for Grand Rapids, compiling a 27–4 win–loss record with a 0.52 earned run average (ERA). Detroit Wolverines
On August 9, 1884, the Grand Rapids team was dropped from the Northwestern League and disbanded. Jack Chapman, manager of the Detroit Wolverines, seized the opportunity to sign five former Grand Rapids players, including "what is known as the 'G' battery -- Getzein and Gastfield." The Detroit Free Press reported that Getzien "has been a formidable man to face in the Northwestern League, in one instance striking out sixteen batters." <mask> made his major league debut at Detroit's Recreation Park on August 13, 1884. He faced Cleveland and did not allow an earned run. The Detroit Free Press took note of Getzien's performance:"Getzien caused the Cleveland batters to pound the air thirty-seven times, and eleven more strikes were called.It is a great record, and one that is seldom equaled. He had great speed at the outset, and struck out six of the first eight men who came to the bat. He could not maintain the pace, however, and was not so effective in the latter portion of the game, but was sufficiently so to prevent any one from earning a run." Despite Getzien's pitching performance, Detroit lost the game by a 1–0 score as Cleveland scored an unearned run. Getzien went on to start (and complete) 17 games for the Wolverines during the remaining two months of the 1883 season. He posted a 5–12 record for a Detroit team that finished in last place in the National League with a 28–84 record, 56 games out of contention. Getzien provided one of the few highlights for the 1884 Wolverines, pitching a six-inning no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies on October 1, 1884.The Detroit Free Press reported on Getzien's no-hitter as follows:"When Spalding compiles the history of remarkable games for his Guide for 1885, it will embrace the fact that in the Detroit-Philadelphia game of October 1 <mask>, the Detroit pitcher, was not batted for a base – a feat seldom accomplished. It should contain further fact that of eighteen men at bat he struck out ten, and of the other eight but one hit the ball beyond the diamond – Purcell, in the first inning, a fly to Weidman. Of the other seven, only three hit to the diamond, or a total of four balls struck inside the foul lines. Of the eighteen, [Detroit catcher] Gastfield put out eleven and threw out three others, Bennett, Scott and Weidman each had a fly, and Jones threw one out at first." Getzien finished the 1884 season with a 1.95 ERA, third best in the National League behind Old Hoss Radbourn (1.38) and Charlie Sweeney (1.95), both of whom played for the league champion Providence Grays. Over the course of the full 1884 season, pitching for both Grand Rapids and Detroit, Getzien started and completed 47 games and pitched  innings. In 1885, Getzien compiled a 12–25 record as his ERA jumped to 3.03.His record in 1885 was again impacted by playing with a noncompetitive team. The 1885 Wolverines finished the season in sixth place with a 41–67 record. In 1886, Getzien and the Wolverines saw their fortunes rise as the Wolverines assembled one of the best hitting teams in National League history featuring, among others, Dan Brouthers, Sam Thompson, Hardy Richardson, and Jack Rowe. Despite having a 3.03 ERA (precisely the same as his 1885 performance), Getzien won a career-high 30 victories against 11 losses. Getzien was not the Wolverines' leading pitcher in 1886, as teammate Lady Baldwin led the National League with 42 wins. The 1886 Wolverines finished in second place, 2½ games behind the Chicago White Stockings, with an 87–36 record and a .707 winning percentage. In 1887, Getzien was the leading pitcher on a Detroit Wolverines team that won the National League pennant and then defeated the St. Louis Browns in the 1887 World Series.Getzien compiled a 29–13 record and a 3.73 ERA, leading the league in winning percentage (.690) but also in home runs allowed (24). In September 1887, a group of influential fans in Detroit contributed money to purchase "an elegant two hundred dollar gold watch and chain" for Getzien to express their admiration for Getzien's "magnificent work for the club." In the 1887 World Series (which Detroit won, 10 games to 5), Getzien pitched six complete games and compiled a 4–2 record with a 2.48 ERA. On October 17, 1887, Getzien pitched a no-hitter through the first eight innings in Game 10 of the World Series played before 10,000 spectators at the Polo Grounds in New York. The Detroit Free Press wrote: "Getzien made a remarkable showing. Up to and including the eighth inning only twenty-seven men went to the bat and not a clean hit had been scored. Not till the ninth did the world beaters succeed in getting a hit, and then they failed to score the much desired run."In 1888, <mask> compiled an 18–22 record and a 3.05 ERA. He started 46 games and completed 45 of them with 404 innings pitched. However, <mask> lost his role as the team's leading pitcher, as Pete Conway compiled a 30–14 record and a 2.25 ERA for the 1888 Wolverines. After Getzien gave up 10 runs in an August 1888 game against Washington, the Detroit Free Press dubbed him the "Pulverized Pretzel." The newspaper reported: "The Detroits were defeated again to-day ... simply because Getzein could not keep the ball away from the Senatorial bat. When he pitched high they hit it. When he delivered his famous drop, he was knocked out of the lot, and his in and out curves were as big as balloons to Ted Sullivan's men."As the 1888 season progressed, relations between Getzien and the Detroit manager became strained. After a game in which Getzien gave up 21 hits against Boston, The Sporting Life reported on speculation that Getzien may have intentionally thrown the game: "The Getzein episode makes Detroiters weary. The Bostons have no license to make 21 hits off the Pretzel when he pitches his game. Either he was not in condition to pitch or he didn't try to. . . . If the latter, and he repeated his performance against the Kansas Citys a few years ago, when he deliberately tossed the balls to the plate and permitted the Cowboys to make 13 runs in one inning, why no one here would mourn much if he was fined to the limit. What the merits of his quarrel with Watkins are of course are not known here. But Getzein is inclined to be very free with his tongue.Considering his fine treatment here it is time for him to get over his childish humors and do the best he knows how whenever called on." Later years

Getzien's career with the Wolverines ended after the 1888 season. On March 5, 1889, he was sold by Detroit to the Indianapolis Hoosiers. During the 1889 season, he compiled an 18–22 record and a 4.54 ERA for the Hoosiers and led the National League in home runs allowed with 27. After a subpar season with the Hoosiers, Getzien was acquired by the Boston Beaneaters in March 1890. He returned to good form in 1890, compiling a 23–17 record with a 3.19 ERA for the fifth-place Beaneaters. While pitching for Detroit in 1887, Getzien was teamed up with catcher Charlie Ganzel, and the pair became known as the "Pretzel Battery" because of their shared German ethnicity.When Getzien signed with Boston in 1890, he was reunited with Ganzel. The Sporting Life reported: "The signing of Getzein by the Boston League Club re-unites the famous 'Pretzel Battery,' Getzein and Ganzel, of the Detroit ex-champions." Getzien began the 1891 season with Boston, but he was released by the team on July 16, 1891, after compiling a 4–5 record in nine starts. He attempted a comeback with the Cleveland Spiders in August 1891, but he appeared in only one game for the Spiders, allowing nine runs in nine innings. He concluded his major league career appearing in 13 games for the St. Louis Browns in 1892. In 1894, Getzien was reported to be playing first base for a Chicago City League team. Career statistics
During nine major league seasons, Getzien compiled a 145–139 record and a 3.46 earned run average (ERA) in 296 games.He totaled 292 games started and threw 277 complete games, a total that ranks 58th in major league history. Only three pitchers in major league history (Ed Morris, Mark Baldwin, and Hall of Famer Albert Spalding) threw more complete games in careers shorter than Getzien's nine-year career. Getzien's record for complete games is based in part on the customs of the 1880s. In 1915, Baseball Magazine reported that managers were not allowed to freely pull the starting pitcher from a game in the bygone era. It cited an incident involving Getzien to illustrate the old practice:"The Nationals got onto Getzein in the fourth inning and batted him all over the field. In the fifth inning they kept up the slugging until Getzein said he was ill, and Manager Hanlon wanted the Nationals to allow Getzein to retire, claiming that he was too sick to play. Baker, captaining the home club, said he would call a doctor and have him examine Getzein, and if the latter was really sick he would probably allow the change to be made.Dr. Bond, who happened to be present, was called on, and he examined the pitcher, while the crowd guyed Getzein terribly. The doctor announced that he did not consider Getzein sick, only discouraged at the pounding he had received, and that he would be able to finish the game." Family and death
Getzien was married to Rose Dibble. He died in June 1932 after suffering a heart attack at his home in Chicago. He was buried at Concordia Cemetery in Forest Park, Illinois. See also

List of Major League Baseball players from Europe

References

External links

1864 births
1932 deaths
19th-century baseball players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Major League Baseball players from Germany
Boston Beaneaters players
Cleveland Spiders players
Detroit Wolverines players
Indianapolis Hoosiers (NL) players
St. Louis Browns (NL) players
Grand Rapids (minor league baseball) players
German emigrants to the United States
Baseball players from Chicago
Burials in Forest Park, Illinois

masks: Pretzels Getzien Getzien Getzien Getzien Getzien


title: Albert Pujols

texts:
<mask> (; born January 16, 1980) is a Dominican professional baseball first baseman who is a free agent. Nicknamed "The Machine", he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals for 11 seasons and the Los Angeles Angels for more than nine seasons before joining the Los Angeles Dodgers for half a season. With the Cardinals, <mask> was a three-time National League (NL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) (, , ) and nine-time All-Star (2001, 2003–2010). After joining the Angels in 2012, he made one All-Star appearance, in 2015. <mask> was born in the Dominican Republic and moved to the United States in 1996. After one season of college baseball, he was selected by the Cardinals in the 13th round of the 1999 MLB draft. As a rookie for the Cardinals in 2001, he was unanimously voted the NL Rookie of the Year.<mask> played consistently for the Cardinals, contributing to two World Series championships in  and . After the 2011 season, <mask> became a free agent and signed a 10-year contract with the Angels. Early in the 2021 season, <mask> was designated for assignment by the Angels. Shortly thereafter, he was signed by the Dodgers. <mask> was, at the height of his career, a highly regarded hitter who showed a "combination of contact hitting ability, patience and raw power." He is a six-time Silver Slugger who has twice led the NL in home runs, and he has also led the NL once each in batting average, doubles, and RBIs. With 14 seasons of 100 or more RBIs, he is one of only five players in MLB history to have topped 2,000 RBIs in his career, surpassing Alex Rodriguez for third place on the official all-time list during the 2020 season.In 2018, <mask> collected his 3,000th career hit, becoming the 32nd player in MLB history to reach that milestone. <mask> also became the fourth player to amass 3,000 hits and 600 home runs, joining Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Alex Rodriguez. As of 2021, he is the oldest active MLB player. Early life and career
<mask> was raised in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, mostly by his grandmother, <mask>, and 10 of his uncles and aunts. He was an only child. His father, Bienvenido Pujols, was a softball pitcher, but he was also an alcoholic. <mask> often had to take his father home when his father got drunk following games.Growing up, <mask> practiced baseball using limes for balls and a milk carton for a glove. <mask>, his father, and his grandmother emigrated in 1996 to Washington Heights in New York City, where <mask> witnessed a shooting at a bodega. Partly because of the shooting, they moved to Independence, Missouri, two months later to join some relatives. <mask> played baseball at Fort Osage High School in Independence and was named an All-State athlete twice. As a senior, he was walked 55 times intentionally, but he still hit eight home runs in 33 at bats. One of his home runs travelled . After graduating from high school a semester early in December 1998, he was given a baseball scholarship to Maple Woods Community College.<mask> hit a grand slam and turned an unassisted triple play in the first game of his only college season. Playing shortstop, he batted .461 with 22 home runs as a freshman before deciding to enter the Major League Baseball (MLB) draft. Professional baseball career

Minor league career
Few teams were interested in Pujols because of uncertainty about his age, which position he would play, and his build. Tampa Bay Rays scout Fernando Arango recommended that his team sign <mask>, and quit his job when Tampa Bay failed to do so. <mask> was not drafted until the 13th round of the 1999 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft, when the St. Louis Cardinals selected him with the 402nd overall pick. <mask> initially turned down a $10,000 bonus and spent the summer playing for the Hays Larks of the Jayhawk Collegiate League (a summer league in the National Baseball Congress). When the Cardinals increased their bonus offer to $60,000, he signed.<mask> began his minor league career in 2000 playing third base with the Peoria Chiefs of the single-A Midwest League. He batted .324 with 128 hits, 32 doubles, six triples, 17 home runs and 84 RBI, in 109 games. He was voted the league's Most Valuable Player and named to the All-Star team. <mask> also played 21 games with the Potomac Cannons in the high-A Carolina League that year, batting .284 with 23 hits, eight doubles, one triple, two home runs and 10 RBI. He finished the 2000 season with the Memphis Redbirds in the AAA Pacific Coast League (PCL), and after appearing in three regular season games with them, he batted .367 in the playoffs and was named the postseason Most Valuable Player (MVP) as the Redbirds won their first PCL title. St. Louis Cardinals (2001–2011)

Early career (2001–2003)
During spring training in 2001, incumbent first baseman Mark McGwire said to Cardinals manager Tony La Russa that if he did not promote <mask> to the major league roster, "it might be one of the worst moves you make in your career." La Russa later recounted the "myth" that <mask> only made the Opening Day roster in 2001 because Bobby Bonilla was injured.According to La Russa, he and the rest of Cardinals management were impressed enough by Pujols that they decided to promote him to the big league club even before Bonilla's injury. Although the team did not require Pujols to fill any particular position, the Cardinals activated him to the Opening Day roster, and he started all season at either third base, right field, left field, or first base. On Opening Day against the Colorado Rockies on April 2, Pujols became the first major league player born in the 1980s. In that game, he recorded his first career hit, a single against pitcher Mike Hampton in an 8–0 loss. Four days later, he had three hits and three RBI – including his first home run – against the Arizona Diamondbacks' Armando Reynoso in a 12–9 win. On April 9, in his first career home game, <mask> hit a two-run home run in his first at bat against Denny Neagle of Colorado. Through 2015, he was one of three players to hit 20 or more home runs in their rookie year before July, along with Wally Berger (1930) and Joc Pederson (2015).At midseason, <mask> became the first Cardinals' rookie since Luis Arroyo in 1955 to make the All-Star Game. He finished the season batting .329 (sixth in the league) with 194 hits (fifth in the league), 47 doubles (fifth in the league), 37 home runs and 112 runs. His 37 home runs led the Cardinals, topping Jim Edmonds's 30 and McGwire's 29. He was named the National League (NL) Silver Slugger Award winner for the third base position, and he finished fourth in NL Most Valuable Player (MVP) voting, behind Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa and Luis Gonzalez. He was unanimously named the NL Rookie of the Year after setting an NL rookie record with 130 RBI (fifth in the league) and becoming the fourth MLB rookie to hit .300 with 30 home runs, 100 runs and 100 RBI. The Cardinals finished the 2001 season with a 93–69 record and advanced to the playoffs as the National League wild card team. The team advanced to the NL Division Series (NLDS).In Game 2 on October 10, <mask> hit a game-winning two-run home run against Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson in a 4–1 victory. The Cardinals, however, were eliminated in five games, and Pujols had just two hits in 18 at-bats. After playing several positions in 2001, <mask> spent most of 2002 in left field. He began the season batting cleanup but was moved in May to the third spot in the lineup, where he remained for the rest of his Cardinals career. <mask> hit his 30th home run and 100th RBI of the season in a 5–4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds in August, making him the sixth Cardinal to have back-to-back 30-home-run seasons and the second Cardinal (the other was Ray Jablonski) to start his career with back-to-back 100-RBI seasons. The following month, <mask> hit a game-winning two-run single against Pete Munro in a 9–3 victory over the Houston Astros that gave the Cardinals the NL Central title. <mask> finished the year batting .314 (seventh in the NL) with 185 hits (tied for fourth in the NL), 40 doubles (eighth in the NL), 34 home runs (10th in the NL), 118 runs scored (second in the NL to Sosa's 122) and 127 RBI (second in the NL).He became the first player in major league history to hit over .300 with at least 30 home runs, 100 runs scored and 100 RBI in his first two seasons. <mask> finished second in MVP voting to Bonds, becoming the first Cardinal since Stan Musial to finish in the top four in MVP voting for consecutive seasons. At the end of the 2002 season, Chris Haft of MLB.com called him "an outstanding hitter." <mask>'s contributions helped the Cardinals finish third in home runs and second in batting average and RBI; the Cardinals' pitching staff also finished fourth in ERA. The Cardinals again reached the playoffs, and Pujols had three hits and three RBI in a three-game sweep of the Diamondbacks in the 2002 NLDS. The team advanced to the 2002 NL Championship Series (NLCS), but lost in five games to the San Francisco Giants. <mask> had five hits, one home run and two RBI in the series.Five Cardinals were named to the All-Star Game in 2003 while <mask> led the NL in votes. It was the first of eight straight seasons that Pujols would reach the All-Star Game. From July 12 to August 16, <mask> had a 30-game hitting streak, tied for the second-longest in Cardinals' history with Musial and behind only Rogers Hornsby's 33-game streak. On July 20, <mask> hit his 100th career home run, a game-winner in a 10–7 victory over the Dodgers. He became the fourth major leaguer to hit his 100th home run in his third season, along with Ralph Kiner, Eddie Mathews and Joe DiMaggio. <mask> hit his 114th home run on September 20 in a game against the Astros, which tied him with Kiner for most home runs by a player in his first three seasons. In 157 games, <mask> hit 43 home runs (fourth in the league, behind Jim Thome, Richie Sexson and Bonds) and had 124 RBI (tied with Sexson for fourth and behind Preston Wilson, Gary Sheffield and Thome).He became the youngest player since Tommy Davis in 1962 to win the NL batting title after batting .359, and he led the league in runs (137), hits (212) and doubles (51). Pujols joined Rogers Hornsby as the only players in Cardinals' history to record more than 40 homers and 200 hits in the same season. Though his stellar play had Cardinals' fans chanting "M-V-P!" during home games as early as June, <mask> again finished second to Bonds in MVP voting. He won his second Silver Slugger Award and first Sporting News Player of the Year Award. <mask>' contributions helped the Cardinals rank second in batting average and third in home runs in the NL; however, the pitching staff posted a 4.60 ERA, which was below the league average, and the Cardinals missed the playoffs. New contract (2004–2005)
After receiving many awards in his first three seasons, <mask> was rewarded monetarily for his accomplishments on February 20, 2004, when he signed a seven-year, $100 million contract extension with a $16 million club option for 2011 with no-trade provisions.He was moved to first base in 2004 after the Cardinals traded Tino Martinez in the offseason. On June 16, he hit a walk-off home run against Reds pitcher Mike Matthews in the 10th inning of a 4–3 victory. <mask>'s highlights later in the season included a July game in which he hit five RBI and three home runs in a thrilling win over the rival Chicago Cubs, and another in which he broke up a no-hitter by Giants pitcher Dustin Hermanson. During a September game against the Rockies, he earned his 500th RBI, joining DiMaggio and Ted Williams as the only players to have 500 RBI in their first four seasons. He said he was confident there was going to be "a lot more." Although <mask> was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis during the second half of the season, he finished the season with a .331 average (fifth in the league), 196 hits (fifth), 51 doubles (second to Lyle Overbay's 53), 46 home runs (tied with Adam Dunn for second behind Adrián Beltré's 48) and 123 RBI (third, behind Vinny Castilla's 131 and Scott Rolen's 124) in 154 games. He also led the league in runs scored, with 133.He finished third in MVP voting (behind Bonds and Beltré), joining Musial as the only Cardinals to finish in the top five in voting for at least four years in a row. He won the Silver Slugger Award at first base, the third position he won the award at. Pujols, along with teammates Edmonds and Rolen, earned the nickname "MV3" for their phenomenal seasons; Pujols led the three in home runs and batting average. The Cardinals won the NL Central, aided by the MVP and pitcher Chris Carpenter, who won 15 games and had a 3.46 ERA his first season with the team. In Game 4 of the NLDS against the Dodgers, Pujols hit a three-run home run against Wilson Álvarez and had four RBI as the Cardinals won, 6–2, and took the series three games to one. In Game 6 of the NLCS, Pujols had three hits, scored three runs (including the winning run), and hit a two-run home run off Munro in a 12-inning, 6–4 victory. The Cardinals won the series in seven games, advancing to the World Series for the first time since 1987.<mask> was named the NLCS MVP after batting .500 with four home runs and nine RBI. He was one of three Cardinals to bat over .250 in the series against the Boston Red Sox (after batting .333) as the Cardinals were swept by Boston in four games. By 2005, many baseball fans thought that Pujols was the best Cardinal since Musial. <mask> picked up his 100th RBI of the season on August 31, joining Williams, DiMaggio and Al Simmons as the only players with 100 RBI in their first five seasons. <mask> hit his 200th career home run in a game against the Reds on September 30, making him the third-youngest major league player to reach that milestone (behind Mel Ott and Eddie Mathews) and the second-fastest to reach it (behind Kiner). In 161 games, <mask> batted .330 (second to Derrek Lee's .335 average) with 195 hits (fourth behind Lee, Miguel Cabrera and Jimmy Rollins), 38 doubles, 41 home runs (third, behind Andruw Jones's 51 and Lee's 46), 117 RBI (tied with Burrell for second behind Jones's 128) and 129 runs scored (first in the league). For the first time in his career, he won the NL MVP award as Bonds was limited to 14 games due to an injury.<mask> returned to the playoffs as the Cardinals won the NL Central for the second year in a row. He had five hits in nine at-bats with four runs scored and two RBI in the NLDS as the Cardinals swept the Padres. In Game 5 of the NLCS against the Astros, with the Cardinals trailing by two runs and only one out from elimination in the ninth inning, <mask> hit a game-winning three-run home run against Brad Lidge that landed on the train tracks in the back of Minute Maid Park. The Cardinals won 5–4. MLB.com writer Matthew Leach later called it "one of the most famous playoff home runs in recent years." Nevertheless, the Cardinals were eliminated in Game 6 by the Astros. <mask> batted .304 with two home runs and six RBI in the series.Continued success and first World Series (2006–2008)

Over two games in April 2006, <mask> hit home runs in four

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title: Albert Pujols

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 consecutive plate appearances, making him the 20th player to accomplish the feat. <mask> maintained after the game that he was more concerned with winning than the numbers: "I don't look at numbers," he said. "I don't know. I didn't know anything about [the record] until you guys brought it up. Because that's not me. I don't get locked in on numbers. I don't get locked in on anything like that.I get locked in on seeing the ball and helping my team out to win and hopefully doing some damage out there." Pujols had three hits and four RBI, including his 1,000th career hit (a home run against Jerome Williams), as the Cardinals defeated the Cubs 9–3 on April 21, 2006. On June 4, he was placed on the disabled list (DL) for the first time in his career with a strained right oblique that kept him out for three weeks. On August 22, Pujols hit a three-run home run and a grand slam against John Maine in an 8–7 loss to the Mets. On September 28, with the Cardinals trailing 2–1 to the Padres in the eighth inning, he hit a game-winning three-run home run against Cla Meredith, helping the Cardinals win 4–2 and end a seven-game losing streak. The win preserved the Cardinals' 1.5 game division lead; La Russa said afterward that it was "the most huge of the huge ones he's hit." Pujols finished the season with a .331 average (third to Freddy Sanchez's .344 and Cabrera's .339), 177 hits, 33 doubles, 49 home runs (second to Ryan Howard's 58), 137 RBI (second to Howard, 149) and 119 runs scored (tied with Matt Holliday, Hanley Ramírez, and Alfonso Soriano for fifth).Of his 49 home runs, 20 accounted for a game-winning RBI, breaking Willie Mays' single-season record set in 1962. He finished second to Howard in MVP voting and won the NL Gold Glove Award for first base. He won his first of four consecutive Fielding Bible Awards for the first base position. Led by <mask> and Carpenter, the Cardinals won the NL Central and reached the playoffs for the third year in a row. In Game 1 of the NLDS against the Padres, he hit a game-winning two-run home run against Jake Peavy as the Cardinals won 5–1. He had a game-winning RBI against David Wells and had three hits in Game 2 as the Cardinals won 2–0. He batted .333 with a home run and an RBI in the series as the Cardinals defeated the Padres in four games.In Game 2 of the NLCS against the Mets, <mask> scored three runs as the Cardinals won 9–6. He batted .318 with one home run and one RBI in the series as the Cardinals defeated the Mets in seven games. In Game 1 of the World Series against the Detroit Tigers, he hit a game-winning two-run home run against Justin Verlander as the Cardinals won 4–2. In Game 5, he made a sprawling, flip-from-his-back play to rob Plácido Polanco of a hit as the Cardinals clinched the series giving <mask> his first career World Series ring. Near the beginning of the 2007 season in an April 22 game against the Cubs, <mask> hit a game-winning three-run home run against Ryan Dempster in the 10th inning of a 12–9 victory, tying Ken Boyer for second all-time on the Cardinals' home run list with his 255th. <mask> finished the season with 185 hits, 38 doubles and 103 RBI (a career-low). He was among the league leaders in batting average (.327, sixth) and home runs (32, tied with Carlos Lee and Chris Young) for 10.He scored 99 runs, ending his streak of seasons with at least 30 home runs, a .300 average, 100 runs scored and 100 RBI, at six. He grounded into a major-league leading 27 double plays. He finished ninth in MVP voting, the first year he had finished outside the top five in his career. Pujols began 2008 by reaching base in 42 straight games, the longest streak to open a season since Derek Jeter reached base in the first 53 games of 1999. On June 11, he was placed on the DL with a strained left calf muscle. Although he was expected to miss three weeks, he was activated from the DL on June 26. <mask> hit his 300th home run against Bob Howry on July 4 in a 2–1 loss to the Cubs.He said after the game that to him it was "just another homer that goes out of the park. I'm happy to do it in front of our fans—they were waiting for it." On September 11, in a 3–2 loss to the Cubs, Pujols hit his 100th RBI of the season against Rich Harden, making him the third player in major league history to start his career with eight seasons of at least 100 RBI (along with Simmons and Williams). He regretted that the milestone came in a loss, saying, "I wish it would have come with a great win. It would have been more special." In 148 games in 2008, Pujols batted .357 (second to Chipper Jones's .364 average) with 187 hits (third, behind Reyes's 204 and David Wright's 189), 44 doubles (tied with Stephen Drew and Aramis Ramírez for fourth in the league behind Berkman and Nate McLouth's 46 and Corey Hart's 45), 37 home runs (tied with Ryan Braun and Ryan Ludwick for fourth in the league behind Howard's 48, Dunn's 40, and Delgado's 38), 116 RBI (fourth, behind Howard's 146, Wrights 124 and Adrián González's 119) and 100 runs scored. He grounded into a National League-leading 27 double plays.<mask> won his second NL MVP Award, and he won the Silver Slugger Award for the fourth time in his career. He was named The Sporting News Player of the Year for the second time in his career. For his work off the field, he was named the 2008 winner of the Roberto Clemente Award. He considered having Tommy John surgery after the season but underwent nerve transposition surgery on his right elbow instead to ease discomfort. Later Cardinals career and second World Series (2009–2011)

On April 25, 2009, <mask> picked up his 1,000th career RBI with a 441-foot grand slam against David Patton in an 8–2 victory over the Cubs. "I hit that ball as good as I can hit a ball," he said after the game. On July 3, he hit his 10th career grand slam against Weathers in a 7–4 victory over the Reds, breaking Musial's record for most grand slams by a Cardinal.The grand slam was also his 350th career home run, making him the third-fastest player to reach the milestone, behind Alex Rodriguez and Ken Griffey, Jr. He received the highest number of votes in NL history for the All-Star Game that year. Pujols had four hits, three runs scored and five RBI on August 4, including a grand slam against Sean Green which tied the NL record for most grand slams in a season (five), in a 10-inning, 12–7 victory over the Mets. In 160 games, Pujols batted .327 (third, behind Ramírez's .342 and Pablo Sandoval's .330) with 186 hits (sixth), 45 doubles (second to Miguel Tejada's 46), 47 home runs (first), 135 RBI (third behind Fielder and Howard's 141) and 124 runs scored (first). He was unanimously named the NL MVP for the third time, tying Musial as the Cardinals' leader in that category. For the fifth time in his career, he won the Silver Slugger Award. He won the Sporting News MLB Player of the Year award for the second consecutive year, joining Williams and Joe Morgan as the only players to win it in back-to-back years.For the fourth year in a row, he won the Fielding Bible Award for first base. Aided by the mid-season acquisition of Matt Holliday (who replaced Ryan Ludwick as the cleanup hitter) and the emergence of Adam Wainwright (who led the NL in wins), the Cardinals returned to the playoffs after a two-year hiatus. In the NLDS against the Dodgers, <mask> batted .300 with one RBI as the Cardinals were swept in three games. Following the postseason, <mask> had surgery to remove five bone spurs from his right elbow. The Cardinals called the surgery a "success," and Dr. James Andrews decided that Pujols did not need Tommy John surgery at that time. For April 2010, <mask> earned his first Pepsi Clutch Performer of the Month Award. He batted .348, 1.270 OPS, three home runs and 14 RBI with runners on base.Further, in situations with his team leading by one run, tied, or having the potential tying run on base, at bat, or on deck after the seventh inning ("late-and-close"), he batted .583 (7-for-12) with a home run, two doubles, three RBI and five runs scored. On June 29, 2010, in an 8–0 victory over the Diamondbacks, Pujols hit five RBI and hit two home runs against Dontrelle Willis for his 37th career multihomer game, which tied Musial's franchise record for multihomer games. "It's pretty special," he said of tying Musial. "I'm blessed to have the opportunity to be compared sometimes with him." On August 26, he hit his 400th career home run against Jordan Zimmermann in a 13-inning, 11–10 loss to the Nationals. He became the third-youngest player to reach the milestone—behind Griffey, Jr. and Rodriguez—and he became the fourth-quickest player by at bats to reach the milestone (behind McGwire, Babe Ruth, Harmon Killebrew, and Thome). On September 11, in a 12-inning 6–3 loss to Atlanta, Pujols had three RBI and reached 100 RBI for the 10th consecutive year with a two-run double against Tommy Hanson.Only Simmons has a longer streak of 100 RBI seasons at the beginning of a career, with 11. Pujols joined Jimmie Foxx, Lou Gehrig, and Rodriguez in having 10 consecutive seasons of 100 or more RBI at any time in their career. Foxx and Rodriguez are the only two players besides Pujols to have 10 consecutive years of 30 home runs and 100 RBI. The next day, in a 7–3 victory over the Braves, he passed Musial to be the all-time Cardinals' leader in multi-home run games when he hit two home runs against Tim Hudson for the 38th time in a game. In 159 games, Pujols batted .312 (sixth) with 183 hits (fifth) and 39 doubles (tied for eighth with Marlon Byrd); he led the league in runs scored (115), home runs (42) and RBI (118). He won his second Gold Glove Award for first base, and he won the NL First Base Silver Slugger Award for the sixth time. He finished second in the NL MVP voting to Joey Votto, who said he was "shocked" that Pujols only got one first-place vote.<mask> and the Cardinals set a deadline for the start of 2011 spring training for contract extension negotiations but failed to reach an agreement. After Pujols struggled in his first 30 games of the season in batting .231, he batted .316 with 30 home runs in his final 117 games. Against the Cubs, he hit consecutive extra-inning walk-off home runs on June 4 and 5 for the first time since <mask> in 1995. Carpenter noted after the game that <mask>' slump earlier in the year was over: "He continues to do great things, there's no doubt about it," he said. "The things that he's done the last few days have been just like the old <mask>." On June 19 against the Royals, Wilson Betemit collided with Pujols, inducing a small fracture his left wrist and keeping him inactive until July 5. On July 30, in a 9–2 victory over the Cubs, he got his 2,000th career hit against Carlos Mármol, becoming the fifth Cardinal to reach 2,000 hits and 12th-fastest major leaguer by games to reach the milestone.In the Cardinals' final game of the season, against the Astros on September 28, he had the game-winning RBI against Brett Myers in the 8–0 victory, helping the Cardinals overcome a 10.5-game deficit to Atlanta to win the Wild Card. Pujols finished the season with 173 hits (tied for ninth with Aramis Ramírez), 29 doubles (a career-low), and 105 runs scored (tied for third with Justin Upton behind Ryan Braun's 109 and Matt Kemp's 115). He saw his streak of seasons batting at least .300 with 30 home runs and 100 RBI snapped when he hit 37 home runs (third, behind Fielder's 38 and Kemp's 39), but batted .299 with 99 RBI (seventh); however, only three other players in the major leagues matched him in those categories (José Bautista, Fielder, and Kemp), causing Tyler Kepner of The New York Times to write, "Even when Pujols struggles, he excels." He grounded into a major-league leading 29 double plays. He was fifth in MVP voting. In Game 2 of the NLDS against the Phillies on October 2, Pujols had a game-winning RBI single against Cliff Lee in the 5–4 victory. He batted .350 with one RBI in the series as the Cardinals defeated the Phillies in five games.In Game 2 of the NLCS against the Brewers, he had four hits, three runs scored, one home run and five RBI, in a 12–3 victory. He batted .478 with two home runs and nine RBI in the series as the Cardinals defeated the Brewers in six games. On October 22, in Game 3 of the World Series, <mask> had five hits, three home runs, four runs scored and six RBI in a 16–7 victory over the Rangers. He joined Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson as the only players in baseball history to hit three home runs in a World Series game, set a series record with 14 total bases, became the first player in series history to have hits in four consecutive innings, and tied records for most hits and most RBI in a World Series game. He had one hit and no RBI the other six games of the series but became a World Series champion for the second time as the Cardinals defeated the Rangers in seven games. After the season, he became a free agent for the first time in his career. Los Angeles Angels (2012–2021)
Three teams were reported to be interested in Pujols during the 2011 offseason: the Cardinals, the Miami Marlins, and the Los Angeles Angels.The Cardinals offered <mask> a 10-year, $210 million deal (with $30 million deferred), but <mask> rejected it. His wife, Deidre, explained on a radio talk show that they were "insulted" and "confused" that the Cardinals had initially offered Pujols a five-year deal. The Marlins reportedly offered Pujols a 10-year contract too, but on December 8, he signed a 10-year deal with the Angels worth around $254 million. Early Angels tenure (2012–2016)

Pujols did not perform very well to begin the 2012 season, batting .217 with no home runs and four RBI in the month of April. Soon after the Angels called up top prospect Mike Trout and fired hitting coach Mickey Hatcher, Pujols's numbers began to rise, as he batted .323 with 13 home runs from May 15 through the All-Star Break. On July 31, he hit two home runs against Derek Holland in a 6–2 victory over the Rangers. After the game, Holland observed that Pujols had "definitely turned it around, no doubt about it...He had a slow start, but he's picked it up. He's a great hitter...." On August 14, Pujols had four RBIs, including a game-winning three-run home run against Ubaldo Jiménez in a 9–6 victory over the Cleveland Indians. In 2012, Pujols batted .285 (at the time, a career low) in 153 games with 173 hits, 50 doubles (second to Alex Gordon's 51), 30 home runs, 105 RBIs (7th in AL), and 85 runs scored. In 2013, Pujols had by far the worst season of his career to date, failing to play at least 100 games in a season for the first time. Pujols also posted career worsts in hits, runs scored, doubles, home runs, RBI, walks, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS. Overall in 99 games, Pujols batted .258 with 101 hits, 19 doubles, 17 home runs, 64 RBI, and 49 runs scored. On August 19, 2013, Pujols was ruled out for the remainder of the 2013 season after suffering a foot injury.In August 2013, on his St. Louis WGNU radio show, former Cardinals player Jack Clark accused <mask> of having used performance-enhancing drugs. Clark served as the Cardinals' hitting coach during the early

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