http://tinyurl.com/3cvq5n By Rick Hummel ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH 03/21/2007 VERO BEACH, FLA. — The statistics sheet denoted a .244 average and no home runs, hardly the stuff of Albert Pujols. But the Cardinals slugger, who has had a first six full seasons unlike anybody else in the game, says those numbers mean little or nothing. Pujols, two for his last 22, said before Tuesday night's exhibition game with the Los Angeles Dodgers," I don't look at (the statistics). I look at quality at-bats and the balls I've hit hard. I'm looking at probably five of my (six) doubles being off the wall. There were a couple of balls I hit against Atlanta (at Lake Buena Vista, Fla.) that probably would have been home runs, too. "I'm fine with it. Obviously, I don't feel good what I'm hitting. I don't feel I'm where I want to be. But there's (almost) two more weeks. I'm happy the way I'm swinging the bat because I'm driving the ball the other way when they're pitching me away. I'm staying back on the off-speed pitches. "There were probably two ground balls I've hit where I should have driven the ball better. Besides that, I'm really happy." Traditionally, veteran players begin to approach a peak for the regular season with about 10 days left in the spring. For Pujols, the process is half that. "You don't want 10 days. You want five days," he said. "You want to feel good with 10 days, but the last five days you want to have a swing you can maintain. The last five days here, you need to work your butt off to make sure that whatever it is that you need to do, you get it out of the way. You don't want to get into the season and be tired." Besides averaging .332 for his career, Pujols generally has hit well above .300 in spring training, too. In fact, in the past five spring trainings, he has hit over .400 twice, over .300 twice, and on two occasions has swatted six home runs. In 2003, he drove in 24 runs. This spring he has six RBIs. Count Cardinals hitting coach Hal McRae among those who are not worried. "I don't think it's a concern," McRae said. "He's not swinging the bat poorly. He can swing it better." Pujols said, "It's always great to be over .300, because it gives you a little confidence in yourself. "The results could have been better. But my .240 is a .240 (.234 after the game) where I know I could have had a couple of more hits here and there, and there were a couple of balls that the wind has brought back. I could have been hitting .450 or .400. "The quality of at-bats, that's what I look at. And I'm really pleased. I'm hitting the ball really hard when I'm making contact. Everybody's been struggling with the wind this spring. We've been hitting some balls where you say, 'Wow.'" Manager Tony La Russa, also unconcerned by Pujols' low batting average, said, "This, by far, is the most the wind has blown in down here. In a normal spring, he'd have a half-dozen home runs." But Pujols said, "Home runs here ... they don't count. From April 1 on in, that's different. "Now, if I'm like this at the end of April, then I worry about it. And, even in April, I won't worry about it because it's a long season. I know in '03, I had a really slow start and I ended up winning the batting title and having the best year of my career. "Right now, I'm about 95 percent of where I want to be. Hopefully, in the next five days, I'll be 100 percent." Pujols has made more spring training trips and had more at-bats (47) than most players at this stage of camp. "Some of the guys are hurt. I don't mind," said Pujols, who continues to battle his own hamstring problems, which probably won't get much better. "I told Tony (La Russa) that I don't mind making the trips," Pujols said. "I'm just trying to get myself ready. You need to get your at-bats. "(Scott) Spiezio and I are partners," said Pujols, laughing. "We make every trip." Discussing not only Pujols but all his colleagues, McRae said what he looked for now late in spring training was for his hitters to "see the ball well. Generally, seeing the ball well equates to good swings," McRae said. The backgrounds in many spring training parks are not very helpful in this regard, but McRae said, "We can't use that as an excuse. It is what it is. "We've been measuring players in spring training for 100 years, and we've been playing in the same ballparks. We can't make that a 2007 thing." [email protected] | 314-340-8196 --

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