BATTING: The Pujols problem

(Rod Serling voice-over): Picture if you will an alternate fantasy-baseball universe. Albert Pujols, the greatest hitter in the game, has gone 27 straight games without hitting a home run, but nobody—not the media, not the touts, not fantasy baseball owners, is saying anything about it.

And certainly no fantasy owner is talking about trading or waiving him. Because in this alternative reality, even a 27-game homerless slump leaves this great hitter in...

The Highlight Zone.

Sound implausible? Well, it actually happened, almost exactly a year ago, and right here in reality.

It was May 3, 2011, in the top of the sixth of a scoreless game against the San Diego Padres. Pujols stepped to the plate with one out and nobody on, and...

Almost!

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