Brady, Phil, Helio: Who’s MLB’s 2021 old-timer hero?
By Bill Felber
Albert Pujols/Justin Turner
Let’s start with the obvious. In a year in which Brady, Mickelson and Castroneves all emerge as old-timer champions, what’s more logical than Pujols delivering the big hit for the Dodgers in the Fall Classic?
Pujols is MLB’s oldest position player, he’s a future Hall of Famer, a two-time World Series winner already, and a three-time most Valuable Player.
Beyond that, if Pujols were to deliver the decisive hit at a critical Game 7 World Series moment, he’d only be fulfilling the hopes and expectations of Dodger fans when the team signed him a few weeks ago.
What in the name of Tommy Lasorda could possibly be more logical than a Pujols walk-off World Series winner?
The Dodgers actually have two legit chances for an old-timer hero. Justin Turner isn’t quite as gold-plated as Pujols, but at age 36 he’s a 13-year MLB veteran who hit .307 for the champs in 2020.
He batted .320 in last season’s World Series, and since he’s the starting third baseman unlike Pujols he’s guaranteed – barring injury – to be prominent on the World Series stage assuming the Dodgers can get there.
In 2021, Turner is positioning himself for a senior celebrity role. He’s off to a solid .271 start with nine home runs and an .819 OPS.
Given that the Dodgers are probably the favorites to actually get to the World Series, Pujols and/or Turner may be the two most likely old-timer heroes.