Touch 'Em All: Pujols not happy with billboards

Albert Pujols is the focal point of the Los Angeles Angels' 2012 marketing campaign, which began in late January with 70 billboards throughout Southern California, 20 of which refer to the former St. Louis Cardinals star as "El Hombre."

One little problem: Pujols would prefer not to be called "El Hombre," which is Spanish for "The Man." He feels that using that nickname is disrespectful to Cardinals Hall of Famer Stan "The Man" Musial.

The Angels did not consult with Pujols or his agent before launching the campaign.

"I haven't experienced any resistance from players in the past about things like this," said Angels official Robert Alvarado. "It's all complimentary."

The Angels' v.p. for communications, Tim Mead, added that "El Hombre" has a different meaning to fans in Southern California than it does in St. Louis.

"His sentiments in St. Louis were out of respect and deference to someone else," Mead said. "He was saying, 'I'm not The Man, Stan Musial is.' We're marketing Albert Pujols, Angels baseball. I think there's a tremendous difference in context."

Gotta love the marketing folks in Southern California. Anyone remember Dodger Stadium's "Mannywood"?

Former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre's group has dropped out of bidding for the bankrupt team because current owner Frank McCourt won't include the parking lots outside the stadium.

The decision, first reported by the Los Angeles Times, was conveyed to MLB executive vice president Rob Manfred in a letter from Torre and group head Rick Caruso, a real estate developer.

Caruso and Torre said in the letter that "if the circumstances of the sale change, we are prepared to re-engage in the process immediately."

Pirates president Frank Coonelly faces four drunken- driving-related charges after an incident Dec. 22 in suburban Pittsburgh. Police in Ross Township, Pa., charged Coonelly, 51, with one count each of drunken driving, driving the wrong way, careless driving, and driving with a blood-alcohol content of at least twice the state's legal limit of .08 percent.

"My actions that evening were irresponsible and wrong," Coonelly said in a statement issued Thursday. "I take full and sole responsibility for them. There is no excuse for ever driving under the influence of alcohol."

- Inquirer wire services