Wheaties Fuel—The New Breakfast of Champions

Wheaties Fuel is a lightly sweetened, crunchy bowl of whole wheat flakes and crisp rice. It has whole grains to provide long-lasting energy; complex carbs for fuel; B-vitamins to help your body release energy from food; and it’s an excellent source of fiber (five grams/serving). I had a bowl with some scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, a banana and a cup of apple cider for a complete breakfast. The taste is outstanding (cinnamon honey crunch-flavored). And I felt great afterward—I had plenty of energy, I felt alert and it kept me going for several hours until my next meal (I eat six times/day).

Dr. John Ivy, a world-renowned expert on the role of nutrition and exercise performance, said:

“We’ve learned a lot about the bond between nutrition and performance over the years and as today’s athletes continue to get bigger, faster and stronger, it was important to develop a cereal that evolved along with them. With the help of our elite athletes, we created a cereal whose nutritional profile will fuel the active individual.”

If you can’t wait until January to get your taste of Wheaties Fuel, visit wheaties.com/evolution to order your own Collector’s Edition box and find out a lot more about the evolution of “The Breakfast of Champions.”

Sources: wheaties.com/evolution, Twitter.com/Wheaties_Fuel

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Wheaties Fuel: A New Breakfast of Champions

La Russa, who has coached the Cardinals for 14 years, says that he will make an decision soon.

“I know the organization needs an answer. I told them when I figure out whether there’s fire in there or not I’ll let them know. I’m not going to take forever,” said La Russa to the Associated Press.

The Cardinals easily won the NL Central with a record of 91-71. But they struggled at the finish of the regular season and their issues persisted into the postseason.

If La Russa returns to St. Louis for next season, the Cardinals will likely be favorites to win the division again. They have a strong pitching staff and with Albert Pujols in the middle of their lineup, the Cardinals can always put runs on the board.

Tony La Russa (Image: Zuma Press)

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Will Tony La Russa Return?

While the reason for his surgery isn’t known, sources indicate that the surgery was likely in regards to bone spurs. Last offseason, Pujols had surgery on the same elbow to correct nerve irritation.

In 2009, Pujols had 47 homers, 135 RBIs, 124 runs, 16 steals, a batting average of .327 and an on-base percentage of .443. His 47 homers led the major leagues. For his efforts this year, Pujols will undoubtedly win the 2009 NL Most Valuable Player award.

Most of Pujols’ elbow issues are attributed to a partially torn elbow tendon. He could hypothetically try to get it repaired but the rehab could keep him out for many months.

Albert Pujols was great even though his elbow isn't 100% (Image: Zuma Press)

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Albert Pujols Injury Update – Elbow Surgery

Albert Pujols - St. Louis Cardinals (Image: Zuma Press)

That the homer came off of Capps is significant. The last time Pujols faced Capps, the reliever was ejected for hitting Pujols in the ribs with a fastball. However, Pujols said that it wasn’t a matter of revenge.

Said Pujols: “Not revenge. What I’m trying to do there is get on base and try to help my team win a game.”

With the win, the Cardinals are now sitting at 81-56. They are all but guaranteed a spot in the 2009 baseball playoffs. And if Pujols, who is hitting .321 with 44 homers and 117 RBIs, keeps hitting the way he is the sky is the limit for St. Louis.

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Albert Pujols Wins Game with Pinch Hit Bomb

In the fourth inning, Pujols hit a solo shot to put the Cardinals up 1-0. The Cardinals doubled their lead to 2-0 when Pujols hit a homer in the sixth inning. Thanks to Chris Carpenter, that’s all St. Louis needed to score.

In eight innings, Carpenter carved up the D’Backs. He scattered seven hits and one walk while striking out seven and giving up no runs. The win advanced his record to 8-3. His ERA on the season is now 2.26.

Pujols’ numbers this year are just sick. He is batting .334 with 34 homers, 89 RBIs, 75 runs and ten stolen bases.

With the win, St. Louis improved to 50-42. The loss dropped the D’Backs to 38-52.

Albert Pujols (Image: Zuma Press)

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Albert Pujols Leads Cardinals over D’Backs

National League
Batting Average: Hanley Ramirez – .349
Home Runs: Albert Pujols – 32
RBIs: Albert Pujols – 87
Wins: Jason Marquis – 11
ERA: Dan Haren – 2.01
Saves: Heath Bell – 23

American League
Batting Average: Joe Mauer – .373
Home Runs: Carlos Pena – 24
RBIs: Jason Bay – 72
Wins: Beckett and Wakefield – 11
ERA: Zack Greinke – 2.12
Saves: Brian Fuentes – 26

In the NL, Albert Pujols has a great chance to win the MVP and Tim Lincecum has a great chance to win the Cy Young award. In the AL, the MVP race is wide open. Roy Halladay and Zack Greinke are the two favorites for the Cy Young award.

Albert Pujols is the hottest hitter in baseball (Image: Zuma Press)

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Major League Baseball League Leaders

Guess again.

The king on of the Home Run Derby turned out to be a prince — Prince Fielder of the Milwaukee Brewers. In the final round of the competition, Fielder was able to out-slug Nelson Cruz of the Texas Rangers. Both Pujols and Howard were eliminated in earlier rounds.

Fielder hitting the ball hard is nothing new. On the season, he is hitting .315 with 22 homers and 78 RBIs. In 2007, he hit a career-high 50 home runs. At 25, Fielder is considered one of the best power hitters in all of Major League Baseball.

The longest blast of the night was a 503-foot bomb Fielder hit deep into the bleachers. After hitting 11 homers in the first round, Fielder beat Cruz 6-5 in the Home Run Derby Finals.

Prince Fielder Home Run Derby King (Image: Newscom)

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Prince Fielder Home Run Derby King

STARTERS
Catcher – Yadier Molina – STL
First Baseman – Albert Pujols – STL
Second Baseman – Chase Utley – PHI
Shortstop – Hanley Ramirez – FLA
Third Baseman – David Wright – NYM
Outfielder – Carlos Beltran – NYM
Outfielder – Ryan Braun – MIL
Outfielder – Raul Ibanez – PHI

PITCHERS
Pitcher – Heath Bell – SD
Pitcher – Chad Billingsley – LAD
Pitcher – Jonathan Broxton – LAD
Pitcher – Matt Cain – SF
Pitcher – Francisco Cordero – CIN
Pitcher – Ryan Franklin – STL
Pitcher – Dan Haren – ARI
Pitcher – Josh Johnson – FLA
Pitcher – Ted Lilly – CHC
Pitcher – Tim Lincecum – SF
Pitcher – Jason Marquis – COL
Pitcher – Francisco Rodriguez – NYM
Pitcher – Johan Santana – NYM

RESERVE PLAYERS
Catcher – Brian McCann – ATL
First Baseman – Prince Fielder – MIL
First Baseman – Adrian Gonzalez – SD
First Baseman – Ryan Howard – PHI
Second Baseman – Orlando Hudson – LAD
Second Baseman – Freddy Sanchez – PIT
Shortstop – Miguel Tejada – HOU
Third Baseman – Ryan Zimmerman – WSH
Outfielder – Brad Hawpe – COL
Outfielder – Hunter Pence – HOU
Outfielder – Justin Upton – ARI

Albert Pujols was the leading vote-getter (Image: Zuma Press)

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2009 National League All-Star Roster

On the game, Pujols was 2-for-2 with two runs, four RBIs, two homers and two walks. He’s now hitting .328 with 28 blasts, 74 RBIs, 59 runs and an on-base percentage of .450. He’s leading the entire big leagues in homers, RBIs, runs and on-base percentage.

Against the Twins, Pujols hit a two run homer in the first inning to put the Cardinals a 2-0 lead. After Brendan Harris hit a bases clearing single with the bases loaded in the second inning, Pujols hit another two-run blast in the third inning to put the Cardinals up for good.

With the win, the Cardinals are 41-35. The loss dropped the Twins to 38-38.

Albert Pujols - St. Louis Cardinals (Image: Zuma Press)

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Albert Pujols Smashes Two Homers in Win

In five at-bats, Pujols had four hits, two homers and six RBIs. His biggest hit was in the fourth inning when he hit a grand slam to break a 4-4 tie. That long ball powered the St. Louis Cardinals to a 12-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals.

Pujols is now hitting .329 with 26 homers, 68 RBIs and 56 runs. His homers, RBIs and runs are all major league highs. His batting average is 12th in all of baseball.

Thanks to Pujols, the Cardinals improved to 39-31 with the win. They lead the NL Central by 1.5 games and the only team with a better record in the National League is the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Albert Pujols Hits Two Homers (Image: Zuma Press)

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Albert Pujols Blasts Two Homers