I have to admit that I have very mixed feelings about Albert. On the one hand the guy is a definite gamer, on the other, he's had many nagging injuries that have hindered his performance since becoming an Angel that have been frustrating. Watching him run is painful and when he tries to take an extra base and is thrown out because he's so slow is maddening. Yet he'll get hot and start hitting bombs that literally carry the team for several days. His slow starts every year are hard to take yet when he warms up Albert can still play despite his age and injuries that have slowed him down.
Certainly it isn't Albert's fault for the contract the Angels gave him but I would argue that pay is indeed tied to performance. If it weren't Jeff Mathis would be getting $200+M like Albert is. Albert got the big contract precisely because of the performance he carved out the first 11 years of his career. The difference is that players are paid for past performance which teams use as a way to gauge what they will do in the future. Some pan out, some don't. Albert's Angel career hasn't been that bad if based solely on his play but it's impossible to not take into account his salary which doesn't match the out put.
I'll still like watching and cheering when Albert contributes to wins like he did the other day, but I'll also be frustrated by him at times also.
I guess I have to admit that makes me a fair weather Albert fan.