Congratulations to Albert Pujols, who became just the fourth player in MLB history to hit 700 HR!
https://twitter.com/CBSSports/status/1573515123716603904?s=20&t=A7wartjQYG8QdXKTocXbhA
Very few people have good feelings about the last player – Barry Bonds – who reached 700. And it’s a shame because Bonds was such a force in the batter’s box. When I was a kid, the hoopla over Hank Aaron reaching 700 and ultimately topping Babe Ruth‘s record is something I’ll never forget. And of course there’s Ruth, who began the club when he hit 714.
Pujols is such an interesting player. He started off his career in outstanding fashion and if you told anyone in, say, 2011 that he would reach 700 – they’d probably believe you. But then he left the Cardinals and went to the Angels as a free agent. Three times Pujols topped 30 HR in a season with the Angels but he suffered injuries and a decline in performance once he left St. Louis.
But returning to the Cardinals this year, Pujols has cracked 21 HR, despite being a righty platoon bat for most of the year. He’s already announced that this is his final season. But, if it was me, after having this much success in 2022, I’d come back in 2023 to see if I could top Ruth.
Bringing it back to the Mets, there’s a decent chance that the Mets and Cardinals could play in the NLDS. During the regular season, Pujols had just 10 PA against the Mets and he went 2-10 with no homers. But the two clubs met earlier in the season, before Pujols heated up and before he regularly faced righty pitching. If they meet in the playoffs, it’s likely Pujols will get a whole bunch more chances than he did in the regular season.
Its always easy to think about what it was like seeing Ted Williams or Lou Gherig or Babe Ruth. Pujols is that person. There is not enough good that can be said about his career, his attitude, his philanthropy.
Inner circle Hall of Famer.
Congrats to you El Hombre.
I got to see Williams, Mays, Mantle, Musial, Aaron… play (against my teams) and didn’t hate them at all. Not sure I liked them either…OK, maybe Mays & Mantle.
The exceptions, opponents I actually “liked” to the point of wanting them to succeed if not at the expense of mt teams (Brooklyn, then Mets) are few & far between. I can think of three: Ernie Banks, Dale Murphy & Tony Gwynn.
Maybe I could add Pujols to that list. Heck, throw in Miggy Cabrera.
I have no illusions of any person being an angel, least of all a professional athlete. Sure, I’d like them to live their lives Scripturally straight and treat everyone with kindness. I’m sure Pujols has a bunch of really positive traits. I’m equally sure he’s done some stuff that would make the local ne’er-do-wells blush.
Regardless, what he’s done between the lines has been nothing short of remarkable. His production this year has been a wonderful story and it’s made baseball fans all over the country happy. We need good guys and heroes and my hope is that the Pujols story always remains positive.
I’ve been watching baseball for five decades…ok, I can’t compete with Hobie…Pujols is one of only a handful of guys that in his prime, there was no real way to pitch to him. He could beat you with power, destroy mistakes, best you with brains, situational hitting, you name it. No doubt top all timer, despite the disappointing years with the Angels.