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News, Blog and GuidesWith only 21 games left in the St Louis Cardinals’ baseball season, all eyes should be on Albert Pujols. We may never see such a player again.
Jeffrey MayJeff_DiarioASUpdate: Sep 12th, 2022 15:30 EDT
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Albert Pujols is a great hitter. Truly, an all-time great. There is no denying that. And he is also a good guy. Of that, too, there is no doubt.
When the 11-time All-Star, 3-time MVP, and 2-time World Series champion 21-year veteran slugger took De Jong deep to right-center field, passing Alex Rodriguez to take sole possession of the number four spot on the career home run list, the team approached the fan who caught the ball to try and get it back.
Albert Pujols is all class 🙏❤️ (h/t @jmjones) pic.twitter.com/7DuZvVBfyq
— ESPN (@espn) September 12, 2022
Taking a few minutes to speak to Matt Brown and his wife Samantha, Pujols learned that Sunday was one year to the day since Samantha’s father had died. Rather than trade a few autographs for the record-setting ball, Pujols decided to tell the fans to keep it.
“It’s just a baseball. They deserve to have it. It went out of the ballpark. We play this game for the fans. I think it means for that girl more than me having it in my trophy case,” said the 42-year old Dominican legend.
He also signed a pair of baseballs to add to the game ball for the couple to remember the occasion.
Albert Pujols, disfruten de la leyenda. 🐐 #697 pic.twitter.com/36rtO7EiGr
— Cardenales (@cardenales) September 11, 2022
With only 21 games to play in the regular season, Pujols is almost certain to top 700 career home runs, which would make him only the fourth player to ever break that ceiling. Trailing Babe Ruth’s historic 714 by only 17 dingers, there is, however, very little chance that he will catch the Bambino this season.
Coming into 2022, Pujols was adamant that this would be his last season, no matter what happened, so it would seem as near to a certainty as there is that he will finish up his major league career as the number four all-time home run hitter.
But what a career it has been. His 18 home runs this season have been phenomenal, all things considered. After spending the last decade on the west coast, first with the Angels and then with the Dodgers, Pujols signed with the Cardinals for the 2022 season so that he could go out with the team where he had done his biggest, most legacy-making work.
From the first moment, to these final moments. Thank you Albert Pujols for being a Cardinal. pic.twitter.com/Pjl8i5OiQR
— Cardinals Dude (@Turn2Dude) September 11, 2022
One by one, the records started falling. First he went over the 3000 games played mark, then climbed to number five on that list, then he passed Paul Molitor to become number ten on the base hit list. The Cardinals fans are more than happy to get behind Albert, as are the club. If he decides to play next season, it will be to the sound of rapturous applause.
“There’s impressive, and then there’s unbelievable,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “And what we’re witnessing right now is absolutely legendary.”
