AP Photo/Ashley Landis
The watch is over! St. Louis Cardinals legend Albert Pujols has joined an exclusive club in baseball history. 700 home runs.
He became the fourth player in Major League Baseball history to reach 700 career home runs last night with his two-homer night against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He joins company in the form of Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, and Babe Ruth. It’s a milestone that the majority of players don’t reach and yet, here he is.
The irony is that he got to do this against the team that he spent last season with and a club that he himself has talked about “bringing him so much joy”. It was a fitting way for Pujols to reach the milestone, especially with him wearing the Cardinals logo.
This season was always going to be his last. He said that before the year started and now will finish his future Hall-of-Fame career with this added onto his resume.
For awhile it seemed that he may not reach the number 700, as he only had six home runs during the first half of the season. But a second half surge showed that he still has some pop left in his bat. He is now up to 15 since the All-Star break. Maybe him participating in the Home Run Derby gave him some extra power needed.
Whatever the case may be, he finally did it. Baseball fans everywhere have been waiting patiently for this moment. Within Dodger Stadium, fans cheered for him. Even though it meant that their Dodgers were trailing in the game. It was a moment bigger than a baseball game.
Not only did the game happen in Los Angeles but that meant that he family got to see it live. With moments like this, you can’t plan for it. But it all worked out for the legendary first baseman. We may never again see a player like Pujols so take a second to really understand what we have witnessed.
700 home runs is quite the feat but for it to happen to a person like Pujols, means the world to the game. Milestones are constantly being thrown out within sports and this is one of the biggest. Congratulations Albert Pujols, you deserve this completely.
