- Albert Pujols joins 700 HR club.
- Albert Pujols attained a level of excellence that only three other players in the history of the game.
- With the score tied at one in the eighth inning, the Padres sent in a solid sinkerball pitcher Cla Meredith.
When he hit No. 700 on Friday night at Dodger Stadium, Albert Pujols attained a level of excellence that only three other players in the history of the game had matched. As the only player with 700 home runs, he joins Babe Ruth, Henry Aaron, and Barry Bonds in the elite group.
Inquiring about their favorite moments and what it was like to play with, pitch to, or simply watch an all-time great home run hitter during Pujols’ 20 years in the majors, ESPN’s Jesse Rogers, Buster Olney, and Alden Gonzalez spoke with current and former teammates, opposing pitchers, and other greats in the game.
“when he reached 600, the grand slam. Just the circumstance. Everyone was thinking the same thing because it was a crucial moment in the game. For 600, please. This is going to be really bad right here. Then he struck it. He enjoys it right now. The problem is that I kept getting inquiries like, “Hey, do you think he’s going to get it [700]?” Of course. When Albert is ready, he doesn’t alter his strategy or try to hit a home run. He’s merely attempting to hit the ball hard. That’s a lot.”
“That was very amazing. He wasn’t absent, after all. Whatever you threw at him, he was going to hit it. Even the rosin bag could be thrown, and he would still likely hit it out. Only that delightful swing. Even after all of his home runs, it was his first one. I simply love how smooth and lengthy that swing stays in the path. It’s amazing.”
“When everyone went hurt in 2006, we had a tremendous lead and were struggling to make the playoffs as September approached. We had lost the first two games of the series when San Diego arrived to town.
With the score tied at one in the eighth inning, the Padres sent in a solid sinkerball pitcher, Cla Meredith, who then hit a three-run home run to seal the victory. That gave us life.”
“His genuine claim to fame is that he is an extra-base power hitter with a good average. On the scoreboard, he plays. He is attempting to hit a line-drive single with a runner at second, but if he succeeds, he could blast a two-run home run. He’ll swing at several pitches while moving from foul line to foul line. He gets that carry when he swings with that underspin.”
“There have been three or four home runs that have left me speechless. Impressive was the [Drew] Smyly tattoo at his eyes. the Pittsburgh variant. On the list of all-time home runs, that one overtook A-Rod and was the game-winning hit.
Another time, he homered to win the game when the score was 0-0. Then there are those that are against the Padres. A two-homer game, almost like one from a storybook. What I’ll keep in mind is that. This is what you would write if you had written it perfectly: Albert with the game on the line — and he actually comes through. Amazing.”
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