As a Royals fan, I almost hate to say that one of the in-person baseball moments burned into my brain is getting to see one game of the resurrected interleague I-70 Series from the dugout suites when I was a kid. The Royals had scored 4 or 5 runs early, but in the middle of the game the Cardinals were rallying, they had loaded the bases and either tied it or gotten within one after being down by that 4 or 5 run count. And Pujols stepped to the plate and I thought "He's probably going to homer here." Part of that was that when I watched baseball as a kid, I always hoped/imagined that whoever stepped to up, no matter how unlikely, they MIGHT just homer (a feeling that still lingers in the back of my brain to this day). But part of it was that it's Pujols, the Cardinals were good, the Royals were not (like, REALLY not, as this was the old, bad 00s days), so it seemed more likely than usual.
And then Pujols absolutely blasted a grand slam over Kauffman's fence (at least it seemed so) and I was simultaneously horrified and thrilled. I hated to see the Royals destroyed AGAIN, to the Cardinals no less, but really excited to witness ALBERT PUJOLS just demolish a grand slam. It's stayed with me, and so I may have watched the video of #700 half a dozen times or so.
Pujols was on my fantasy team one year. He single handedly got me to the finals, where the vagueries of late season lineups & pitchers rest/shutdowns ended my season. He was getting like 40 points per week pretty regularly. For about a decade, that's what he was.
Faith in baseball restored. Well, except these new dangled rules. And DH in the NL. Speaking of which, does anyone have splits for how many of the homers in St.L redux were in 1B/PH/DH? Lefty/righty aside, someone (Albert?) commented that regular play in field helped their batting. Curious to see if that’s how it stacked up this year. Now, let’s see Albert make it to NLCS …
I saw Pujols one game when he was at community college. I was there to see a young guy that worked at my work play for the other team. He hit the hardest ball I have ever seen in person, before or since, and I played until age 22 and have seen about 250 MLB games. There was a SS playing deep in the hole against him and he hit it so hard it was like one of those line drives back to the pitcher that you are just thankful he wasn't decapitated - only I felt that way about a guy more than twice as far away. It split the outfielders and hit the wall on a hop, never more than about 6 or 7 feet off the ground the whole way. It was impossible. My mouth literally dropped open. I wish I could take the statcast guys back and know the mph.
I went to ask my friend who in the hell that was, and when he told me, I went home and wrote his name down. I was that amazed. It was only about a year and a half later I started hearing the rumblings out of spring training in 2001 about him and then he was immediately great.
This was a local community college, not one of those that is a baseball factory. Most of the guys playing it is the last place they play. For all I know, he may be the only dude to play in that league to make it. Not the kind of place that gets scouted heavily. But I feel certain that if any scout from any team had just seen that one game, there is no way he makes it to round 13. One game (He did other things in the game and did I mention he was playing shortstop?) and I thought he was special, a sure thing.
I thin he may have tried. I honestly just think he was lucky. It got there that fast. As I said, just like a line shot back to the pitcher, where you don't even know (unless you are watching TV ad get a slow motion replay) how the pitcher even got out of the way, you are just thankful he wasn't decapitated. It got on the SS that fast, as if he were in the pitcher spot.
Then-Tampa Bay scout Fernando Arango saw something in Pujols, even telling his bosses that Pujols would someday hit 40 homers in the majors.
They sent multiple other scouts to follow up. Neither liked Pujols.
That wasn't quite the end. They invited Pujols for a pre-draft workout. They were the only team to do so.
According to Arango, Pujols looked tremendous in the workout, but the other Tampa staff was concerned about Pujols's thick build and apparent lack of a defensive position. The latter question was a bit strange, as they didn't actually try him at third or first during the workout.
After Pujols fell all the way to St. Louis in the 13th round, Arango quit.
(Source: an imprisoned wife-beating former sportswriter's book)
I remember that 2007 season well. He had plantar fasciitis so bad, he could barely walk, much less run, the last month of the season — hence his only time he failed to score 100 runs in a season at St. Louis. But he continued to hit.
great post (as always) about one of the true all-time greats! how wonderful that he has joined the most exclusive of clubs; this was certainly in question until July...
so question to everyone else in the comments- does ANYbody else get into this club, or do the 4 who have enjoy their baseball immortality as a lonesome quartet?
I am so happy for what Pujols has done. Really been rooting for him. I was also especially happy when he passed Rodriguez not that many days ago.
I’ve been to maybe 10 major league games in my long life, one of those was in St.Louis about 15 years ago and I saw Pujols hit a game winning 2 run homer.
But a slight correction on your “most exclusive club” statement. 500 wins is most exclusive at one member. 400 wins and 4,000 hits are next most at 2 each. There may be more. Total bases, walks, triples or doubles?
Wonderful piece. You wrote an article years back talking about how the 500 home run club was no longer really a club, but that 600 had prestige. The line I remember was that the 600 home run club wasn't a club but a trio of Babe Ruth, Willie Mays & Henry Aaron. It was a beautiful piece, been trying to find it.
This note from mlb.com is fantastic. Who doesn't love round numbers in baseball?
"Following Friday’s two home runs, Pujols has 500 home runs off right-handed pitchers and 200 off left-handed pitchers."
Since Pujols hit everyone for a long time, I wonder... If that's the MLB-wide split for home runs? How the other 700 homer club members split their homers? If it's just representative of the overall ratio of at bats vs right handers and left handers?
Thanks Joe. Good to see a special essay the morning after.
Yes. It is a data gap from where bbref lacks play by play data, knows is reliever of the opposite hand from the starter entered but doesn’t know whether the player homered off the starter or reliever(s). In games STARTED by a RHP, Mays had 441 vs 219 in southpaw starts. So far, Retrosheet is missing five (or fewer if there is a multi homer game in there) scorecards.
He was rather good, wasn't he. I think someone should write a book about the best ... oh ... say 100 baseball players. He might be near the top. ~10 more points of OPS+ than even Pujols plus all time elite defensive player plus 300 steals.
Pujols could have (should have?) won even more MVPs than he did. I think voters get tired of giving it to the same player year after year (like that's a bad thing). That's one reason it annoys me to hear people say Judge should win MVP this year instead of Ohtani, otherwise "you'll have to give it to Ohtani every year." I actually think Judge deserves it this year, but to vote for Judge instead of Ohtani because otherwise Ohtani will win the MVP too often is (IMO) ridiculous.
He's been adamant all year that this is it for him and that he's not chasing numbers. In any case, next year would have to be a letdown after this glorious final year. I'd prefer Albert go out in a blaze of glory.
As a Royals fan, I almost hate to say that one of the in-person baseball moments burned into my brain is getting to see one game of the resurrected interleague I-70 Series from the dugout suites when I was a kid. The Royals had scored 4 or 5 runs early, but in the middle of the game the Cardinals were rallying, they had loaded the bases and either tied it or gotten within one after being down by that 4 or 5 run count. And Pujols stepped to the plate and I thought "He's probably going to homer here." Part of that was that when I watched baseball as a kid, I always hoped/imagined that whoever stepped to up, no matter how unlikely, they MIGHT just homer (a feeling that still lingers in the back of my brain to this day). But part of it was that it's Pujols, the Cardinals were good, the Royals were not (like, REALLY not, as this was the old, bad 00s days), so it seemed more likely than usual.
And then Pujols absolutely blasted a grand slam over Kauffman's fence (at least it seemed so) and I was simultaneously horrified and thrilled. I hated to see the Royals destroyed AGAIN, to the Cardinals no less, but really excited to witness ALBERT PUJOLS just demolish a grand slam. It's stayed with me, and so I may have watched the video of #700 half a dozen times or so.
Pujols has 16 grand slams, but only one in KC.
Sunday, June 21, 2009. He hit the GS in the 4th. The first of 2 HRs that day.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/KCA/KCA200906210.shtml
I had to do a word count. It really is exactly 700 words. Well done Joe! Oh yes - and Albert!
711, Joe Posnanski exercising brevity? Never! Which is exactly as it should be :) Great article.
Pujols was on my fantasy team one year. He single handedly got me to the finals, where the vagueries of late season lineups & pitchers rest/shutdowns ended my season. He was getting like 40 points per week pretty regularly. For about a decade, that's what he was.
Faith in baseball restored. Well, except these new dangled rules. And DH in the NL. Speaking of which, does anyone have splits for how many of the homers in St.L redux were in 1B/PH/DH? Lefty/righty aside, someone (Albert?) commented that regular play in field helped their batting. Curious to see if that’s how it stacked up this year. Now, let’s see Albert make it to NLCS …
I saw Pujols one game when he was at community college. I was there to see a young guy that worked at my work play for the other team. He hit the hardest ball I have ever seen in person, before or since, and I played until age 22 and have seen about 250 MLB games. There was a SS playing deep in the hole against him and he hit it so hard it was like one of those line drives back to the pitcher that you are just thankful he wasn't decapitated - only I felt that way about a guy more than twice as far away. It split the outfielders and hit the wall on a hop, never more than about 6 or 7 feet off the ground the whole way. It was impossible. My mouth literally dropped open. I wish I could take the statcast guys back and know the mph.
I went to ask my friend who in the hell that was, and when he told me, I went home and wrote his name down. I was that amazed. It was only about a year and a half later I started hearing the rumblings out of spring training in 2001 about him and then he was immediately great.
This was a local community college, not one of those that is a baseball factory. Most of the guys playing it is the last place they play. For all I know, he may be the only dude to play in that league to make it. Not the kind of place that gets scouted heavily. But I feel certain that if any scout from any team had just seen that one game, there is no way he makes it to round 13. One game (He did other things in the game and did I mention he was playing shortstop?) and I thought he was special, a sure thing.
JuCo SS was in front of that? Did he duck?
I thin he may have tried. I honestly just think he was lucky. It got there that fast. As I said, just like a line shot back to the pitcher, where you don't even know (unless you are watching TV ad get a slow motion replay) how the pitcher even got out of the way, you are just thankful he wasn't decapitated. It got on the SS that fast, as if he were in the pitcher spot.
I seriously have never seen anything like it.
Great story. I have always found Pujols’ draft history incredible. I mean some scout must have seen what you did and followed up? Well I guess not.
Then-Tampa Bay scout Fernando Arango saw something in Pujols, even telling his bosses that Pujols would someday hit 40 homers in the majors.
They sent multiple other scouts to follow up. Neither liked Pujols.
That wasn't quite the end. They invited Pujols for a pre-draft workout. They were the only team to do so.
According to Arango, Pujols looked tremendous in the workout, but the other Tampa staff was concerned about Pujols's thick build and apparent lack of a defensive position. The latter question was a bit strange, as they didn't actually try him at third or first during the workout.
After Pujols fell all the way to St. Louis in the 13th round, Arango quit.
(Source: an imprisoned wife-beating former sportswriter's book)
I remember that 2007 season well. He had plantar fasciitis so bad, he could barely walk, much less run, the last month of the season — hence his only time he failed to score 100 runs in a season at St. Louis. But he continued to hit.
He’s not The Machine, he’s The Magician. He’s made everyone forget about his career with the Angels.
And let's not forget how for a glorious year or two Pujols was both third base and first base eligible in fantasy baseball.
Thank you, Joe. Albert Pujols is the best baseball player I’ve ever seen. He’s also a remarkable person. Congratulations, Albert!
great post (as always) about one of the true all-time greats! how wonderful that he has joined the most exclusive of clubs; this was certainly in question until July...
so question to everyone else in the comments- does ANYbody else get into this club, or do the 4 who have enjoy their baseball immortality as a lonesome quartet?
I am so happy for what Pujols has done. Really been rooting for him. I was also especially happy when he passed Rodriguez not that many days ago.
I’ve been to maybe 10 major league games in my long life, one of those was in St.Louis about 15 years ago and I saw Pujols hit a game winning 2 run homer.
But a slight correction on your “most exclusive club” statement. 500 wins is most exclusive at one member. 400 wins and 4,000 hits are next most at 2 each. There may be more. Total bases, walks, triples or doubles?
yeah you're right, my bad! i've actually cried watching all the accounts of Pujols' historic feat today, and i've watched several already (10 or so)
Wonderful piece. You wrote an article years back talking about how the 500 home run club was no longer really a club, but that 600 had prestige. The line I remember was that the 600 home run club wasn't a club but a trio of Babe Ruth, Willie Mays & Henry Aaron. It was a beautiful piece, been trying to find it.
Great piece.. When anyone asks, years from now, "Just how good was Albert Pujols?" they need only read this article.
Excellent as always, Joe! Hope you pick the Chiefs as your new favorite team, and enjoy downtown Chicago this weekend!
This note from mlb.com is fantastic. Who doesn't love round numbers in baseball?
"Following Friday’s two home runs, Pujols has 500 home runs off right-handed pitchers and 200 off left-handed pitchers."
Since Pujols hit everyone for a long time, I wonder... If that's the MLB-wide split for home runs? How the other 700 homer club members split their homers? If it's just representative of the overall ratio of at bats vs right handers and left handers?
Thanks Joe. Good to see a special essay the morning after.
Aaron, the only other RHB with 700 was 527 / 217. ARod was 524 / 172. Mays 448 / 207.
The splits don't add up for Aaron (755) and Mays (660) totals.
Yes. It is a data gap from where bbref lacks play by play data, knows is reliever of the opposite hand from the starter entered but doesn’t know whether the player homered off the starter or reliever(s). In games STARTED by a RHP, Mays had 441 vs 219 in southpaw starts. So far, Retrosheet is missing five (or fewer if there is a multi homer game in there) scorecards.
My goodness. Mays destroyed lefties.
Baseball Reference has these splits for Mays:
vs RHP: .300/.373/.544 - .916
vs LHP: .306/.411/.595 - 1.006
He was rather good, wasn't he. I think someone should write a book about the best ... oh ... say 100 baseball players. He might be near the top. ~10 more points of OPS+ than even Pujols plus all time elite defensive player plus 300 steals.
Pujols could have (should have?) won even more MVPs than he did. I think voters get tired of giving it to the same player year after year (like that's a bad thing). That's one reason it annoys me to hear people say Judge should win MVP this year instead of Ohtani, otherwise "you'll have to give it to Ohtani every year." I actually think Judge deserves it this year, but to vote for Judge instead of Ohtani because otherwise Ohtani will win the MVP too often is (IMO) ridiculous.
Next question...Can he catch Babe Ruth?
No
He should come back next year in this same role. 15 more HRs? It could happen.
He's been adamant all year that this is it for him and that he's not chasing numbers. In any case, next year would have to be a letdown after this glorious final year. I'd prefer Albert go out in a blaze of glory.