Pujols’ 10 most memorable moments
When you play 22 Major League seasons, seem in three World Series and make 10 All-Star groups, you are going to accumulate some memorable moments. When you sprinkle in additional than 3,000 hits and 700 dwelling runs over the course of a profession like that, there will likely be much more.
Albert Pujols created most of these recollections in a St. Louis Cardinals uniform, together with a triumphant return for his remaining season in 2022. Here is a take a look at 10 of essentially the most memorable moments from Pujols’ unimaginable profession.
Sept. 20, 2003: Buddy Walk
Down syndrome is a trigger expensive to Pujols’ coronary heart, as his daughter has the situation. And Pujols at all times delivered on “Buddy Walk” day, a day to lift Down syndrome consciousness. In this sport, he hit a Thirteenth-inning walk-off homer in opposition to Houston’s Dan Miceli, ending a sport the Cardinals by no means led earlier than that second.
By the best way, we might even have gone with Sept. 3, 2006, when he hit three homers on Buddy Walk day in a wanted win in opposition to the Pirates.
July 20, 2004: The comeback
Few individuals have had a greater day on the plate than Pujols had on July 20, 2004. Maybe not even Pujols himself. Start with the circumstances: Facing their fiercest rivals, the Cubs, the Cardinals fell behind, 7-1. They roared again for an 11-8 win on the Friendly Confines, thanks largely to Pujols.
He went 5-for-5 with 4 runs, 5 RBIs and three homers, capped by a two-run tiebreaker off of LaTroy Hawkins within the ninth. It was one of the best regular-season sport of his profession, and it additionally nearly ended the NL Central race, though the calendar nonetheless learn late July.
Oct. 17, 2005: The practice tracks
If there’s one signature second of Pujols’ profession, that is doubtless it. Down to their remaining out of the season in Game 5 of the NL Championship Series and trailing, 4-2, in opposition to lights-out nearer Brad Lidge, the Cardinals scraped a few baserunners to deliver Pujols to the plate. The Astros wanted only one out to achieve their first World Series, and Minute Maid Park was deafening.
They didn’t get that out. Pujols launched a titanic dwelling run to left area, touchdown on the practice tracks properly above the Crawford Boxes, to ship the sequence again to St. Louis for yet another sport at previous Busch Stadium. Houston received that sport and superior, however Pujols did all he might.
Oct. 21, 2006: Getting issues going
Pujols’ first journey to the World Series in 2004 was fast and irritating. There was to be no disappointment the second time round. In a sequence the place the Cards had been heavy underdogs (one columnist famously predicted “Tigers in three”), Pujols hit a two-run homer off Detroit famous person Justin Verlander within the third inning. It was an opposite-field laser beam that turned a 2-1 lead right into a 4-1 lead, and St. Louis by no means seemed again en path to its first World Series title in 24 years.
Oct. 22, 2011: No mercy
The 2011 World Series is remembered largely for its superb Game 6, however a number of the earlier video games weren’t so aggressive. Take Game 3 in Arlington, which can as properly be referred to as the “Pujols Game.”
The slugger went 5-for-6 with 4 runs, six RBIs and a historic three dwelling runs. With his third lengthy ball within the 16-7 win in opposition to the Rangers, Pujols joined Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson as the one gamers in historical past to hit three homers in a World Series sport. That Pablo Sandoval joined the group a yr later hardly diminishes the accomplishment.
April 22, 2014: Five-hundred
With an excellent peak, two rings and three MVP Awards, Pujols’ ticket to Cooperstown is probably going already punched. But baseball loves spherical numbers, and there aren’t many extra particular than 500 dwelling runs (save for 600 dwelling runs).
He reached the milestone on April 22, 2014, with a monster shot to left-center off of the Nationals’ Taylor Jordan. He turned the twenty sixth participant to achieve 500 along with his two-run homer.
June 3, 2017: No. 600, in grand type
Five-hundred dwelling runs is particular, however 600 is actually rarefied air, as Pujols turned solely the ninth participant in MLB historical past to achieve that milestone. Not solely did he accomplish the feat at dwelling at Angel Stadium, however he did so by walloping a grand slam — what a technique to rejoice. He was the primary participant to achieve entry to the 600-homer membership by going deep with the sacks packed.
It wasn’t precisely Pujols’ most emphatic hit, however he wasn’t complaining. When he reached out and poked a pitch from Seattle’s Mike Leake to proper area for a tender single, it gave him 3,000 profession knocks. Not solely is {that a} hallowed mark by itself, however Pujols turned solely the fourth participant in MLB historical past to mix it with 600 dwelling runs, becoming a member of Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Alex Rodriguez.
June 21, 2019: Homecoming
Even with Interleague Play, Pujols’ Angels didn’t journey to St. Louis in his first seven seasons with the crew. So when the Halos lastly made it to Busch Stadium in 2019, it was a very long time coming.
If there as soon as had been some arduous emotions on each side concerning Pujols’ departure after the 2011 season, that each one went out the window. Not solely did the crew pay tribute to its former star, however Cardinals followers showered him with ovations at each alternative. When Pujols stepped to the plate at Busch for the primary time in one other uniform, and embraced his good buddy Yadier Molina, there have been chills. Pujols even managed to beat out a uncommon infield single. The subsequent afternoon, when he ripped a shot into the left area bullpen, it prompted Cardinals followers to demand a curtain name from a visiting participant.
Sept. 23, 2022: 699 and 700
OK, so to do it at dwelling might need been essentially the most excellent manner for Pujols get to his newest spherical quantity. But failing that? This was fairly nice too. Returning to Dodger Stadium, the place he revived his profession a yr prior and thrilled the baseball world within the Home Run Derby simply two months earlier, Pujols joined the 700 membership shortly and emphatically. And he did it with homers in consecutive innings.
Facing lefty Andrew Heaney within the third inning, he hammered a first-pitch fastball deep into the left-field bleachers for No. 699. A mere inning later, he bought one other probability and seized on it. With two on, he turned on a 1-1 slider from Phil Bickford, becoming a member of one of many sport’s most unique golf equipment and including one other priceless reminiscence to a outstanding remaining massive league season.
