“I’m still going to retire, no matter whether I end up hitting 693, 696, 700, whatever’’ - Cardinals superstar Albert Pujols confirms this will be his final season despite pressure from fans to reach 700 homers
Albert Pujols is one of the greatest offensive players in MLB history, but fans hope he can hit one more milestone before retirement. Pujols currently sits at 692 home runs in his career, just four behind Alex Rodriguez's mark of 696 and eight away from the lofty 700. If Pujols is able to surpass Rodriguez, he will move to fourth place in MLB history.
The St. Louis Cardinals legend has said that this will be his final season in the league. Some held out hope that Albert Pujols could be persuaded to play one more season if he fell just shy of the 700 mark. That does not seem to be the case, but he might be able to get there in 2022.
Bob Nightengale of "USA Today" reported on these comments from Pujols via Twitter.
'I'm still going to retire': Albert Pujols, after electrifying night, making charge at 700 home runs in final days of career usatoday.com/story/sports/m…
"'I'm still going to retire': Albert Pujols, after electrifying night, making charge at 700 ome runs in final days of career" - Bob Nightengale
Nightengale recently sat down with Pujols to talk about his career and his final season in the MLB. In the interview, Nightengale reported that Pujols insists he will not change his mind, no matter how close he gets to 700.
"I’m still going to retire, no matter whether I end up hitting 693, 696, 700, whatever" - Albert Pujols
Pujols, rightfully nicknamed "The Machine," has been a fixture of the MLB since he won Rookie of the Year in 2001. Over the course of his 22-year career, he has racked up an enormous number of accolades. Albert Pujols is a three-time MVP, 11-time All-Star, six-time Silver Slugger recipient, and two-time World Series champion. Pujols has earned the right to end his career on his terms.
Pujols may have had a slow start this season, but he is heating up at the perfect time, as Starting 9 pointed out on Twitter.
Albert Pujols at the All Star break:
.215/.301/.376 (.676 OPS) 6 HRs
Albert Pujols in the 2nd half:
.438/.491/.938 (1.428 OPS) 7 HRs !!!!
The Man has an OPS of .858 on the season
YOU CANT STOP THE MACHINE https://t.co/hMu8ZtEOFQ
"YOU CANT STOP THE MACHINE" - Starting 9
You would be hard pressed to find a baseball fan who is not wholly supportive of Pujols and his pursuit of 700 home runs.
Albert Pujols is an MLB legend, regardless of how many more home runs he hits in 2022
Pujols has etched his name into baseball history and is a slam-dunk Hall of Famer. If he chose to retire today, he would still be one of the most respected players of his generation. He does want to bring the St. Louis Cardinals to the postseason for one last crack at a championship, though.
As ESPN pointed out on Twitter, Pujols is doing things this season never before seen in the MLB.
Yesterday, Albert Pujols (42 years 217 days) became the oldest player since 1900 to go 4-4 with multiple HR in a game.
The previous oldest player to do this was Stan Musial in 1961. https://t.co/p7eHZkaOxi
"Yesterday, Albert Pujols (42 years 217 days) became the oldest player since 1900 to go 4-4 with multiple HR in a game" - ESPN
This level of success comes as little surprise to those who have watched Pujols from the start. Whether it was with the Cardinals, Los Angeles Angels or even the Los Angeles Dodgers, Pujols has always performed at the highest level. This highlight package from YouTube shows just how talented he is.
This is the kind of season that baseball fans just have to sit back and appreciate. Maybe Pujols will reach the heights that fans hope for; maybe he won't. If he doesn't, it takes nothing away from one of the game's best. If he does manage to hit 700 home runs, it will be an unforgettable moment.