Will Albert Pujols Hit 700 Home Runs Before Retirement?

Speaker 1: [00:00:12] Kyle for this next segment. I really want you to go back to April. I want you to mentally put yourself back in April mindset. What were the biggest major league baseball topics that you imagined we were going to be talking about late August, early September. [00:00:29][16.6]
Speaker 2: [00:00:30] Let's see. It would have been the Dodgers being in first place. It would have been. The Yankees versus the Red Sox in the American League East. We would have talked about the major trade deadline move of Frankie Montas and we probably would have been talking about the NL Central, even though the NL Central is not exciting at all. [00:00:55][25.0]
Speaker 1: [00:00:56] Yeah, we might have been talking about the AL Central just because I know you love that topic so much. Surprise, surprise topic that you did not see coming. I did not see coming. We're talking about a 42 year old that is seven home runs away from hitting 700 home runs for his career. We're talking about Albert Pujols and his farewell tour with the Saint Louis Cardinals and that 693, that 693rd home run. It was a big one. It was a00 ballgame, seventh inning off of a lefty, which is a theme that we're going to get out of 2022. Albert Pujols. It was a shot that really invigorated a somewhat hot Cardinals team as they march on towards the postseason. Are we going to get one of those Cinderella endings to Albert Paul as his career? He's going to hit 700 and the Cardinals are just going to get hot in October. [00:01:52][55.9]
Speaker 2: [00:01:54] Hot in October? No, they're going to lose to the Padres in the first wildcard round go Padres. But at the same time, I think that it's improbable and not impossible that Albert Pujols is going to get to 700 homeruns because he has hit eight in the last 13 games. He inching ever so close to that number. And you mentioned the lefty thing, and I'll just put this stat out to the universe. First and foremost, Albert Pujols against left handed hitters this year has a 1.240 ops, which is better than 2003 Barry Bonds in terms of ops, but against right handed hitters, he has a607 ops, which is the equivalent of Oakland A's backup outfielder Tony Camp, who currently has a negative wins above replacement on the season. So Albert Pujols has hit against lefties and hit and bombs against lefties. [00:02:43][48.7]
Speaker 1: [00:02:43] And correction, obviously, I know you're talking about pitchers, pitchers, not hitters. And I wouldn't be surprised if he was taking some hitters deep. We have seen some hitters on the mound this. [00:02:53][9.2]
Speaker 2: [00:02:53] Year against left handed pitching. [00:02:54][1.1]
Speaker 1: [00:02:54] Yes, Albert Pujols, he was actually the NL player of the week just this past week. That kind of tells you the type of terror he's on. And I think that the home run derby had a lot to play into his late season push. I feel as though similar to Juan Soto last year, the home run derby kind of lit a match under his ass because he's like, he's had eight home runs in like the last few weeks. He had that one game where he was four for four with two home runs, which is the oldest player to have such a game. And this one, I guess, had a game winner. He's he's just really on top of things right now except against, again, right handed pitching. But this is more than you could have asked for when you signed him as the St Louis Cardinals. It was almost a sympathy signing in a way when he signed there. But now he's a legitimate part of your team coming off your bench and hitting bombs. That that's a great move from what organization that just happens to pull players out of their ass most of the time. [00:03:58][63.5]
Speaker 2: [00:03:58] Yeah, the angels are I'm sorry. The Cardinals, who I can say confidently my entire life have been winning 88 regular season games every year for my entire life. Sometimes they make the playoffs, sometimes they don't, but they're always winning 88 games and they always have to really good players. So it's been my entire life that that's been the case for the Cardinals. [00:04:17][18.6]
Speaker 1: [00:04:18] Okay, so let's talk about the rest of the way for Albert Pujols currently here, recording on the 23rd of August on a Tuesday. He's got a couple more games coming up against the Cubs here. They have a home series against the Braves and then a three game set against Cincinnati. So I could see at least maybe 1 to 2 more home runs in that set. Probably one, I would say. Okay, Cubs hitter, friendly Park Cardinals Stadium bit hit or miss. But the Reds, you get that band box stadium and then you get some Reds pitching, hopefully get some reds left handed pitching. In that series, you do have a home series against the Cubs. Then you get a plate, the horrible, downtrodden Washington Nationals this year in a four game series, get a three game series against the Pirates on the road and the Pirates have a short left field porch. So if you just want to go straight pull mode pull mode for pull host that that could work out well for him. Milwaukee Home Series. So does it get benefit from Milwaukee Stadium another series with the reds a lot of reds down the stretch run that's going to help anyone that wants to hit more home runs. Then he gets to visit sunny San Diego. So hopefully you get a chance to check out your boys and hope that they don't have history put on them, as the Padres have benefited from the history of other teams happening in their stadium a ton. Very much in the cards by the time we're talking late September, late September, run in Dodger Stadium. So the team that was on last year gets go Milwaukee for a couple more days, gets another round with the Pittsburgh Pirates. In fact, they have a home at home. So they play three games in Saint Louis and they get three more games to close out the season in Pittsburgh. So a lot of Pittsburgh, a lot of Reds, four games that with the Nationals hitter friendly stadiums in Milwaukee. I think he's going to do it and I think there's other reasons to think he's going to do it. Are you opposed to the idea, the principle? Of opposing pitchers grooming pitches for them. [00:06:17][119.3]
Speaker 2: [00:06:18] No group pitches. I'm cool with grooving pitches. I'm not someone who clutches their pearls without integrity of the game. Part of it is entertainment. I'm okay with people grooving, especially if you play for the shitty pirates or the shitty reds. Just groove a couple pitches in there so he can hit a home run. [00:06:33][15.5]
Speaker 1: [00:06:33] This is about entertainment. If you play the Pirates, if you play the Reds, there's a good chance that there's a ten one ballgame and Albert Pujols has a couple of a bats. Someone can't throw him a 92 mile per hour fastball down the pipe and put. [00:06:46][13.0]
Speaker 2: [00:06:47] One of those position players in and make sure it's a position player that throws left handed. [00:06:50][3.5]
Speaker 1: [00:06:51] I will say that I was impressed by the 693rd homerun because it was above the box, it was outside the zone, and he still was able to get under it and put enough air on it. So he's actually just swinging the ball, swinging the bat really well. He's seen the ball really well at this point. So hopefully that continues. Like I want to see it on baseball, where baseball succeeds and baseball strives is in narratives and storylines. I think that that's one of the greatest gifts that we get from late season baseball, particularly October the fall classic. When we get to that mode because we can make a picturesque scene, we can tell a beautiful tale of the game akin to James Earl Jones reciting his famous speech. Or we get to see the Field of Dreams game. Baseball is in its elements when it gets to tell a good story. And Albert Pujols is that good story for us this year. And after a decade of wasting his time in Los Angeles or Anaheim and baseball, hell with the Angels, I'm glad that he's finally back in a Cardinals jersey because it just feels like everything is right with the world three away from A-Rod. As much as we've talked about kind of like the steroids arguments, too, and coming in a year in which one of baseball's brightest stars, Fernando Tatis, was hot for steroids, I think it would be good for the minutia of the game if Albert Pujols was to pass one of the known PED guys. And that's not supposed to be a true dig at A-Rod. But I feel as though a guy that, at least for our knowledge, at least for what we know today, was never really wrapped up in the PED scandal, even though he had an opportunity to be wrapped up in the PED scandals. I think Albert Pujols at least passing A-Rod would be a feat in itself. But I want him to hit that magical, historic mark. In fact, if he hits 700 homeruns, let's say he did it on September 1st, he literally just hits seven home runs in the next week. I think he just. Okay. I'm good. Even though I think the Cardinals might actually say, dude, you're hot right now. We need you out there. Your ass out there, Albert. Yeah. [00:08:54][122.7]
Speaker 2: [00:08:55] I know what you mean. This can be a good against evil thing and something that baseball sells to not geriatrics, but something baseball sells to people who really love baseball. [00:09:04][8.8]
Speaker 1: [00:09:04] Come on, too. So it's a little Timmy. They got to sell. [00:09:07][2.8]
Speaker 2: [00:09:07] Little Timmy's little. Timmy little. I'm 21, and I barely give a shit about Albert Pujols. Little Timmy wasn't even born when Albert Pujols was hitting the home runs to the West. [00:09:17][10.0]
Speaker 1: [00:09:18] In your NOLA style, you've been beaten down and downtrodden by the world. The B little Timmy with that childhood innocence. Watch. Albert Pujols, one of the greats. [00:09:29][10.8]
Speaker 2: [00:09:29] No, it's little Timmy. If little Timmy is going to be captivated by the pureness of baseball, put on Jacob deGrom, put on Fernando Tatis, put on Vladimir Guerrero JR. Put on the people who are actually going to be playing when little Timmy turns into a baseball player. [00:09:44][14.4]
Speaker 1: [00:09:44] Himself, little Timmy needs this. [00:09:46][1.7]
Speaker 2: [00:09:47] No little. [00:09:47][0.8]
Speaker 1: [00:09:48] Little too little. [00:09:48][0.6]
Speaker 2: [00:09:49] Timmy. No. You know who needs this little intimidated, little tinies, uncle mini. [00:09:54][5.1]
Speaker 1: [00:09:54] This big booty Latinas on Tik-Tok. This is wholesome. This is what? Yes, we have the goodness of Albert Pujols. [00:10:02][7.9]
Speaker 2: [00:10:03] No. [00:10:03][0.0]
Speaker 1: [00:10:04] No. [00:10:04][0.0]
Speaker 2: [00:10:05] No, no. Little Timmy's uncle is the one who cares about Albert Pujols. Little Timmy's uncle is the one who watched Albert Pujols in the 2006 World Series. He's the one who cares about Albert Pujols against Houston in 2005 or the 2010 playoffs like. These are these are people who are yearning for a time in baseball when Albert Pujols was launching Dingers, which is totally cool. It makes baseball fun in the regular season. I love this storyline of fools. Let's not pretend that it isn't like a retirement tour and people who still care about records in baseball and that's okay. It's very, very fun. [00:10:38][33.2]
Speaker 1: [00:10:39] You know, I realize talking about this subject, I think I hate the angels more now. [00:10:44][4.1]
Speaker 2: [00:10:45] You should know there's a great theory, I believe, with Albert Pujols that signed with the Dodgers after 2011. He would have broke Barry Bonds. His record like no question would have broke Barry Bonds record. He was mismanaged by the car, by the angels. [00:10:58][13.4]
Speaker 1: [00:10:59] All the angels just literally sucked the talent out of perhaps the greatest right handed hitter of all time. He's at least in the top three discussion. [00:11:07][8.8]
Speaker 2: [00:11:08] I bring this up all the time of players who had a minimum of like 300 at bats in 2006, which was six years ago. Albert Pujols had the worst offensive war in baseball. He was statistically the worst offensive player who batted at a high volume during the season. That was six years ago. He was the worst offensive player in baseball, and he's still going to get to 700 home runs. And he didn't have to play until he was 45. Like like what's his name, Rafael Palmeiro or Hank Aaron like that? Well, actually, Albert Pujols, his birth age is a little bit up for dispute, but like the point still stands. Like Albert Pujols didn't have to play beyond 20 to 23, 24 years to get there. Like if he had just had a not the worst offensive player in baseball season in the mid 20 tens, he probably would have if not broke, Barry Bonds record would have broke Hank Aaron's record and Babe Ruth's record for homeruns. [00:12:08][59.6]
Speaker 1: [00:12:09] Okay, guys, historic chase, Albert Pujols seven away. Do you think he's going to get there? What are the odds that Albert Pujols gets there and hey, be bold? What game do you think that he's going to hit that legendary homerun in? I want to know drop that below level like on this video, because it helps us, helps Albert Pujols. It's telling folks it helps Albert Pujols. [00:12:30][21.4]
Speaker 2: [00:12:32] I will say this also, if we get to 100 likes on this video, we will start going through Gigi's ticktock, history on on the podcast. [00:12:38][6.4]
Speaker 1: [00:12:40] Yes. Yes, we will. It's actually pretty barren, but still we will anyway. Subscribe Ju-Ju Talk Sports Kyle Ledbettor stay safe, happy and healthy. We will see you next time. [00:12:40][0.0]
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