Albert Pujols' 680th homer proves he offers Cardinals more than just nostalgia
That baseball didn't go skyrocketing into the left field stands by itself
Nolan Arenado and Albert Pujols hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning of a Cardinals game on April 12, 2022. Who had that on their bingo card a decade (or a half-decade) ago?
Ten years ago, Pujols was starting fresh with the Los Angeles Angels and Arenado was four days away from his 21st birthday. Tuesday night under the lights at Busch Stadium against Mike Matheny’s Kansas City Royals, they hit homers in succession. Arenado blasted one out to give St. Louis a nice early lead, and Pujols followed by hitting a first pitch homer to left. The latter tater landed in the first row of the stands behind the grass, comfortably in a fan’s hands.
The magic of baseball is that young and older players can provide surreal bookended moments. Pujols is Arenado’s favorite player, something the perennial Gold Glove third baseman made clear in a presser last summer after the Angels released Pujols. Imagine the absolute-yet well hidden-glee in Arenado’s head last night as he watched his hero match his serve in front of the home crowd. Millionaires can feel like kids too.
But one thing Cardinal Nation could sleep well with was the idea that Pujols offers the team a lot more than plain old nostalgia. His bat still has force and can take professional pitchers deep. The first week of the season, albeit with two rainouts, has shown the team sticking to the plan. Sans the “of course” Opening Day start, he has sat versus right-handed starters. Tuesday night, the big dog ate and didn’t waste.
He didn’t stop with the home run. Pujols had three hits in the DH spot, providing exactly what the team ordered last month when they signed him to a one-year, $2.5 million deal. I keep saying the total of his contract so that readers and more baseball fans can digest that this isn’t a large amount of money to the Cardinals.
Sure, I could arguably live off $2.5 million while giving plenty to charity for quite a long time, but it’s not a lot of money to a team that paid other teams to take Dexter Fowler and Mike Leake off their hands. It’s chump change.
It was a sweet 368-foot 96.8 mph exit velocity long fly to left field. Pujols hasn’t assaulted the Big Mac Land sign again--not yet at least. He’s proven that the swing is still there. He’s still got it: an ability to match up with and get the best of big league pitchers. He can still be a plus player in a part-time capacity. His full-time days are long past him, but there’s juice in those knees and the hips can still swivel with thumping power behind a single step.
The Cardinals didn’t sign Pujols to be a savior. That wasn’t and shouldn’t have been written anywhere. Arenado isn’t enjoying a legal beer for the first time, right? They signed him to solve a riddle: left-handed pitching. Now, when a team presents their finest southpaw, Mr. Pujols gets a whack at the competition.
If there’s use, there’s worth. Welcome back, Albert. The swing never looked so good. This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship, for a second time.
I don’t believe Pujols came back to chase down home run #700 when it all started. I think he came back to play with his friends one last time in a city he’s called home since his career started. And maybe, chase down a third World Series title with Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina. He only left town professionally, never completely. His instant reconnection with this city and its baseball fanbase is proof of that.
The swing is proof he’s not done yet.
I think Albert gets to 700 dingers this year. It would be helpful to my position if Dewitt got some starting pitching so that Albert’s season is extended.
Any consistency here by Albert would be unanticipated but incredibly welcome!