Henry Roldán
Yes, the Dominican Albert Pujols needed to do something in Major League Baseball, it seems that this Sunday night, in a duel between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants, he already did it.
With the matchup 15-2 in favor of the Cardinals, in the ninth inning, St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol decided to bring the star slugger to the pitching mound with a view to not using his bullpen in a game with a such a big difference. That’s something common in modern baseball.
And while social media was raging against Marmol for being disrespectful to a figure like Pujols, the 42-year-old experienced player was having one of the best moments of his life.
“A dream come true to say that I did it. It was fun. It wasn’t fun giving up two bombs. I think the fans had a good time. I’m sure the guys that took me deep did, too.”
Albert Pujols on pitching in the Major Leagues
As Pujols himself declared for the media present after the commitment, he was punished with two home runs and four runs. One by Luis González with two on base, an outfielder who also pitched for the Giants on Sunday, and another by Joey Bart.
And while Albert Pujols’s lifetime ERA is likely to end at 36.00, in his final year as an active player he managed join Babe Ruth as the only two players in Major League Baseball history to hit at least 600 home runs and have some official presentation on the mound, as well as the oldest player to debut as a pitcher on the circuit since 1929.
Albert Pujols’ Final Season
On his return to the Cardinals, a team with which he played the best 11 seasons of his career, Albert Pujols is trying to enjoy his last breath as an active player and this Sunday was proof of it.
The Dominican has played 17 of the 34 games played by the Cardinals and has responded to some extent by adding two home runs and six RBIs with a batting average of .239.
However, beyond his offensive numbers, those that make him an undisputed Hall of Famer five years after he retired, Pujols has been smiling, enjoying the moment, helping the youngsters on the team and focused on getting another Series. World Cup with a team from San Luis that has arguments to compete until important instances.
