Who caught Albert Pujols’ 700th homerun on Friday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers?
One fan on Friday night walked away with a piece of baseball history and by all accounts, intends to keep it no matter what price is offered.
It’s not every day you get to own a piece of sporting history and that’s precisely why one MLB fan has no intentions of giving it up following Pujols’ incredible milestone.
Fan who caught Pujols’ 700th HR will be keeping the ball
According to reports, the fan who caught the ball hit by Albert Pujols for his 700th career home run on Friday night, has every intention of keeping it. To be clear, multiple offers were made for the ball even before the fan in question had a chance to leave Dodgers Stadium, but the unidentified individual departed with a special piece of baseball history. If you didn’t know, Pujols is now just the fourth player in MLB history to hit 700 HRS.
Indeed, it was a night to remember for the St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter, as he reached the milestone with home runs in back-to-back at-bats on Friday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The second of course was the one that brought the house down, when Pujols drove the ball into the left field stands in the fourth inning for his 700th. With that, he now joins the ranks of league legends such as Babe Ruth who sits on 714, Hank Aaron with 755, and Barry Bonds with his seemingly insurmountable 762. The four together are the only players in league history to ever get to 700 home runs.
Albert Pujols isn’t bothered about souvenirs
What’s interesting to note is the fan’s determination. To be honest, it’s highly likely that were they willing to let go of the ball, they would have received a hefty sum of money in exchange whether from another fan in attendance, or the Cardinals themselves. Either way, it’s not something that Pujols himself was concerned about. “Souvenirs are for the fans. I don’t have any problem if they want to keep it,” Pujols said. “If they want to give it back, that’s great. But at the end of the day, I don’t focus on material stuff.”
Regardless, if there is one thing that’s certain, it’s that Pujols legacy is now complete. During a 22-year career, the 42-year-old has done it all. From three NL MVP awards, to 11 All-Star Games and two World Series wins with the Cardinals, Pujols name will be well and truly secure in the pages of MLB history. Perhaps, the only sad thing is that when the 2022 season comes to an end, we’ll have to say goodbye as the Dominican intends to retire.