Albert Pujols on the Verge of 400

I seem to be writing plenty about Albert Pujols lately.

And no…I haven’t become an overnight Cardinals fan.

I also haven’t been swayed by the recent love shown to me by the famous (infamous?) St. Louis Cardinals Sign Guy (check out his tweets HERE, HERE or HERE).

What has been making me take notice is “Phat Albert’s” pursuit of baseball immortality.

Recently, the first baseman extended his own streak by becoming the only player in Major League history to begin his career with ten straight seasons of 30 or more home runs.

Likewise, sitting at 96 for the season, Pujols is a few RBI shy of becoming the only cat to have started his career with 30 or more home runs and 100 RBI as well. Incidentally, he'll also become the only player to have ever belted 30 home runs and knocked in 100 in ten straight years.

Ever.

Currently with 399 career bombs and at just 30 years (and a hair over seven months) old…only Alex Rodriguez (29 years and ten months) and Ken Griffey Jr. (30 years and five months) have reached the same home run plateau as Pujols.

So here’s who stands in the way of the Cardinals slugger becoming the third youngest player to reach 400 homers. And, yeah, before you read on…the odds of Pujols going into some pre-600 home run slump a la Alex Rodriguez is pretty slim.

Wednesday, the Cardinals finish up their series against the Pirates. On the bump for Pittsburgh…Daniel McCutchen. For his career, “The Machine” has two hits (including one home run) in three at bats against the young righty.

With Stephen Strasburg back on the DL for Washington, the Nationals are bound to turn to Jordan Zimmermann when they open up against the Red Birds on Thursday.

And if Pujols doesn’t take McCutchen deep Wednesday…he’ll surely round the bases against the 24 year-old Zimmermann. In three plate appearances last year against the right-hander…the three-time National League MVP was three for three with a home run.

After that, the Cardinals head into the weekend against hurlers Scott Olsen and Livan Hernandez. Combined, Pujols has gone 16 for 50 against the pair with five homers.

So with Pujols on the verge of hitting number 400, it looks to be just a matter of hours before he becomes just the 47th player all-time (and the second this season) to reach 400 home runs for his young career.

Is it too soon to start designing his plaque for Cooperstown?

Johnny Damon...Back to BeanTown?

Six weeks ago, the talk here at The Hall of Very Good was whether or not Johnny Damon was a Hall of Fame caliber player.

Today...there is word that he might be heading back to the Boston Red Sox.

Here's the skinny. The current Detroit Tiger outfielder was placed on waivers by the team. Boston, one of the teams from which Damon has no-trade protection, put in a claim for the one-time BeanTown hero.

"At this moment, I'm not sure I want to leave Detroit for (the Red Sox)," Damon said, according to tigers.com. "I enjoy playing here. But obviously, (Red Sox manager) Terry Francona is amazing...it's something that I'm going to have think long and hard over."

Currently, the famous formerly Bearded One is batting .270 for the Tigers, with just seven homers and 40 RBI.

For his career, he is sixth among active players with 2536 hits. Recently Damon surpassed Hall of Famers Joe Morgan and Heinie Manush on the all-time hits list.

He has has until Wednesday to decide whether he would waive his no-trade clause to return to Fenway Park.

Is "Prince Albert" the Game's Best?

It's a safe bet to call Albert Pujols the best player in the game right now, right?

Right?!?

The guy that ESPN's Rob Neyer tabbed as the top player of the first decade of the new millennium has made history.

Again.

With one picture perfect swing of the bat, the first baseman extended his own Major League record by becoming the ONLY player in history to begin his career with ten straight seasons with 30 or more home runs when he went yard off of Ryan Dempster in the first inning of the St. Louis Cardinals 9-7 loss against the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.

And with a few more RBI (he's currently sitting at 86), he'll be the only cat to have started his career with ten straight seasons with 100 or more runs knocked in. Incidentally, he'll also become the only player to have ever belted 30 home runs and knocked in 100 in ten straight years ever.

Ever.

“Prince Albert” started this year with 366 home runs and is currently sitting at 396. When he reaches 400, he’ll be the youngest National Leaguer to reach the milestone (the slugger turned 30 on back in January) and third youngest overall after Alex Rodriguez (who was a couple of months shy of his 30th birthday when he did the deed) and Ken Griffey, Jr.

Should the St. Louis Cardinals slugger continue on his home run pace and get to 40 home runs and 40 or more doubles this season (not as likely, given he is only at 26), it’ll be a record fourth time he achieved the feat.

Last season, he tied Lou Gehrig as the only player to have done it three times.

And should Pujols do all the above AND take home another National League MVP award, he’ll be only one of two players (Barry Bonds has seven) to be named his league’s best more than three times.

So answer this for me again...it’s safe to call Pujols the best in the game, right?

Thought so.

Last week, Hall readers were aked who they thought would be the next player to reach 600 career home runs. Did they say Pujols, Thome...or someone else?

Albert Pujols Favored to Reach 600 Next

After Alex Rodriguez went deep last week and became just the seventh player in Major League history to accumulate 600 or more home runs, I had to ask...who will be the next player to do it?

Future Hall of Famers Jim Thome (579 career bombs) and Manny Ramirez (554) are both within shouting distance of the milestone...but at 39 and 38 years old respectively, their best years are behind them.

While it would be hard to root against Thome because he's 21 long balls away from 600...does he have enough in the tank to do it? He's hit just 15 this year and I'm not so sure he'll continue to get the at bats next season.

Ramirez, on the other hand...well, he looks to be close to done.

At just 30 years old, Washington's Adam Dunn (347) has done nothing but crush the ball since he entered the league. In each of his last nine seasons, Dunn has hit at least 25 or more home runs. From 2004-2008, he became just the second player to hit 40 or more home runs in five straight seasons.

The other? George Herman Ruth...who did it in seven straight years. And with 31 so far this season, Dunn looks to have 40 back on his radar after stalling out at 38 last year.

Second generation superstar Prince Fielder has the most home runs of anyone under the age of 30. With 185 home runs at the age of 26, the Milwaukee Brewers first baseman is making a name for himself as one of the National League's premier power hitters.

Not surprisingly, Albert Pujols seems to be the odds on favorite to be the next guy to do everything. Friday night, the 30 year-old hit career homer number 394 and barring sudden injury, will become the second youngest player to reach 400.

Here's how the vote panned out.

41% - Albert Pujols
40% - Jim Thome
6% - No one
5% - Prince Fielder
4% - Manny Ramirez
2% - Adam Dunn

So what do you think? Who has the edge...who did I miss? More importantly...will we see anyone get to 600 again?!?

Curious about A-Rod and his march to the milestone? Here are ten things you might not have known about his 600 home runs.

Friday 5: Lenny Randle

With the Cardinals-Reds fracas from Tuesday night still making headlines, it's hard to not think of other basebrawls (see what I did there?) from throughout the history of the game.

One such incident occurred in 1977 and involved infielder Lenny Randle and his manager Frank Lucchesi. Out of respect to Randle and Lucchesi I won’t re-hash it here.

Randle has accomplished plenty since his days on the playing field…this week, he takes a crack at the “Friday 5”.

HOVG: Who was your biggest influence?

RANDLE: My Dad and Mom, my former managers Billy Martin, Ted Williams, Joe Torre and my coach Willie Mays.

HOVG: What is your most memorable travel experience?

RANDLE: Living in Italy the last 19 years and visiting 31 countries.

HOVG: What is your favorite baseball term or saying?

RANDLE: God bless…no stress.

HOVG: What is your best experience or greatest accomplishment?

RANDLE: Meeting the Pope and playing for four Presidents. Also…providing scholarships for more than 1500 students.

HOVG: When did you know that you “made it”?

RANDLE: I knew I made it at birth!

HOVG: Lastly, you joined a New York Yankees team in 1979 that had just come off a World Series Championship the year before. What stories do you have of the recently departed George Steinbrenner?

RANDLE: I have a thousand George Steinbrenner stories. As a Yankee, George made us feel like family. The media never knew the soft side and what he did for me, Billy Martin, (Graig) Nettles, Oscar Gamble, Goose (Gossage), Mickey Rivers and Roy White. He would give money to all our private mailboxes on the road with notes that said:

Go have a good time. Here’s $300. Enjoy! We are winners! George

After a big league career that saw Randle play for five Major League teams and set batting records overseas in Italy, he came home and got a master's degree in special education-adapted physical education from Arizona State.

Now…he’s the founder of the Lenny Randle Sports Academy, an instructional camp that offers private lessons and clinics to players around the country ages 7 to 17.

For more information on the Academy or any of the services that Randle offers, check out his website.

Chipper Jones...Career Over?

Tuesday night, Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones tweaked his left knee fielding a sixth inning grounder against Houston.

Today, he had an MRI...and it's not good.

According to Atlanta's 790 The Zone, the 38 year-old has a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the season. But let me throw this out...is his career over as well?

If so, we’ve had the honor of watching one of this generation’s best third basemen. And no, Yankees fans…I am not talking about Alex Rodriguez.

Initially a shortstop and occasionally a left fielder…Jones has anchored the hot corner for the Atlanta Braves for more than 80% of the games he’s played. But why doesn’t he get mentioned in the same breath as baseball’s elite?

Here’s a guy who isn’t stuck in a smaller market. Atlanta is on the East coast and TBS (or the Turner Broadcast System to you high brow muckety-mucks) carried “America’s Team” from 1972 until 2007, so obviously Jones got his fair share of exposure.

He hasn’t bounced around from team to team every year a la Matt Stairs or Royce Clayton (both played for close to a dozen teams)…he’s been with ONE team since he was selected with the first overall pick in the 1990 amateur draft.

There is absolutely no need to look at the transaction wire to see where Number 10 is suiting up next.

And arguably, while he his status as one of baseball’s best hitters has dimished slightly (he was batting just .265 with ten bombs this season)…he is possibly the greatest switch hitter the game has ever seen. With all apologies to Mickey Mantle and Eddie Murray…it’s Jones who holds the distinction of being the ONLY switch hitter to have a career batting average of .300 (currently .306) and 400 or more home runs.

Add to that the fact that Jones’ 2008 league leading batting average of .364 is only one tick off of Mantle’s season best .365 for a switch hitter and you’ve got more than just a great hitter from both sides of the dish…you’ve got one heck of a ball player.

From 1996 to 2008, Jones has hit .295 or higher in all but one season. Prior to 2009, he had 14 straight seasons with 20 or more home runs and eight straight seasons (nine total) of 100 or more RBI.

And speaking of streaks, Jones also played in an amazing ELEVEN straight post seasons from 1995 to 2005.

Incidentally (perhaps coincidentally), the Braves brought Atlanta their lone World Series championship in Jones’ rookie year, 1995. That post-season, he hit .364 and finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting to Hideo Nomo. As a sidenote, Nomo lost his only start that post-season as the Dodgers were swept by the Reds.

Four seasons later, in 1999, Jones brought home the MVP trophy when he hit .319 with 45 home runs and 110 RBI. He also swiped 25 of 28 bases! And not to sound like a broken record, but in 12 of his 14 seasons…he’s nabbed some MVP votes.

For his career, Jones has belted 436 home runs…third most for a switch hitter behind Mantle (536) and Murray (504). 358 of them coming as a third baseman.

I wrote before that by the end of this season, he’d have easily surpassed 1500 RBI and 2500 hits. Unfortuantely, it might be stuck at 1491 and 2490. His career OPS of .941 is 30th all-time and the only two players ahead of him that are Hall eligible and NOT enshrined are Mark McGwire and Lefty O'Doul.

The six-time All-Star holds most of the ATLANTA Braves team records and is situated alongside Hank Aaron and Mathews atop many of their franchise records. Should he come back, he’ll have eclipsed most of Mathews’ numbers except home runs. It’s safe to say he’ll never touch what “Hammerin’ Hank” did.

That being said…the dude is a lock for Cooperstown. He could retire today and waltz in without any more icing needed for the top of the proverbial Hall of Fame cake.

Hopefully, it'll be on his terms and not because of injury.

Twitter Tuesday: Sign Guy

I'm not sure if this is just going to encourage him or not, but long ago, the guys over at Joe Sports Fan brought "Sign Guy" to the attention of the unsuspecting masses.

Basically, "Sign Guy" is a St. Louis fan who, apparently, spends his days and nights coming up with puns involving his beloved Cardinals. He then scrawls said puns on spare pieces of poster board and takes them to Busch Stadium in hopes to get on television.

Now...dude is on Twitter.

TWITTER HANDLE: @STLCardsSignGuy

SAMPLE TWEETS:

MOLINA says YADIOS to Stealers!

With MATT every game is a HOLLIDAY!

Does LARUSSA know how to DEAL the CARDS?

With AARON the CARDS are MILES ahead!

WHITEY-St. Louis' favorite HONKEY!

Two Great Carpenters: JESUS and CHRIS!

And my personal favorite:

I put my pants on one leg at a time like everyone else, I just make great signs after I do.

As you can see, his zingers are pretty basic and, frankly...not that funny. That said, this guy has become every bit as much of the fabric of Cardinals baseball as Ronnie Woo Woo has on Chicago's Northside.

I'm just not sure if that is a good thing.

By the way..."Sign Guy" promises he will "enshrine" his 200th follower on a sign during ESPN's last game of the year. So what are you waiting for...follow this guy already!

Catching Up with Daniel Nava

Much has been made about this season being “the year of the pitcher”. Well…you could also call it “the year of players hitting a home run in their first Major League at bat”.

Sure, it might be lengthy…but it would be appropriate because on Saturday, Toronto’s J.P. Arencibia became the fifth rookie to go yard in his first at bat this year.

And while 107 players have done the deed all-time…this is the most players to have done it in the same season at this point in the schedule. To make what Arencibia did all the more special, he became just the 27th player to go deep on the first pitch he saw.

This past June, Red Sox outfielder Daniel Nava became an overnight hero in Boston when he sent Joe Blanton’s first offering deep during a 10-2 victory over the Phillies.

I had a chance to catch up with Nava and reminisce about that blast.

HOVG: You made history in your first at bat by becoming just the fourth player in Major League history to hit a grand slam in his first at bat. Even better, only you and Kevin Kouzmanoff did it on the first pitch you saw. Did the thought of going yard ever cross your mind when you stepped up to the plate?

NAVA: No...it never crossed my mind.

HOVG: Walk us through the experience.

NAVA: The situation allowed me the opportunity to get that first pitch. We were trailing at the time and I was simply trying to put something into the outfield to bring home a run and even up the score. I was looking to do this early in the count, it just so happened to happen on the first pitch. I wasn't sitting on a particular pitch…I was more or less looking for anything that was going to allow me to get the job done. Once I made contact I initially thought the ball was in the gap but when I saw (Jayson) Werth take two steps and stop, I realized that it was gone. But the realization of what had happened is something that I still haven't grasped! My whole goal in rounding the bases was to make sure I touched all of them and didn't trip along the way! (Laughs)

HOVG: After you hit that grand slam and became a Boston legend, it came out that you used to leave tickets at the box office for Erin Andrews. Have you heard from the "Dancing with the Stars" finalist yet?

NAVA: (Laughs) I haven't talked with her. I'm sure she's got plenty of better things to do. Hopefully I'll get a chance to at least meet her. (Laughs)

HOVG: You spent some considerable time earlier this season patrolling the same patch of grass that Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, Jim Rice and Manny Ramirez called home...what's that like?

NAVA: To have the opportunity to play left, which as you mentioned is the same ground some of baseballs greats have played, is exciting! Those guys have obviously made Fenway, as well as leftfield, a special place to play.

HOVG: What's next for Daniel Nava...what keeps you motivated?

NAVA: What's next? Well I learned a lot while I was up in Boston, but at the moment I'm back in Pawtucket, so I'm trying to work on my defense and tightening up my routes to balls and reads off the ball. In general, I’m trying to put myself in the best position I can on every pitch to make a play when a ball is hit my way. I have to say that this entire experience has been a lot of fun. I've learned a lot and know I still have a lot to learn. But I thank God everyday for the opportunities I've had and I hope there are more in the future.

Daniel Nava has bounced between Boston and their Triple-A affiliate Pawtucket this season. With the PawSox, he is hitting .297 with nine home runs and 44 RBI. In his 30-game stint with the Red Sox, he played a flawless leftfield and batted .290 with, yes…that one historic home run.