Pujols hits HR #500

[MLB~NUT]

Congrats to The Machine!:D

[Cubman15]

He's a heck of a player. Hopefully he can regain his health and put together another three or four strong seasons.

[marino13]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/fan-who-caught-pujols-500th-home-run-wants-nothing-in-return-023226058.html

[Chess2899]

What would do with the ball if you caught it?
Give it to Albert? Keep it for your collection? Put it into Goldin's July Auction?

[kwitzel]

Wow.... How quickly time has gone since Albert hit HR #1 on April 6, 2001. I thought I would share the line-up card from Albert's first HR of his career.

http://webpages.charter.net/karl.witzel/pujols_4-6-01_final.jpg

Thank you,

Karl

[allstarsplus]

I was fortunate to have been there to see Albert do this and videotape both 499 and 500

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0qOPwLjnrw

I was also there on August 26, 2010 when Albert hit #400.

I think the odds were about 9800 to 1 of the chances of him hitting both HRs in Nationals Park and he is the 1st 500 HR club member who hit #400 and #500 in the same "road" park. The chances of me randomly being there to see both are even greater odds since I don't go to every game.

I've certainly seen my share of other Pujols HRs in person as I've seen him in old Busch, new Busch and the Nats original venue at RFK Stadium. I actually helped a collector with game tickets every time Pujols hit a HR as a Cardinal and I would estimate I have probably seen at least 10 of Pujols HRs in person.

Unfortunately Nats Park is now ticketless if you are a Season Ticket Holder so I don't have ticket stubs from last nights game but I do have my photos, videos and memories.

[allstarsplus]

Wow.... How quickly time has gone since Albert hit HR #1 on April 6, 2001. I thought I would share the line-up card from Albert's first HR of his career.

http://webpages.charter.net/karl.witzel/pujols_4-6-01_final.jpg

Thank you,

Karl

Karl, good to see you over here! I tried to email you and your old Earthlink account bounced back. Send me an email so I can update!

[brianborsch]

Quite the accomplishment for Pujols! Andrew, that's awesome that you got to be there for those HR's as well! Memories are probably the best thing you can have. They last forever! :)

[DeacDoug]

I respect Albert for his accomplishment, but he is one of the biggest jerks in the game. I do have a $5 ticket stub from the game, albeit slightly wrinkled. Any offers?

[KGoldin]

Congrats to the greatest and most consistent player of the post hank aaron era.
( " steroid free " if refer to, as Bonds will always be the greatest post ruth hitter)
Hopefully Albert stays healthy and can get to 700

[ChrisCavalier]

Ironically, what impresses me the most about Pujols is what he does both on and OFF the field. Here is a great article which, I believe, served as the basis for the 60 Minutes segment on Albert. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it:

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/albert-pujols-a-superstar-off-and-on-the-field/

-Chris

[johnsontravis@ymail.com]

Congrats to the greatest and most consistent player of the post hank aaron era.
( " steroid free " if refer to, as Bonds will always be the greatest post ruth hitter)
Hopefully Albert stays healthy and can get to 700

No one in this era should ever be called steroid free...just my opinion. At least no one should be glamorized as the greatest steroid free player as Biogenesis showed players can get around drug tests easily..

[xsentrixsupra]

No one in this era should ever be called steroid free...just my opinion. At least no one should be glamorized as the greatest steroid free player as Biogenesis showed players can get around drug tests easily..


Agreed 100%

Good for Pujols for reaching the milestone, but as with everything in this era of baseball.........guilty until proven innocent as far as roiding up. Doesn't change my enjoyment of the game. I've long advocated letting all of them roid up, we can't stop them and everyone loves lots of homeruns and injured players returning faster!

But anyways, good job to Pujols

[PAC]

Agreed 100%

Good for Pujols for reaching the milestone, but as with everything in this era of baseball.........guilty until proven innocent as far as roiding up. Doesn't change my enjoyment of the game. I've long advocated letting all of them roid up, we can't stop them and everyone loves lots of homeruns and injured players returning faster!

But anyways, good job to Pujols

I agree, let em roid. Baseball was boring enough to begin with. If it turns into nothing but a bunch of Bret Boones smacking infield singles for 3 hours, no one will ever go to a game. Drugs can't give you the ability to hit a 96mph fastball. You either can or you can't.

[GoTigers]

Great ideas guys! That will really send a nice message to the kids... Hey, Lets give them aluminum bats while we're at it.

[GoTigers]

Drugs can't give you the ability to hit a 96mph fastball. You either can or you can't.

Have you ever looked at Brady Anderson's stats?

[PAC]

Hey, Lets give them aluminum bats while we're at it.

Aluminum bats and golf balls! Now you're onto something!

[johnsontravis@ymail.com]

Aluminum bats and golf balls! Now you're onto something!

Someone would get killed if they used Aluminum. It would be an awful idea.

I don't take away from Pujols though. In this era even if he did take steroids it wouldn't make me think of it less.

[onlyalbert]

Someone would get killed if they used Aluminum. It would be an awful idea.

I don't take away from Pujols though. In this era even if he did take steroids it wouldn't make me think of it less.

So you don't think less of Bond's record? I sure do.

[xsentrixsupra]

I agree, let em roid. Baseball was boring enough to begin with. If it turns into nothing but a bunch of Bret Boones smacking infield singles for 3 hours, no one will ever go to a game. Drugs can't give you the ability to hit a 96mph fastball. You either can or you can't.


I think thats something a lot of people don't really consider. I think people just think you roid up and just become amazing at any sport. You still need talent. I bet I could roid up 8x more than Bonds even dreamed of and I'd never bat above .002 in the majors!

[johnsontravis@ymail.com]

So you don't think less of Bond's record? I sure do.

I think Bonds is very different. Everyone thinks he was HOF bound without them, but I disagree. His first 4 years were really nothing eye popping. I thinks it pretty clear he started using steroids that 5th year and just keep adding more. Bonds took a 25HR guy and made himself a 75HR guy. It was sickening to watch his ego grow with his head. His stats aren't even human...he just took it to a disgraceful level.

And the fact he can lie still to this day is pretty sad. I would respect him more if he came out saying yah I did it like most of baseball. The fact that he can continue to say he never knew he did is just sad. Everyone knows he did it intentionally...you don't go from 25 to 73.

[johnsontravis@ymail.com]

Also I think anyone that supports legalizing steroids would regret it if it happened.

I want to see pure gifted talents not a bunch of monsters ruining their bodies. Steroids can be dangerous and have a lot of bad effects depending on the person.

Steroid use on a mass scale would be scary. Cause when MLB players do it college kids will. Then you have high school kids forced to do it....what next? Little League? Then the dangers of harder hit balls will outlaw aluminum bats and a company like Demarini will be hit hard.

[xsentrixsupra]

Also I think anyone that supports legalizing steroids would regret it if it happened.

I want to see pure gifted talents not a bunch of monsters ruining their bodies. Steroids can be dangerous and have a lot of bad effects depending on the person.

Steroid use on a mass scale would be scary. Cause when MLB players do it college kids will. Then you have high school kids forced to do it....what next? Little League? Then the dangers of harder hit balls will outlaw aluminum bats and a company like Demarini will be hit hard.


What about a league of any sport where its mixed sex like a rec league intramural team.......the only catch is they let the women juice up how much they want and the guys have to stay clean. Roided up Brittany Griner vs clean Lebron????

What about using HGH and PEDs just for recovery?

[PAC]

What about a league of any sport where its mixed sex like a rec league intramural team.......the only catch is they let the women juice up how much they want and the guys have to stay clean. Roided up Brittany Griner vs clean Lebron????

What about using HGH and PEDs just for recovery?

You lost me at Brittany Griner

[johnsontravis@ymail.com]

What about a league of any sport where its mixed sex like a rec league intramural team.......the only catch is they let the women juice up how much they want and the guys have to stay clean. Roided up Brittany Griner vs clean Lebron????

What about using HGH and PEDs just for recovery?

I wouldn't mind PEDs for recovery.

I want to see them on the field so taking something to heal a torn ACL or Braun using something to stay on the field in 2011 with the hamstring issue would be interesting to legalize.

[nevrdiez34]

I wouldn't mind PEDs for recovery.

I want to see them on the field so taking something to heal a torn ACL or Braun using something to stay on the field in 2011 with the hamstring issue would be interesting to legalize.


Braun didn't use PEDs to recover from a hamstring injury in 2011, he used them to gain an advantage, and from most reports, since college. The problem with allowing PEDs for injuries is PEDs don't magically leave your system once you're healed from an injury, it would still be an advantage once the player has returned to action.

[xsentrixsupra]

I wouldn't mind PEDs for recovery.

I want to see them on the field so taking something to heal a torn ACL or Braun using something to stay on the field in 2011 with the hamstring issue would be interesting to legalize.


PEDs would have a limited impact on things like ACLs or any tendons like an achilles, due to limited bloodflow to those types of things. Now the hamstring issue you speak of, that is an area where PEDs could come into play with helping to recover.

[cpdinc]

DeacDoug, I tried to send you a message about the ticket but it says you don't receive them. Shoot me an email; I might like to have that ticket. Thanks! chris . dulle @ g mail dot com

[johnsontravis@ymail.com]

PEDs would have a limited impact on things like ACLs or any tendons like an achilles, due to limited bloodflow to those types of things. Now the hamstring issue you speak of, that is an area where PEDs could come into play with helping to recover.

I was just giving a quick example as I was sorta rushed, but I think you got the point.

I am sure there are drugs out there that can help you stay healthy without giving any real performance improvement other than that. It would be an interesting consideration as teams lose a lot when a player goes down and the team goes with them. Probably will never happen though.

As far as the guy commenting on Braun I am not going to argue when the sources you speak of aren't credible at all. There never was any proof period other than 2011. Only thing connecting him outside of that was some guy trying to sue him...and that man is just trying to take advantage of the situation and ruin his reputation more.

This thread is already of topic as it is.

[xsentrixsupra]

I was just giving a quick example as I was sorta rushed, but I think you got the point.

I am sure there are drugs out there that can help you stay healthy without giving any real performance improvement other than that. It would be an interesting consideration as teams lose a lot when a player goes down and the team goes with them. Probably will never happen though.

As far as the guy commenting on Braun I am not going to argue when the sources you speak of aren't credible at all. There never was any proof period other than 2011. Only thing connecting him outside of that was some guy trying to sue him...and that man is just trying to take advantage of the situation and ruin his reputation more.

This thread is already of topic as it is.

I'm a Braun fan and supporter, but I think its pretty naive to say any of these guys were using it just for recovery. I agree 100% that it is a benefit of PEDs and HGH as far as recovery, I'd also agree 100% that Braun didn't go overboard for power with them like Bonds and those guys.........but saying he just used it for recovery is a bit silly. He is a very talented player and I think he'll be just fine since he wasn't defined as a power hitter before, but even as a fan and someone who will continue cheering for him, I believe he was using them for performance purposes beyond injury recovery.

[nevrdiez34]

As far as the guy commenting on Braun I am not going to argue when the sources you speak of aren't credible at all. There never was any proof period other than 2011. Only thing connecting him outside of that was some guy trying to sue him...and that man is just trying to take advantage of the situation and ruin his reputation more.

This thread is already of topic as it is.

This thread has been off topic nearly from the start. If you want to believe Braun in spite of the facts and his admission of lying, that's up to you. Believe what you want to believe, but his refusal to comment on any of his PED use should tell you something. He's a talented player no doubt, but to think he lied about using to everyone including family and friends, threw a specimen collector under the bus but is telling the truth about only using to recover from a hamstring injury that never even sent him to the disabled list in 2011 is beyond naïve.

[Roady]

See, you guys who wanted to post about Pujols should have posted it in the thread I started in the correct forum, General Sports Discussion, about an hour before this one was started. :D

[johnsontravis@ymail.com]

See, you guys who wanted to post about Pujols should have posted it in the thread I started in the correct forum, General Sports Discussion, about an hour before this one was started. :D

Exactly why I didn't mind getting it off topic in the first place.

[dangerzone79]

For the Pujols fans out there, here's the bat he hit 500 with. Pretty cool.

[BamaHater]

Here is a pic of the 500 HR Ball
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bl3kCFlIYAEnayt.jpg

[allstarsplus]

Here is a pic of the 500 HR Ball
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bl3kCFlIYAEnayt.jpg

Thanks for sharing that pic. I had a picture of the batboy bringing the ump the specially marked balls. I just didn't know how they were marked. On the video I took I am saying just a second before he hit the 500 "I just want a foulball".

[STLHAMMER32]

Congrats to Albert!

Ozzie and Jose Canseco.....identical twins who grew up with same environment and both used performance enhancers is the easiest comparison to show that steroids and the strength/recovery time only plays a small factor in the game. I would even argue the mental placebo effect has more to do with the results than the physical gain associated with steroids at times. I've seen players decline using steroids trying to gain an edge....could it be attributed to the "guilt" of using, body adjustments/side effects? Who knows...

[Roady]

Congrats to Albert!

Ozzie and Jose Canseco.....identical twins who grew up with same environment and both used performance enhancers is the easiest comparison to show that steroids and the strength/recovery time only plays a small factor in the game. I would even argue the mental placebo effect has more to do with the results than the physical gain associated with steroids at times. I've seen players decline using steroids trying to gain an edge....could it be attributed to the "guilt" of using, body adjustments/side effects? Who knows...

Name the players who declined while using steroids.

[Roady]

The mental gymnastics some of you do to justify your favorite players steroid use is amazing, and shameful.

[sportsnbikes]

If I had caught that ball I would've sold it. Only because Albert doesn't do most fans any favors and because of many stories I've heard. He gets every single done he can from his bats and etc. Why should I do him any favors?

But, I didn't catch it.

[STLHAMMER32]

Wow.... How quickly time has gone since Albert hit HR #1 on April 6, 2001. I thought I would share the line-up card from Albert's first HR of his career.

http://webpages.charter.net/karl.witzel/pujols_4-6-01_final.jpg

Thank you,

Karl


Great piece
Karl!

[STLHAMMER32]

Name the players who declined while using steroids.

The ones that I personally witnessed you would not know of...which was kind of the point I was making. The steroids are a very small part of the equation and don't create hall of fame talent...certainly an edge can be obtained but hall of fame talent does not come about due to steroids...

Here are some major league names to research that were caught in some respect with PED's........

Chad Allen, Mike Bell, Howie Clark, Chris Donnels, Nook Logan, Bart Miadich, Cody Mckay, Adam Piatt, Adam Riggs, Todd Williams....etc


Jeremy Giambi, Mike Bell.....both had brothers that were major league all-stars....they both used steroids and didn't come close to matching career achievements.

I think each person is entitled to an opinion without it being shameful to do so.What facts do you have to show steroids improves a player to hall of fame talent....I can show you plenty more who used that barely made it to the league....but I would challenge you to be able to prove a Hall of fame type player couldn't have done it without roids......

[MLB~NUT]

For the Pujols fans out there, here's the bat he hit 500 with. Pretty cool.

He looks Soo Happy & Humble....:p Lol...

[kwitzel]

Great piece
Karl!

The early days of the St. Louis Cardinals Winter Warm-up Albert would personalize an item, such as the line-up card. Albert is my favorite player, but as the years past both at the St. Louis Cardinals Winter Warm-up and the signing that Albert use to do in Kansas City the chances of getting an item personalized was a bit tough.

Thank you,

Karl

[Roady]

The ones that I personally witnessed you would not know of...which was kind of the point I was making. The steroids are a very small part of the equation and don't create hall of fame talent...certainly an edge can be obtained but hall of fame talent does not come about due to steroids...

Here are some major league names to research that were caught in some respect with PED's........

Chad Allen, Mike Bell, Howie Clark, Chris Donnels, Nook Logan, Bart Miadich, Cody Mckay, Adam Piatt, Adam Riggs, Todd Williams....etc


Jeremy Giambi, Mike Bell.....both had brothers that were major league all-stars....they both used steroids and didn't come close to matching career achievements.

I think each person is entitled to an opinion without it being shameful to do so.What facts do you have to show steroids improves a player to hall of fame talent....I can show you plenty more who used that barely made it to the league....but I would challenge you to be able to prove a Hall of fame type player couldn't have done it without roids......

You may have a point if not for two very glaring things.
1 We are not clones of one another.
2 Not all steroids are equal.

[Roady]

And I don't' accept challenges from the delusional. :cool:

[kwitzel]

I thought I would share my very recent Pujols #500 autograph acquisition. Albert has not signed many items associated HR 500, but I was lucky enough purchase this item.

http://webpages.charter.net/karl.witzel/pujols_500_ticket_auto.jpg

Thank you,

Karl

[carbonrosa]

I thought I would share my very recent Pujols #500 autograph acquisition. Albert has not signed many items associated HR 500, but I was lucky enough purchase this item.

http://webpages.charter.net/karl.witzel/pujols_500_ticket_auto.jpg

Thank you,

Karl

Hi Karl, where did you purchase this ticket. Did Pujols do a signing?

[kwitzel]

Hi Karl, where did you purchase this ticket. Did Pujols do a signing?

It was a private signing that Albert conducted during his recent golf tournament in LA.

Thank you,

Karl

[Roady]

Wow.... How quickly time has gone since Albert hit HR #1 on April 6, 2001. I thought I would share the line-up card from Albert's first HR of his career.

http://webpages.charter.net/karl.witzel/pujols_4-6-01_final.jpg

Thank you,

Karl

Too bad that isn't George Springer's first. It would be worth thousands! LOL :D

[Roady]

Better put a link to what I am talking about before someone thinks I'm crazy. :)
http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=60227