Albert Called his Home Run, ala Babe Ruth

[MarthaT]

Link (http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/cardinals/story/A01668882C8D49C5862575DC007D6069?OpenDocument)


After opening the third inning with a fly out, Pujols returned to the Cardinals clubhouse to review video. There he predicted to assistant hitting coach Mike Aldrete that his next at-bat would ricochet off the yet-to-open Royals Hall of Fame behind the visitors bullpen in left field. "He didn't say he might hit the Hall of Fame. He said he would hit the Hall of Fame," Aldrete recalled.

Pujols returned in the fourth inning against Royals starting pitcher Gil Meche with the bases loaded and one out in a 4-4 game. Pujols and Meche reached a full count. By then Meche had shown Pujols every pitch in his repertoire except a change-up. When Meche finally threw the pitch, Pujols swatted it some 423 feet off a Hall of Fame window.

"He's a competitive guy. He's going to go after you and hopefully make a mistake like he did, and you take advantage," Pujols said. "The worst thing you can do in that situation is hit into a double play. I want to hit the ball in the air."

[ol' aches and pains]

Link (http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/cardinals/story/A01668882C8D49C5862575DC007D6069?OpenDocument)


After opening the third inning with a fly out, Pujols returned to the Cardinals clubhouse to review video. There he predicted to assistant hitting coach Mike Aldrete that his next at-bat would ricochet off the yet-to-open Royals Hall of Fame behind the visitors bullpen in left field. "He didn't say he might hit the Hall of Fame. He said he would hit the Hall of Fame," Aldrete recalled.

Pujols returned in the fourth inning against Royals starting pitcher Gil Meche with the bases loaded and one out in a 4-4 game. Pujols and Meche reached a full count. By then Meche had shown Pujols every pitch in his repertoire except a change-up. When Meche finally threw the pitch, Pujols swatted it some 423 feet off a Hall of Fame window.

"He's a competitive guy. He's going to go after you and hopefully make a mistake like he did, and you take advantage," Pujols said. "The worst thing you can do in that situation is hit into a double play. I want to hit the ball in the air."

The Cardinals have an "Assistant" Hitting Coach? Enough Aldrete!

[sturg1dj]

The Cardinals have an "Assistant" Hitting Coach? Enough Aldrete!

nice, I totally see what you did there.

[ipitch]

I wonder how many times Albert tried to call his shot, and failed? They never seem to write about those.

[dominik]

Maybe he calls one before every PA:)

[KCGHOST]

Well, he sure didn't call it like the Babe supposedly did. Chatting with some goober in the dugout hardly matches up with standing at home plate and pointing to the fences.

Let's not cheapen the greatness of Pujols with overreaching claims.

[Berkman#17]

Many players have told so and so that they would hit one, then went out and did it. I've seen this at the college and high school levels. Even did it a couple of times myself back in the day.

But that is nothing compared to what Babe did. He didn't tell some guy in the dugout he was going to do it. He told everyone in the ballpark, including the pitcher.

Huge difference.

[KevinWI]

Well, he sure didn't call it like the Babe supposedly did. Chatting with some goober in the dugout hardly matches up with standing at home plate and pointing to the fences.

LOL!

Generally, I am not a fan of when somebody calls their home run bombs, seems kinda corny.

[Bulldog19]

I remember reading either last year or the year before a story about Griffey. A kid right there behind/on the side of the dugout held up a sign that said something like "606." Griffey told him if he hit a home run that at bat, he would give the kid something. Well he went and hit a home run in that at bat. The article said that Griffey came off the field and climbed into the camera well and handed the kid his batting helmet.

[dominik]

Could be that he said it, could be just a joke.

We shouldn't use this as an example for his greatness. Could also be luck.

We we should use as an example for his greatness is that he got at bat 4 times with bases loaded and hit 3 GS.

When the pitcher must throw it in and can't afford to throw it just near the zone. he hits it out.

[gman5431]

Yeah, this is a pretty dumb story. You know how many times players have called something that didnt happen.

There has to be at least a dozen times in the minors that i heard guys call their shot. Sometimes they hit one, sometimes they didnt. Its just a baseball thing but Albert is Albert, he is a beast. This doesnt make him any more so.

G Man

[Brian McKenna]

But that is nothing compared to what Babe did. He didn't tell some guy in the dugout he was going to do it. He told everyone in the ballpark, including the pitcher.


Just another in a long line of baseball myths still repeated to this day.

[KevinWI]

Wow, I don't know who is more magical, Albert Pujols or Matt Wieters.

[dominik]

Forget Wieters, Bryce Harper is now the new Goat:D.

[Berkman#17]

Just another in a long line of baseball myths still repeated to this day.

Video says otherwise.

[cardsfanatic]

Eh, who cares. I'm just happy with the HR. Called or not. :P

I do find it quite comical that a lot of fans buy into this sort of thing. It's much like clutch and other "magical, can't be measured" events. My question has always been, if a player can hit a homerun at will by calling it or if he can magically get hits and score runs at will by being "clutch", then why don't they just do it every AB?

Why doesn't Pujols call a HR every AB since he can apparently hit HR's on command. Heh. Trust me, I wou;dn't complain if he could do it.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Eh, who cares. I'm just happy with the HR. Called or not. :P

I do find it quite comical that a lot of fans buy into this sort of thing. It's much like clutch and other "magical, can't be measured" events. My question has always been, if a player can hit a homerun at will by calling it or if he can magically get hits and score runs at will by being "clutch", then why don't they just do it every AB?

Why doesn't Pujols call a HR every AB since he can apparently hit HR's on command. Heh. Trust me, I wou;dn't complain if he could do it.

Heres a story for ya, saw this on TV some years ago, Mick being honest and funny.
Mickey Mantle and some Yanks were watching a video of the Ruth home run. Murcer, John Blanchard, Catfish Hunter and a couple of others.
I think one of them asked Mick if he ever called a shot, he said he did.

1964 WS against the Cards. Said he came to bat in the 9th inning tie score 1-1. Said as he walked to the batters box he turned to the on deck batter Elston Howard and said, " You can go back to the dugout Ellie, I'm going to hit one out", and he did, first pitch off off Shultz.

One of them said to Mick, " and you called it", Mick answers "I did."
Then he's asked did you call any others, "Sure I called lots of them, most of them were strikeouts." They roar with laughter.