Cardinals' Albert P atlanta braves baseball jersey ujols homers in first AB after announcing participation in 2022 Home Run Derby
July 13, 2022
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ST. LOUIS — In his first official at-bat as a 2022 Home Run Derby participant, 42-year-old future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols hit a home run off Dodgers starter Mitch White.
If you’re looking for reasons to make risky predictions about magical happenings at an upcoming high-profile exhibition contest, that’s as good of a sign as you’re likely to get.
“I think he’s going to be the fan favorite, certainly,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said pregame.
Oh, and the St. Louis icon celebrate the dinger by giving an emphatic high-five to another St. Louis icon, rapper Nelly, who was sitting in the front row by the Cardinals dugout.
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That second-inning home run— the 685th of Pujols’ career but only his 34th in the secon atlanta braves jersey number 11 d inning — was his sixth of the season. It was also the sixth time on Tuesday he hit a baseball over the outfield fence at Busch Stadium, but the other five won’t show up on Baseball-Reference.com. They were batting practice homers.
I know because I tracked Pujols’ BP session on Tuesday.
Why?
Why not, right?
He’s a Home Run Derby contestant and the Derby is basically batting practTrevor Story Red Sox Jerseysice, albeit on a larger stage with more on the line than typical BP goals, which is a few bunts, a few hits around the field and then a few pokes over the fence as souveni Freddie Freeman Dodgers Jerseys rs to early arriving fans.
Plus, I’ve seen several Pujols BP sessions this season and I know what he’s still capable of. But you don’t have to take my word for it.
“I see this guy hit BP pretty much every day and it’s incredible,” Cardinals slugger Tyler O’Neill told me before the game.
He hits the ball to all fields, wherever he wants. There’s a reason he’s borderline 700 homers. When he wants to turn it on and hit some fly balls to left, it’s pretty fun to watch.
So here ya Matt Chapman Blue Jays Jerseys go …
Round 1
Pujols is hitting fourth i men s atlanta braves jersey n his group of five, behind Nolan Arenado, O’Neill and Nolan Gorman and ahead of rookie Juan Yepez. The first two pitches from Kleininger Teran — known as KT to everyone in the ballpark, he’s also the bullpen catcher and Spanish-language translator — are bunts for Pujols, as is the custom.
Then, a fly ball to right, a line drive to center, a fly ball to right and a fly ball to center.
Don’t worry, I’m not going to tell you the result of every one of the 34 pitches he saw.
After a fly ball that lands on the track in left-center, Pujols launches his first BP homer over the fence, an easy swing that deposits the ball in the visitor’s bullpen in left field.
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After the first round, Pujols is greeted by two of his former Dodgers mates, pitcher Julio Urias and coach Jose Vizcaino. Others stop by and it’s pretty clear Pujols made a positive impression during his time with the Dodgers in 2021.
Round 2
It’s clear what the goal of this round is, and it’s not home runs. Pujols sprays low line drives to center and left field, with a couple of warning-track fly balls sprinkled in. Not for nothing, but there are gusts blowing in from time to time.
“It’s a professional batting practice,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told me, thinking bat to Pujols’ BP sessions with the Dodgers. “He works the ball around the field, but when he wants to release the barrel and go up top, he has that power still.”
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Oh, and it should be noted that while Pujols' homer against White was in his first official at-bat after he was announced as a HR Derby contestant, but the news actually was reported during Monday night's game by Katie Woo, The Athletic's Cardinals beat writer.
Max Muncy comes trotting over after the round, and there is a massive bear hug.
Round 3
A couple to the track, one off the wall and another over the fence and into the visitor’s bullpen. I forgot to write down exactly when this happened, but I think it was during the group’s third round.
Yepez, the rookie with immense power, hit one a dozen rows deep into Big Mac land, the third deck in left field. Just a ginormous blast. He’d later hit one over the Cardinal Glennon hospital sign and into the outfield concourse.
Yepez is looking forward to the Derby.
“For sure, I’ll be watching on TV,” he told me with atlanta braves jersey jones a smile pregame.
He can put on a good show for the fans. He’s still in good shape, still driving the ball. He can put on a good show.
It’s a steady stream of former Dodgers teammates coming over to hug and chat with Pujols at this point. Lots of smiles all around.
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Round 4
Five pitches, three baseballs knocked over MLB Backpacksthe fence in this round. Would the two have snuck over without the wind? Maybe, but probably not. They were deep, though. Oh, and it’s worth noting that Post-Dispatch writer Derrick Goold, whose beat is the Cardinals, reported that KT will indeed by Pujols’ pitcher at the Derby.
The round reminds me of something else O’Neill told me.
“You know in his last round he’s going to be yanking the ball,” he said. “He puts on a show for the fans and his fellow BP mates. It’s fun to watch.”
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Round 5
O’Neill was a round early, it atlanta braves jersey youth xl seems. Six swings, no home runs for Pujols in Round 5, his final one of the day. Didn’t seem like max-effort swings like we’ll see in the Derby.
The swings weren’t as good as the one Pujols put on that MLB Player Tee Shirts Mitch White pitch in the second inning, for sure. The final totals: 33 swings, six home runs — five to left field, one to center — and eight more to the track, plus six that were clearly “make good line-drive contact” swings, spraying the ball around the park.
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So that's the wrap on a batting practice session that has nothing to do with how Pujols may or may not do at the Home Run Derby, and yet I wrote about it anyway. You're welcome. I'll leave you with a quote from Roberts.
“His bat-to-ball is there and the moment is not going to be too big for him, so if I was a betting man, he would be in there,” Roberts said. “He’s going to find his way into the running, in my opinion.”