LA Times: There's a reason for lack of fanfare about Albert Pujols' 500th home run

[AngelsWin.com]

Angels slugger's milestone shot Tuesday gets a low-key treatment primarily because the standard has been devalued by the steroid era.

The number that matters most is not 500.

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[CaliAngel]

Really? At 15 HRs a season minimum for the remainder of his career --which is totally doable for Pujols-- he will be the top 10 in HRs all time when all is said and done.

 

Make all the excuses in the world...there's a lack of fanfare from the MLB because he's on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

 

If David Ortiz ever hits 500 *yawn* I would bet MLB would make a stink about it that nobody would ever hear the end of.

[Cycled314]

I like this forum so don't want to come off as a troll but

 

In my opinion:

 

- 500 club is a bit undervalued due to PED era

 

but also

 

- This 500 mark is so overwhlemingly as a Cardinal (445) that it feels like this milestone/attention was bought by Moreno.

 

When he hits 600 - and he will - it will be a truer LAA milestone.

[Blarg]

There is no 600 milestone club.

[DMVol]

It's also diminished by his switching teams...were he still a Cardinal, it would have been a much bigger deal.......same with Ripkin, Jeter, Gwynn or the few other guys who stay with one team their entire career...Honestly, some of you may disagree, but I haven't warmed up to Pujols as an Angel....respect his accomplishments but don't appreciate him like I do Weaver, Salmon, GA and even Chuck Finley, who spent most of his career as an Angel and wanted to finish it that way...all those guys came up as Angels and didn't take the money and run to another team at the first chance to do so....all could have, Finley left but he wanted to stay---Stoneman was rebuilding and there just wasn't a deal to be had at the end of his career...

Edited April 24, 2014 by DMVol

[Ohtaniland]

Ruth hit 714 and Aaron hit 755 while a pretty stacked list hit 500. It's a cool milestone but until he catches Mays at 660 he's just another guy who hit 500 home runs.

[Fontana Halo]

Really? At 15 HRs a season minimum for the remainder of his career --which is totally doable for Pujols-- he will be the top 10 in HRs all time when all is said and done.

 

Make all the excuses in the world...there's a lack of fanfare from the MLB because he's on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

 

If David Ortiz ever hits 500 *yawn* I would bet MLB would make a stink about it that nobody would ever hear the end of.

Agreed. When I refreshed my ESPN browser about an hour after he hit it, the NBA playoffs were the front page story. Yawn.

[fan_since79]

Jim Thome hit over 600 home runs, and with all due respect to him, one would never say he was a better hitter than Albert.

 

Thome is also not a shoo-in for the HOF, although I personally think he'll make it eventually.

[fan_since79]

Agreed. When I refreshed my ESPN browser about an hour after he hit it, the NBA playoffs were the front page story. Yawn.

 

Yahoo didn't even have it at the top of their MLB page that evening.

[Jason]

I agree with Cali here. I think the team he's on is a big reason for it. He's the 26th player to do it and that is saying something. How many players, in total, have played in the major leagues as a position player? I'm sure it's a lage number so 26 is a very small percent of those people. It's a huge accomplishment whether the media thinks so or not.

[NJHalo]

Good point about Thome. I already forgot about him.

[Fontana Halo]

Good point about Thome. I already forgot about him.

Troy Percival doesn't.

[Willy J.]

If he had gone to the Yankee's from St. Louis instead of us, ESPN would have had 24 hour coverage with live look-ins.

[ten ocho recon scout]

I loved thome.

But better hitter than pujols?.....

[Make Angels Great Again]

On what planet is Thome not a guaranteed hall of famer?

 

Considering he's never been linked to PEDs:

 

600+ home runs (which is enough just by itself)

 

Career .956 OPS

 

72.9 career WAR

 

I don't give a rat's ass about the lack of MVPs or the handful of AS game appearances. He's a hall of famer, no doubt.

[markb]

Thome has always been criminally underrated.  Dude had an 1.122 OPS in '02 and finished 7th in MVP voting behind GA and his .871 OPS (sorry I love GA, but come on), Soriano's .880 OPS and hack defense, and a bunch of roiders (Tejada, A-Rod, Giambi).  Only one who belonged up there with him was Torii.  

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

On what planet is Thome not a guaranteed hall of famer?

Considering he's never been linked to PEDs:

600+ home runs (which is enough just by itself)

Career .956 OPS

72.9 career WAR

I don't give a rat's ass about the lack of MVPs or the handful of AS game appearances. He's a hall of famer, no doubt.

Don't be surprised if he isn't in there.

[seenoevil]

Wow that is mean