Conventional baseball wisdom suggested Albert Pujols would end this season, his last, just short of 700 home runs—painfully shy of joining the group that numbers only Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, and Babe Ruth. That script is being rewritten, Bob Nightengale writes in USA Today. After hitting five home runs in the past five days, two of them Saturday night, Pujols needs just eight more to reach the rarified milestone. The St. Louis star has hit 13 homers this season without being a full-time player. Five more would tie Pujols, 42, with Alex Rodriguez for fourth place on the all-time list. "Listen to the names that we're talking about, man,'' said Oliver Marmol, the Cardinals manager, per ESPN. "It's unbelievable.''
Either way, Pujols said he won't change his mind, Nightengale writes. "I'm still going to retire, no matter whether I end up hitting 693, 696, 700, whatever," Pujols said, per USA Today. "I don't get caught up in numbers." After playing for the Los Angeles Angels and Dodgers last season, Pujols said he rejoined his original team for his final season because it had faith in him. "It wasn't just come back to celebrate my last year, it was knowing I can help," Pujols said. "That means a lot to me." And he's going out on top, regularly climbing another all-time list. Pujols' 4-for-4 game Saturday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks made him the first player ever to have four hits, including two homers, in a game at age 42 or older. (More Albert Pujols stories.)
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