Albert Pujols is going to go down as one of the best players in the history of baseball. He is one home run behind Alex Rodriguez's 696 for fourth-most all-time and just five shy of the coveted 700 mark.
Pujols has won two World Series titles and was named the MVP three times in his career. Along with his 695 home runs he also won a batting title in 2003 when he hit .359.
Pujols joined Ron Darling and Jimmy Rollins on Audacy’s “Unwritten: Behind Baseball’s Secret Rules” podcast and shared how a conversation with La Russa during his rookie season helped unlock his potential.
“He asked me ‘So Albert, I’m going to tell you something. What do you prefer: 30 home runs or hit .300?’ And I was like ‘30 home runs, Tony. Everybody wants to hit the ball out of the ballpark,’” Pujols said (30:45 in player above). “Bzzzz. Rookie mistake. ‘I want you to focus on hitting .300. Because if you focus on hitting .300 I bet you you’re going to get your 30 home runs. I bet you you’re going to get your 100 RBI.’ And that was the case.”
Pujols played in all but one of the Cardinals’ 162 games during his rookie season. He hit .329 with those 37 home runs and 130 RBI in 590 at-bats and was named the NL Rookie of the Year.
“He never gave me the opportunity to think about the question that he was giving me,” he continued. “But if you look at it, if you really focus on hitting .300, how many chances are you going to have with men in scoring position and chance to drive runs and do some damage? A lot. You’re going to get more hits. You’re going to hit .300.”
Now, as Pujols approaches 700 career home runs in his final season, he uses the same question that La Russa posed to him when mentoring young players.
“I want you to focus on hitting .300, because I’m telling you at the end of the year, I know you have the power, you’re going to hit 30 home runs and you’re going to drive in runs and you’re going to be hitting .300,” he said.
Pujols’ pure talent may have been able to carry him to a great MLB career, but La Russa helped the slugger unlock another level.
“Our relationship is like a father and son, 23 years later,” Pujols said. “And our relationship back then in 2001, I felt it hasn’t changed. If anything it’s getting stronger and stronger every year.”
Pujols’ rookie season was the first of many fantastic seasons. He averaged 42 home runs and 126 RBI per 162 games during his first 11 seasons with the Cardinals; all while batting .328. The slugger has slowed down with age, but he’s experiencing a resurgence as he chases home run No. 700.
Pujols has 16 home runs in 277 plate appearances in his return to St. Louis this season. He is five home runs away from 700 with a few weeks left in his final season.
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