Take a Bow Albert

With this swing Albert Pujols joined the 500 home run club.  The 34 year old is the 26^th member of the club and the third youngest to join it; Jimmie Foxx and Alex Rodriguez both hit their 500^th homer at the age of 32.  It is impossible for Pujols to eclipse Barry Bonds and restore the luster to the career home run record.  Honestly, it seems unlikely that Pujols will even reach 600 home runs.  None of that matters.

Pujols has accomplished something that only 25 other men have done.  He has done it without a hint of steroid scandal.  That is something that seven of his 500 club peers cannot claim.  There may come a time when steroids are no longer at the forefront of the public’s consciousness.  However, that is not the world baseball fans currently inhabit.  Doubt lingers in the minds of many fans.  This makes Pujols' credibility all the more important.

           Unfortunately, Pujols' milestone comes during a busy period in sports.  The NBA playoffs, NHL playoffs and the release of the 2014 NFL schedule will all distract fans.  That is the reality of today’s fast paced and multifaceted sporting world.  That reality has contributed to declining popularity among younger fans.  It is a sport derided as boring and lacking action.  These are valid criticisms but it does not hurt to stop a second and admire the accomplishment.  The Washington National fans in attendance of Pujols' 500th did just that.  Hopefully, sports fans everywhere value the moment too.