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Cal Raleigh had great quote after joining 50-home-run club
Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Cal Raleigh isn’t taking his record-shattering season for granted.

The Seattle Mariners catcher etched his name in MLB history books Monday when he joined the prestigious 50-homer club via a solo shot against the San Diego Padres. Raleigh smashed his 50th home run to left field in the bottom of the first inning, scoring the game’s first run and sending the crowd into a frenzy inside T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Wash.

The ball was belted into the stadium’s upper deck with an exit velocity of 107.2 mph.

The 28-year-old put the achievement into perspective while speaking to reporters after the game.

“It doesn’t seem real,” Raleigh said via Mariners reporter Ryan Divish. “I mean, 50 home runs. It’s kind of crazy number to to think of. It’s a big number just in general, I remember thinking back when I thought I was a cool player when I hit five when I was young in high school. You hit five, you had all this power in the world.”

Raleigh became just the 33rd player in MLB history to record 50 home runs in a single season. The feat had fittingly been done just 50 times before Monday. Raleigh made it 51, while also playing arguably the most demanding position in baseball.

The Big Dumper joined Seattle legend Ken Griffey Jr. as the only Mariners ever to hit 50 or more home runs in a season. Griffey did it twice, tallying 56 homers back-to-back in 1997 and 1998.

Raleigh has 30 more games to try to catch Griffey for the Mariners’ franchise record.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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