Some of you might be familiar with the feeling of being overly antsy whenever you’re close to a certain benchmark or a certain date. Perhaps it’s nearing the weekend, but you still have work to finish, requirements to submit, but you could feel the Friday vibes consuming you, preventing you from being focused on the task at hand. St. Louis Cardinals legend Albert Pujols is feeling no such thing with him ever so close to crossing the illustrious 700 home run mark.
Speaking with the media before the Cardinals’ series against the San Diego Padres, Albert Pujols rebuffed the notion that he’s consciously chasing after the prestigious home run threshold.
“Exactly tell me what am I chasing, Frank? Because I’m not chasing anything, buddy.” Pujols retorted. “I mean, that’s something that you guys are playing with it. I just, never chased any numbers and I accomplished so much so 22 years later I’m definitely not going to chase anything.”
The 42-year old Pujols may have a point here, as the media is definitely responsible for hyping up the pursuit of extraordinary numbers such as MVP candidate Aaron Judge’s chase for 62 home runs and the AL record. Nevertheless, it’s difficult to think that chasing 700 hasn’t crossed Pujols’ mind throughout his hot streak.
Perhaps it’s just his way of remaining locked in on the job, as bad things can happen once players start pressing. Just ask Albert Pujols’ former teammate during his stint with the Los Angeles Angels, Mike Trout, who saw his seven-game home run streak come to an end when he forced the issue.
Still, Albert Pujols is a veteran who’s seen it all in his career. The two-time World Series champion knows what matters at the end of the day, especially with his superstar career coming to a close at the end of the season despite it being apparent that he has a lot left in the tank.
“What I’m chasing, you know what, is another ring. That’s what I’m chasing for the city of St. Louis and for our fans, and that’s why I signed back for this year,” Pujols declared.
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