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“You can wake up every day and make today better than the last.”

Dodgers Hall of Fame Manager Tommy Lasorda

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It’s not often an entire stadium roots together for an opposing team to score against the home team. Incidentally, that was the case Friday night, as history was being made at Dodger Stadium.

The Los Angeles Dodgers played the St. Louis Cardinals in their second to last home stand before the end of the 2022 regular season.

The cheering began early during a pregame ceremony to honor the retirement of legendary Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols and catcher Yadier Molina and to bestow gifts to them both. Many LA faithful still have a soft spot for Pujols after “Tio Albert” spent the last half of the 2021 season playing at Chavez Ravine wearing Dodger Blue and helping them advance to the postseason.

That said, the Boys in Blue have had a rough go over the last few games. In fact, they have committed nine errors in five days, including Friday night’s game in which they were shut out 11-0 by the Redbirds.

While fans were disappointed with the loss, it was overshadowed in the best-case scenario, as former Dodger and future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols smashed not one, but two historical home runs into the Left Field Pavilion.

Despite striking out in his first at-bat, the stadium was full of 50,041 Dodger fans and a smattering of Cardinal fans, who were on their feet each time “The Machine” stepped up to the plate. They were not disappointed when he slugged a 434-foot, two-run home run to left field in the top of the third inning off Dodgers starting left-hander Andrew Heaney. It was the 699th home run of his Cooperstown-bound 22-year career.

Fast forward to the top of the fourth inning with Dodgers right-hander Phil Bickford now on the mound. The crowd was already standing and cheering in anticipation as Pujols smashed his 700th career home run 389 feet, again into the Left Field Pavilion, scoring another three runs. History made.

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The 700 Club has a new member:

1. Barry Bonds: 762
2. Henry Aaron: 755
3. Babe Ruth: 714
4. Albert Pujols: 700

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Heaney, a former Angels teammate of Pujols, knew that number 699 was a rare and historic moment. It was also the 13th home run he has allowed this season.

“To see him do that was cool. It’s bittersweet and a weird feeling,” Heaney said of the historical moment. “But as a couple days go by and I get away from my start, I think it’ll set in how cool that was.”

“Albert Pujols is one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met,” Bickford said about being on the other side of history. “After I got over being upset at giving up the home run, toward the very end of it, it was obviously a special moment.”

After the game and surrounded by family, the 11-time All-Star shared his feelings about what that moment felt like to him.

“I got into the tunnel, and the emotions came out,” Pujols said through a translator. “To be able to do it here at Dodger Stadium, where my joy for the game came back, was pretty special.”

“In this particular case, it’s certainly bigger than all of us and for sports. So I guess if we’re not going to execute pitches, I’m happy that it was Albert,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “I never like losing, but this home run, the 700 home runs, this milestone, I’m happy for him.”

It’s one thing to witness history as it is being made. It’s another thing entirely when it is an opposing team in your home stadium. However, Tio Albert is like family and every person in the stands knew how extraordinary it was to be there to share his special moment.

…especially considering Pujols’ first home run was on April 6, 2001, during his rookie season 21 years ago.

He has come a long way.

Have a game – and a career – Albert Pujols!

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