Former St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols is all but elected to the Hall of Fame. And legendary Bob Costas thinks he might have a chance to be unanimous.
Bob Costas Is a Firm Believer in Pujols
Costas recently appeared on NBC Sports to discuss the aspect of Pujols being unanimous.
“As you know, few teams have a history as rich and colorful as the St. Louis Cardinals,” said Costas. “I’m across the street in the ballpark in the Cardinals Hall of Fame, where they pay tribute to so many of the legends down through the decades. Partial list: Rogers Hornsby, who also had some great seasons as a Cub, Stan Musial, of course, Bob Gibson, Curt Flood, Lou Brock, Ozzie Smith, Albert Pujols is here, and soon enough, he will be not just in the Cardinal Hall of Fame, but in the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.”
Costas then posed the big question: Can Pujols be MLB’s first offensive unanimous Hall of Fame selection?
“A question, Jason, will Albert Pujols become, as would be logical, the first position player ever elected unanimously? But if it doesn’t happen, no shame for Albert. After all, what knuckleheads didn’t vote for Mays, or Aaron, or Williams, or Musial, or Griffey Jr., or Ripken, or Seaver, on the first ballot? So, maybe it happens, maybe it doesn’t.”
People have been riding King Albert’s wave for a while.
MLB Is Clamoring for The Machine in Cooperstown
Here’s what people have been saying about Pujols:
Thomas Gauvain: “I don’t think Fermin reeeeeally wanted to challenge that, but he was too embarrassed by not swinging. He pulled the classic Albert Pujols arms over the plate move as well #STLCards.”
NBC Sports: “The countdown to Cooperstown begins for Albert Pujols.”
Jandy: “Kerry Wood throws up and in on Pujols and the very next pitch Albert takes him deep. Best call of Mike Shannon’s career.”
Grey Duck Sports: “OTD in 2017: Ervin Santana and the Twins are on the wrong side of history when Albert Pujols crushes a grand slam for the 600th home run of his MLB career. The Twins lose the game 7-2.”
STL Smitty: “I see your back-to-back homers off Craig Kimbrel in the 9th, and raise you Albert Pujols home run No. 695 in his final game against the Cubs.”
Fuzzy: “Albert Pujols’ age 42 season doesn’t get talked about enough..He goes back to the Cardinals, RAKES and ends up with 2.1-WAR/24-HR, bringing his career totals to 101.4-WAR/703-HR.”
Ethan Hannaford: “Albert Pujols receives a standing ovation from the Busch Stadium crowd after being announced. #STLCards.”
Pujols Is a Lock For The Hall
Regardless of whether he’s unanimous, Pujols will most definitely be a Hall of Famer.
‘The Machine’ bounced back in his final season in The Lou and is one of four players all-time to hit 700+ home runs.
In his final at-bat against the rival Cubs, Pujols launched a two-run, pinch-hit bomb–over the bullpen in left field. One of many marquee moments he offered Cardinals fans over the years, but this specific one served as a cherry on top.
Although he’s soon to be immortalized in the baseball Hall of Fame, Albert has long been immortal in St. Louis.
Bob Costas Poses Question On Albert Pujols’ Hall of Fame Odds