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Clips

(June 5, 2017)

June 5, 2017 Page 2 of 33

Today’s Clips Contents

FROM LOS ANGELES TIMES (Page 3)

Andrelton Simmons' collision with baserunner gives Angels a scare

Twins beat Angels after game-ending video review of slide

FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER (Page 5)

With Albert Pujols on the bench, Angels go quietly in loss to Twins

600 and counting: A look at what Albert Pujols still brings

Angels Notes: Kole Calhoun heating up

FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 13)

Angels can’t overcome Twins’ homers

MLB stars united in praise for Pujols, feat

Nolasco takes loss in first start vs. former club

Chavez aims to keep thwarting Tigers' bats

Halos take cues from Pujols, focus on winning

FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS (Page 20)

Twins beat Angels 3-2 when replay decision calls Revere out

Weekend Sports in Brief

FROM CBS SPORTS (Page 24)

Don't forget, once upon a time we'd never seen anything like Albert Pujols

Only three players have 700 homers, and here's how Pujols can become the fourth

FROM USA TODAY SPORTS (Page 26)

For Albert Pujols, 700 - or more - home runs would bring spotlight 600 didn't

9 times Albert Pujols was superhuman

Mike Trout Monday: The 5 Hall of Famers Mike Trout surpassed in career WAR in May

June 5, 2017 Page 3 of 33

FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

Andrelton Simmons' collision with baserunner gives Angels a scare

By Steve Dilbeck

Not what the Angels needed, another starter going down to injury.

With outfielders Mike Trout and Cameron Maybin on the disabled list, you could understand if the

Angels feared the worst when shortstop Andrelton Simmons and Minnesota’s Eduardo Escobar collided

at second base, with both going down in a heap and staying there for some time.

Escobar was trying to steal second base and Simmons reached but missed catcher Juan Graterol’s throw,

which hit Escobar.

“He hit on the top of my knee,” Simmons said. “It was just a good hit. It numbed me up pretty good. Just

sore. I don’t think anything bad. It just takes a second for it to come back.”

Simmons remained in the game and said he simply iced the leg afterward.

“It’s sore,” said manager Mike Scioscia. “It doesn’t look like it’s anything serious right now. He’s going to

have a big bruise there.”

Matt Shoemaker is solid

Everything about the Angels’ 7-2 victory over the Twins on Saturday that wasn’t Albert Pujols driven was

overlooked, including a strong outing by right-hander Matt Shoemaker.

Shoemaker struck out six batters and gave up five hits, two runs and three walks in 6 1/3 innings. He had

a 5.21 ERA in his first seven starts and a 2.73 ERA in his last five.

“I thought it went pretty well,” Shoemaker said. “The only thing I didn’t like is, you always want to get

better. I just got in too many deep counts. Too many balls. Other than that, a really good outing.”

Short hops

The Angels are off Monday before beginning a three-game series in Detroit on Tuesday, but Scioscia said

he would not juggle the rotation. “Right now we all feel these guys need the extra day,” Scioscia said. …

Reliever Cam Bedrosian pitched a scoreless inning with two strikeouts for Class-A Inland Empire.

Bedrosian, out since April 22 because of a right groin strain, could be activated Tuesday. … With the two

homers he gave up Sunday, Ricky Nolasco has given up 18, tied for second in the majors and one behind

Cincinnati’s Bronson Arroyo. … The Angels optioned right-handed reliever Damien Magnifico to triple-A

Salt Lake and recalled right-handed reliever Brooks Pounders.

June 5, 2017 Page 4 of 33

Twins beat Angels after game-ending video review of slide

By Steve Dilbeck

And on the day after, there was no history to be made. No particular drama, no nervous anticipation,

barely a speck of suspense to be had.

Albert Pujols, having joined eight others to hit 600 home runs the night before, was scarcely to be seen.

He did not start and bounced into a double play as an eighth-inning pinch hitter.

All that was left was for the Angels on Sunday was a relatively quiet 3-2 loss to the Twins, a game that

ended rather ignobly when Ben Revere was ruled to have slid past the bag upon a review.

“Well, you know, it ended,” said Angels manager Mike Scioscia. “It was a mistake on our part. Ben had

the play beaten by three steps. Unfortunately, sometimes your slide is a little bit late, and his

momentum carried him off the bag just enough to get caught.”

The offense could never seem to find its footing. Not that the Angels lack depth, but with Pujols rested

and Mike Trout on the disabled list, Luis Valbuena and his .161 batting average hit cleanup.

The two runs the Angels did score against Minnesota’s Jose Berrios (4-1) were not exactly a classic

offensive output. In the first inning, Eric Young was hit by a pitch and ultimately scored when Andrelton

Simmons bounced into a double play. Valbuena doubled and scored on a Revere single in the fourth, but

the Angels then loaded the bases with no outs and failed to add on.

Lost was a respectable outing by Ricky Nolasco (2-6). He gave up a solo home run to Jason Castro in the

third, and after the Angels came back to take the 2-1 lead, a deciding two-run homer to Miguel Sano in

the sixth.

“I think when he needed to make big pitches he did,” Scioscia said. “But there’s no doubt he was missing

some spots. A couple mistakes. He battled like he always does and kept us in the game.”

A game that was still winnable after Revere singled with one out in the ninth against Twins

closer Brandon Kintzler. Cliff Pennington popped up, and with Young at the plate, Revere broke for his

steal of second.

He had it stolen easily, but his headfirst slide took him past the bag. One foot came off, and before he

could bring the other down, he was tagged by shortstop Ehire Adrianza.

“Speed is a blessing and a curse sometimes in the game of baseball,” said Revere, adding that the

Anaheim infield was so hard it made it difficult for him to end his slide.

“I tried to do everything I could to stop and it wasn’t happening,” he said. “Usually when the ground is

hard like that, it’s difficult to stop. It kind of sucks, because E.Y. (Young) could definitely have tied the

game or won the game.

June 5, 2017 Page 5 of 33

“It’s a heartbreak, man. I feel like I let the team down today.”

Revere said he had ended a game in the same fashion once in the minors. Some lessons are harder to

learn than others.

After all the excitement of Pujols’ grand slam to join the 600 club Saturday, it made for a disheartening

loss for the Angels.

They finished their seven-game homestand 3-4, dropping three of four to the Twins, who came into

Anaheim on a four-game losing streak.

The Angels dropped to 29-31 and a season-high 13 1/2 games back of the Astros in the American League

West, drama also slipping away in the division race.

FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Wi

With Albert Pujols on the bench, Angels go quietly in loss to Twins

By Jeff Fletcher

ANAHEIM — Representing the tying run and standing on first base in the ninth inning, Ben Revere took off

for second base.

As soon as he hit the ground, he could feel that he might be in trouble.

Revere had the bag stolen, but his momentum carried him past the base, and he was tagged for the final

out of the Angels’ 3-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins on Sunday afternoon.

“Speed is a blessing and a curse sometimes,” said Revere. “It’s not the first time I’ve slid off the bag to end

the game.”

Revere, who said the last time was in the minors, called the latest incident “a heart break. I feel like I hurt

the team.” He said the ground was hard, which makes it harder to stop a slide.

“As soon as I slid, I could tell,” he said. “I could feel my force just take off even more, accelerate even

more. I tried to do everything I can to stop. It wasn’t happening. Usually when the ground is hard like, it’s

tough to stop.”

The Angels had little margin for error with their shorthanded lineup. Mike Trout and Cameron Maybin are

on the disabled list. The Angels also played most of the game without Albert Pujols and Martin Maldonado,

who both started the game on the bench. In Pujols’ case, it was to rest following the hoopla of his 600th

homer on Saturday. For Maldonado, it was a standard day off following a night game behind the plate.

June 5, 2017 Page 6 of 33

Without them, the Angels’ best scoring opportunities were scuttled by double plays in the third and fourth

innings. In the eighth, Pujols came up to pinch-hit, representing the potential go-ahead run, and he also hit

into a double play.

And in the ninth, Revere singled with one out and the Angels down by a run. With two outs, he bolted for

second to try to get himself into scoring position. He had a good jump, and appeared to be in easily.

Umpire Clint Fagan called him safe. Shortstop Ehire Adrianza argued immediately that Revere’s foot had

lost contact with the bag as he slid through. The Twins challenged, and upon review, the call was reversed

and the game ended.

“It’s a mistake on our part,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “Ben has the play beat by three steps. It’s just

unfortunate. Sometimes your slide is a little late and he came off the bag.”

That was only the final regrettable mistake by the Angels, who lost three of four to the surprising first-

place Twins.

They wasted opportunities against Jose Berrios, the Twins’ 23-year-old phenom. In the fourth, they had

already scored a run to take a 2-1 lead, and the bases were still loaded with no outs. Eric Young Jr. struck

out, and Juan Graterol hit into a double play.

“Give Berrios some credit,” Scioscia said. “He made some pitches to get out of the bases-loaded situation.”

Angels starter Ricky Nolasco, meanwhile, made a few bad pitches that cost him. He gave up a solo homer

to Jason Castro in the third and a two-run shot to Miguel Sano in the sixth, turning a 2-1 Angels’ lead into a

3-2 deficit.

“I felt really good,” Nolasco said. “Just a few mistakes there. That was the difference.”

Nolasco has allowed 18 homers, second most in the majors.

The Angels also got a scare in the top of the ninth, when Andrelton Simmons collided with Eduardo

Escobar as the Twins’ third baseman was sliding into second. Both players were down on the field, getting

attention from trainers, but both stayed in the game.

Simmons said that he’ll be OK, which is welcome news for a team already ravaged by injuries.

“Just sore,” he said. “I don’t think anything bad. Just takes a second for it to come back.”

600 and counting: A look at what Albert Pujols still brings

By Jeff Fletcher

ANAHEIM — As Albert Pujols approached and reached the 600-homer milestone, he found himself at the

intersection of who he was, who he is and who he can still be.

June 5, 2017 Page 7 of 33

Pujols is indisputably a first-ballot Hall of Famer, a status he had secured the moment he finished the 10

big league seasons required for eligibility. Since then, as he’s passed from the St. Louis Cardinals to the

Angels, the narrative has shifted.

Playing under the weight of expectation from a 10-year, $240-million contract, and alongside mega-

talented Mike Trout, the lens through which some viewed Pujols — fairly or not — changed.

No, Pujols is not the hitter he was 10 years ago. But it’s just about impossible, without any chemical

enhancement, to get to 600 homers while still in your prime. Pujols has never been connected in any

credible way to performance enhancing drugs.

Still, if you talk to those who study him the closest and watch him the most, they are adamant that he is

still … for lack of a better description … Albert Pujols.

“Everybody gets down on him because he’s not the 45-home run guy any more, but he’s still 30 (homers)

and 100 (RBI),” said former Angels slugger Tim Salmon. “Go out and get that on the free agent market.

Those are the things I want to focus on. What he’s doing at his age is really impressive. It’s unfortunate

that in our day and age, the focus is on what he used to be.”

Ricky Nolasco, who faced Pujols 32 times from 2006 to 2016, said he is still a dangerous hitter.

“I don’t care if it’s 10 years ago in St. Louis or this year, he’s still Albert Pujols,” Nolasco said. “He’s still

doing serious damage. He’s still not fun to face. When he was in St. Louis, to this day, I don’t know if

there’s been a tougher out.”

Certainly, there is a respectful admiration in the comments from Salmon, Nolasco and others. The

numbers tell a different story. The numbers tell a story of a player who is no longer dominant, who has

slipped from a level it would have been impossible to maintain. It is not a criticism, but an

acknowledgment that age and nagging injuries take their toll.

Pujols is loathe to evaluate himself, especially not in relation to his past. He said in the wake of his

milestone homer on Saturday night that he’s giving all he’s got, despite his physical condition.

“It’s never easy, this game,” he said. “Obviously, you have your ups and downs. You just need to fight

every day with what you’ve got. Sometimes you come here with 50 percent, and you have to give 100

percent of the 50 percent you feel. Sometimes you feel 90 percent. You never feel 100 percent. When you

show up to spring training, you feel sore the next day.”

Pujols’ health is perhaps the biggest piece of the picture of who he is, circa 2017. While only he truly knows

how he’s feeling, the rest of the story can be told with a combination of the numbers and accounts of

those who see him regularly.

***

Any evaluation of Pujols begins with this number: 37.

Pujols is 37 years old, which is an age at which most major leaguers are, well, no longer major leaguers.

June 5, 2017 Page 8 of 33

There are only six players in the majors playing anything close to every day who are in their age-37 season

or later. Besides Pujols, they are Carlos Beltran (40), Victor Martinez (38), Jayson Werth (38), Chase Utley

(38) and Matt Holliday (37).

The steroid era skewed the perception not only of statistics, but of the ages at which players could be

expected produce those statistics.

From 1998 to 2003, five years at the peak of the steroid era, players in their age 37 season later produced

18 full seasons with an adjusted OPS of 110 or better, meaning they were 10 percent better than average

offensively. Over the past five years, 2012-16, there were 13. And four of them belonged to David Ortiz.

When Salmon looks at Pujols, he thinks back to the end of his own career. Salmon missed his entire age-36

season with injuries and was a part-time player at 37.

“As a whole, I have more appreciation for him as a veteran guy because I’m aware of how hard it is to play

as you get older, with the injuries he’s had,” Salmon said. “He doesn’t tell us all the things (that are wrong),

but he’s able to make all the adjustments and still be somewhat productive.”

Pujols has undergone three surgeries on his lower half in the past four years. After the 2012 season, he

had knee surgery. He tore the plantar fascia in his left foot after the 2013 season, an injury which

essentially alleviated the need to have the tension-reducing surgery he had on his right foot last winter. In

between, he had surgery in 2015 on his right big toe.

This season he’s most recently had hamstring problems, which cost him a couple games in May.

“You can tell he’s banged up and sore but he’s still going out and grinding,” Trout said. “He could easily say,

‘Shut me down and get me right,’ but he’s trying to fight through. People see that and respect him for that.

A lot of guys would shut it down, but he’s going as hard as he can.”

Logic would seem to indicate that, as Pujols gets older, it’s not going to get any better. However, the

Angels are still holding out hope that some of these injuries were isolated, and repaired, and he can

actually get healthier as he puts them further into rear-view mirror.

“His core is getting stronger,” hitting coach Dave Hansen said. “His legs are getting under him more as he’s

getting farther away from injury. I would think that would stabilize more.”

There’s also a belief that Pujols can get into better shape if he can have a normal winter, rather than one

spent rehabbing after surgery. He still hasn’t had a winter with the Angels in which he didn’t have some

medical concern.

“I think his lower half is strong enough in the batter’s box,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “That’s the first

key to do what he needs to do for us. Hopefully it will continue that way for the rest of his career. I think

there are reasonable expectations that can happen.”

Considering what he’s done, given his current condition, Andrelton Simmons ponders what could be.

June 5, 2017 Page 9 of 33

“Imagine if he stayed healthy, where he didn’t have to be in pain while trying to perform,” Simmons said.

“How much more amazing would his numbers be? Still, with all the stuff he has to deal with, he still goes

up and is a tough out and he drives in runs. It’s impressive.”

***

Opinions aside of how good of a hitter he is, the numbers provide an unambiguous description.

Pujols is hitting .248 with a .297 on-base percentage and a .408 slugging percentage, which adds up to an

OPS of .705. That would be the lowest of his career.

His nine homers put him on pace for 24, which would also be the lowest for any full season of his career.

He hit 17 in 2013, but he missed the last two months with a foot injury.

Those around him, though, are quick to look beyond the statistics on the surface.

“I think he’s been swinging the bat much better than some of the numbers for the first third of the

season,” said. “He’s been hitting the ball hard.”

Pujols’ line drive percentage is 17.3, which is ahead of the 16.3 percent of the last two seasons. It’s also not

far from his career percentage of 18.7.

His “hard” hit percentage of 37.5 is right in line with his career average. The difference is that includes

more hard-hit ground balls, which are obviously more likely to be outs, particularly against increasing shifts

and with his declining speed. His ground ball percentage of 47.6 would be the highest of his career, in

which he’s had a 41.6 percent rate of ground balls.

Another explanation for Pujols’ decline in the rate stats, like average and on-base percentage, is that he’s

striking out more than ever.

This season he has struck out in 17.2 percent of his plate appearances, which is the highest rate of his

career. Combine that with a 6.8 percent walk rate. Throughout his entire Cardinals career, Pujols walked

more than he struck out, and in his first years with the Angels, he struck out only slightly more than he

walked. This year he’s striking out more than twice as much.

Hansen, the hitting coach, said it’s not because Pujols’ bat has slowed or his coordination has deteriorated,

but a conscious decision to change his approach. Rather than taking a walk, Pujols is trying to hit, especially

with runners in scoring position.

“Sometimes he’ll expand (the zone),” Hansen said. “It depends on our game. If he feels like he needs that

RBI, he might take a chance.”

Those RBIs represent what Pujols still does best, both statistically and in the eyes of his teammates.

Heading into Sunday’s games, Pujols was 10th in the majors with 42 RBIs, a pace for 113 RBIs. Last season

he drove in 119 runs.

June 5, 2017 Page 10 of 33

“He needs to knock in runs,” Scioscia said. “That’s what we need. We need him in the middle of the lineup

knocking in runs… Albert is doing a good job of that, and needs to continue to do that.”

Many baseball analysts and observers diminish the RBI, saying it is more a statistic of opportunity than

skill. Although it’s obvious that you can’t get RBIs without having opportunities, and the more

opportunities you have, the more RBIs you’ll have, there is a little more to it than that.

Pujols’ teammates insist there is more to it than simply being in the right place at the right time.

“He’s a run-producer,” Nolasco said. “He knows how to drive in runs.”

The perception is that Pujols does that by changing his approach when there are runners in scoring

position, using the whole field instead of pulling the ball. He also shortens his swing, putting the ball in play

more often.

The numbers show that may be true, to a certain extent.

After a terrible season with runners in scoring position in 2015, Pujols has shown a significant

improvement. Since the start of 2016, he has struck out in 10 percent of his plate appearances with

runners in scoring position, compared with 14 percent without a runner in scoring position.

This season he has gone to the opposite field 14.3 of the time, but with runners in scoring position that

number rises to 18.4 percent.

“He’s a smart hitter,” Scioscia said. “He understands situations. With the experience he has of driving in

runs, he knows what he needs to do.”

***

That’s where Pujols’ value to the Angels’ can’t be measured so neatly. Ask around the Angels clubhouse

and players and coaches will be quick to credit him as something of a baseball guru.

“On the mental side, that stuff is invaluable,” Hansen said. “It’s priceless. The knowledge, the wisdom he

has is already an advantage… It’s almost like he bridges the gap for me, as a hitting coach. He’s still doing

it, and he can still relay it to the younger guys.”

Simmons has been taking batting practice in the same group as Pujols for most of their season and a half

together, and he said he’s always picking up things from Pujols, either from something he’ll say or just by

watching him.

One of the lessons Simmons took from Pujols is to hunt the pitch he wants, not so much worry about what

the pitcher wants to do. Simmons had a .666 OPS with the Atlanta Braves, but he’s raised that to .704 —

while playing in a tougher hitters’ park — with the Angels.

“Watching how he works has been really great,” Simmons said. “Every once in a while he’ll say something,

if he’s noticing you’re struggling or if he sees something that might help. For me, if I just wonder

something, I’ll ask him and he tries to help.”

June 5, 2017 Page 11 of 33

Ben Revere, in his first year with Pujols, said he’s been helpful in keeping Revere’s confidence high, even

when hits aren’t falling.

Trout, the only player who has the talent to be on the same plane as Pujols, said he still helps him all the

time with mechanics or approach.

“He’s a great guy to have in the clubhouse,” Trout said. “You don’t even have to talk to him. You just see

how he works, the way he comes in what his mentality is. He gets ready with the same routine every day.

People see that.”

***

Considering what he has done, and what the Angels still believe he can do, Pujols remains royalty in the

Angels clubhouse, and no doubt clubhouses around the majors.

Although age, sore legs and field-shrinking defensive shifts have robbed him of some of the gaudy

numbers he posted in his 20s, and although he’s now playing alongside of the consensus best player in the

majors, you don’t have to dig too deep to find the admiration for what he was.

And what he is.

“It’s amazing how quick he can turn on any fastball and still hit it fair, and still really far,” Simmons said.

“That, for me, is really impressive. He’s not 22 and 170 pounds. To turn on a pitch inside at the mid-to-

upper 90’s is an art.”

Added Hansen: “The hands are lightning. He’s still strong as heck. Those things are elite, especially when

you’re impacting the ball at 95-plus like he is still.”

As Salmon said, and Revere echoes, don’t fall into the trap of judging Pujols in comparison to what he was

10 years ago.

“He’s still putting up numbers,” Revere said. “Ninety and 100 RBIs is really good. To still get 30 friggin’

home runs. He still does his job. The average may not be there like it used to, but this game is hard. Guys

get younger and younger. It’s getting tougher. Pitchers are getting tougher, but still 100 RBIs and 30 home

runs is a great year. That’s definitely pretty remarkable.”

Angels Notes: Kole Calhoun heating up

By Jeff Fletcher

ANAHEIM — Two Angels players have hit three homers in the past week.

One of them reached No. 600, and the other reached No. 77.

While Albert Pujols rightly took the attention with his milestone homer in the Angels’ 7-2 victory on

Saturday night, it was noteworthy that Kole Calhoun also belted his third homer in three games.

June 5, 2017 Page 12 of 33

Calhoun has endured a puzzling start to his season, failing to find the consistency that was apparent during

his first three full seasons in the majors.

Now, Calhoun has nine hits in his last 21 at-bats, including one more on Sunday. He hit two homers on

Thursday and one on Saturday.

“The last 10 at-bats, you can just see the rhythm,” Manager Mike Scioscia said before Sunday’s game.

“He’s seeing the ball better. All the things that happen when you are starting to feel comfortable in the

batter’s box. He’s swinging the bat very well.”

Calhoun is critical to the Angels offense, especially with Mike Trout out after thumb surgery. The Angels

had dropped Calhoun down in the lineup, but when he’s swinging at his normal level, they prefer him

setting the table at the top.

SHOE TOO

Matt Shoemaker also had an encouraging performance that got lost amid the Pujols hoopla on Saturday.

Shoemaker gave up two runs in 6 1/3 innings.

Like Calhoun, he had struggled for much of the first two months. He now has a 2.73 ERA over his past five

starts. This streak comes at roughly the same time as he got going in the right direction last season.

“The one thing I think Matt is moving towards is getting his fastball command where it needs to be,”

Scioscia said. “Last night was a little spotty, but he made some good pitches. He pitched to both sides of

the plate, which was important. He changed speeds very well.”

NO PUJOLS

Not surprisingly, Albert Pujols was not in the lineup for Sunday afternoon’s game. Scioscia said he wanted

to give him a chance to catch his breath, also figuring that Pujols may not have been able to get much

sleep because of the adrenaline on Saturday night.

Pujols is also still adjusting to a post-600 world. He said after Saturday’s game that he’s not sure what will

happen with the ball, but he was open to the idea of putting it on display for the rest of the season at

Angel Stadium.

“I want to share this moment with them, for the support they gave me, day in and day out,” Pujols said.

ALSO

Cameron Maybin (strained left oblique) said he’s feeling “much better.” He said he ran on Sunday and

planned to go through a normal pregame routine on Tuesday, including batting practice. The Angels are

hoping that Maybin can be activated on Friday in Houston, and Maybin said he believes that’s possible…

The Angels optioned Damien Magnifico and called up Brooks Pounders. Magnifico walked two of the three

batters he faced in his Angels debut on Saturday night. Scioscia said they prefer Pounders because he can

go multiple innings to help alleviate the strain on their bullpen…

June 5, 2017 Page 13 of 33

Cam Bedrosian struck out two in a scoreless inning Sunday at Class-A Inland Empire, and then he could be

activated as soon as Tuesday…

Keynan Middleton pitched a perfect inning. He has not allowed a run in his last 7 1/3 innings, with nine

strikeouts…

Andrew Bailey (shoulder) played catch on Saturday and said he’s scheduled to begin a throwing

progression on Monday. Bailey, who has missed most of the season, just finished taking a couple weeks off

from throwing because of a setback in his rehab.

FROM ANGELS.COM

Angels can’t overcome Twins’ homers

By Rhett Bollinger and Kaelen Jones / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- Miguel Sano and Jason Castro took Angels right-hander Ricky Nolasco deep to lead the

Twins to a 3-2 win over Los Angeles on Sunday. The win clinched a series victory for Minnesota.

Nolasco (2-6, 5.05 ERA), whom the Twins shipped to the Angels in 2015 along with right-hander Alex

Meyer in exchange for lefty Hector Santiago and Minor League right-hander Alan Busenitz, faced his

former club for the first time since joining the Halos.

"The first at-bat he threw a few pitches that were high so I came back to look at it on video," Sano said

of his go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth. "He left one hanging and I drove it. But the important thing

is we're staying positive and we're staying together."

The 34-year-old Nolasco tossed 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and no walks, while

striking out seven batters. However, all three of Minnesota's runs scored on his 17th and 18th homers

allowed this year, including Sano's go-ahead two-run rip in the sixth inning.

"I felt really good," Nolasco said. "It comes down to a couple mistakes there."

Opposite Nolasco, Jose Berrios (4-1, 2.76) continued a strong start to his second Major League season.

He relinquished two runs on six hits and two walks, and struck out four through six innings, picking up

his fourth win of the season.

"Give Berrios some credit," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He made some pitches there to get out

of a bases-loaded situation, and [we] couldn't tack on."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Striking down the threat: Nolasco stranded Miguel Sano at third base in the top of the fourth inning

when he struck out Eddie Rosario -- his fifth punchout of the day -- keeping the score tied at 1.

Nolasco fans Rosario

June 5, 2017 Page 14 of 33

Tides turn in the fourth: The Angels led off the bottom half of the frame with a Luis Valbuena double, a

single from C.J. Cron and a one-run single from Ben Revere to take a 2-1 lead. Berrios walked the bases

loaded with no outs, but escaped the jam unscathed by striking out Eric Young Jr. and inducing Juan

Graterol into a double play. More >

"The hits weren't hit too hard and were on good pitches so I was able to forget about them," Berrios

said. "I was lucky enough to get out of it."

UPON FURTHER REVIEW

Revere was thrown out attempting to steal second base to end the game in the bottom of the ninth. The

outfielder slid into the bag headfirst, but came off the bag, and Ehire Adrianza applied the tag before

Revere could get his foot back on the base. He was ruled safe, however the ruling was overturned

following review.

"It's a blessing and a curse sometimes in the game of baseball. ... It's a heartbreak, man," Revere said. "I

feel like I let the team down today."

QUOTABLE

"It's been a little difficult to surmise exactly why we've had the flip from away to home. I don't overthink

it. I think those things have the tendency to be affected by the momentum your club has. A lot of the

games were winnable, but haven't found a way to finish like we have on the road." -- Twins manager

Paul Molitor on his club, which improved to 17-6 on the road

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Sano entered Sunday's finale with a league-leading average exit velocity of 96.8 mph. His go-ahead two-

run homer off Nolasco in the sixth inning was tracked leaving the bat at 105.3 mph.

SIMMONS AND ESCOBAR COLLIDE

Eduardo Escobar collided knee-to-knee with Angels shortstop Andrelton Simmons when he swiped

second base in the top of the ninth. Each player held his left knee while on the ground before being

about to continue. Escobar remained on the basepaths, but was replaced at third base in the bottom of

the frame.

"We'll evaluate him," Scioscia said of Simmons. "It's nothing serious right now."

WHAT'S NEXT

Twins: After an off-day on Monday, the Twins head to Seattle for a three-game series against the

Mariners that starts on Tuesday at 9:10 p.m. CT. Left-hander Hector Santiago (4-5, 4.76 ERA) starts for

the Twins. He allowed six runs in six innings against the Astros in his last start.

Angels:The Halos will open a six-game road trip with a three-game series against Detroit. Los Angeles

will start right-hander Jesse Chavez (4-6, 4.68 ERA) in Tuesday's opener, as they look to claim the season

series after splitting a four-game set in May. First pitch is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. PT.

June 5, 2017 Page 15 of 33

MLB stars united in praise for Pujols, feat

Teammates, opponents reflect on legendary slugger's 600th home run

By Oliver Macklin / MLB.com

Albert Pujols, now a member of the exclusive 600-home run club, is in the midst of one of the most

illustrious careers the game has ever seen. Perhaps the most feared slugger of the 2000s, he's pulverized

baseballs for the past 16-plus seasons … and counting.

From his 11 years with the Cardinals to his five-plus with the Angels, Pujols has taken the field in 39

different ballparks. In turn, he's left an impression on numerous players and managers throughout

baseball over the course of his playing days. Those who've played with him and coached him have had

the unique opportunity to experience his work ethic and charisma up close, and those who faced him

have admired it from afar.

On Sunday, a day after Pujols became the ninth player in history to reach the 600-homer milestone and

the first to do it via grand slam (while also breaking the record for grand slams across MLB in one day

with seven), individuals across the Majors took the time to congratulate the living legend and reflect on

his accomplishment.

A few family members, friends and former teammates even made a brief video montage saluting the 37-

year-old and sent it through a person involved with the Pujols Family Foundation.

"Ecstatic. One of the most deserving guys on the planet," said David Freese, who won the 2011 World

Series as Pujols' teammate in St. Louis. "Everything that he's accomplished on the field. What he does

off the field isn't talked about enough with his foundation, raising millions of dollars. When I think of

Albert, I truly think of one of the most focused hitters I've ever been around or seen. He's the definition

of not giving up an at-bat. Statistically, it shows. Just a great guy. He's obviously a good guy to have on

your team, too."

"That's an unbelievable number," Marlins third base coach Fredi Gonzalez said. "And the names are so

impressive. Hank Aaron, Bonds and him with 600 homers and 600 doubles. That's impressive. And the

list of all those guys with 600, that right there gives you goosebumps."

The former Marlins and Braves manager also mentioned how much attention he paid to Pujols being

due up late in games against his clubs.

"If you knew he made the last out in the seventh, and everything worked well, he wasn't going to come

up in the ninth," Gonzalez said. "Don't even put him on deck. If he's on deck and the game is on the line,

it's going to be a tough at-bat."

But not everyone saw this coming. Current Cardinals manager and former Pujols teammate Mike

Matheny, when asked if he knew long ago that Pujols would hit 600, replied, "No. Every time you see a

good young player, you're impressed, but wondering how they're going to adjust to the league, because

June 5, 2017 Page 16 of 33

the league's going to adjust to them. You never know what kind of player they're going to be until you

see them start to do those adjustments midseason and midgame. He was making adjustments mid at-

bat. You could tell pretty early he's got a chance to be really good for a while, but names that you'd have

to throw him into a category with now, I don't know if anybody could ever foresee that happening."

White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu and Pujols became close friends during Abreu's first Major League

Spring Training. Abreu said he didn't see the home run live, but he had a chance to catch the highlights

of the record-breaker.

"All my respect for him," Abreu said through translator Billy Russo. "I was watching the recap of the

game last night, and I was really happy for him because I know the kind of player he is. … That's

something very hard to accomplish."

Yankees designated hitter Matt Holliday shared a lineup card with Pujols for parts of three seasons with

the Cardinals and expressed his respect for the star's consistency.

"I think he's obviously proven to be one of the greatest players of any generation," Holliday said. "Six

hundred homers is crazy. He's a great guy, great teammate, great friend. He's done a tremendous

amount of work in the community, and I'm just really happy for him. It's a sign of greatness over a long

period of time."

Former teammates Jered Weaver and Daniel Descalso noted his unique routine and ability to grind

through injury.

"His routine was impressive. It was just something where until I played with him, I didn't realize how

much of a gamer he is," Weaver said. "He'd come into the clubhouse and still post and play. When he

was having that plantar fasciitis and could barely walk, he'd still suit up just because he knew how

important it was to the team. He's just the ultimate professional. I enjoyed my time playing with him. …

He's just a great guy and is obviously well deserving of 600."

"Just to remember how he was so prepared and how he showed up to work every day and the numbers

he put up, it was a special thing to play with a teammate of that caliber," Descalso added.

Twins star Joe Mauer, though he never played with Pujols, was able to weigh in on seeing Pujols go

about his business from the opposing clubhouse.

"Knowing Albert from the other side, I know how hard he works and for him to be successful for that

period of time, it's really amazing," Mauer said. "I've gotten to know him pretty well. I remember in

[2009], it was the first time our paths crossed. He [sought] me and [Justin] Morneau out. He's a fan of

baseball and appreciates guys who play the game the right way. I'll always remember that first

interaction I had with him and all our conversations we've had talking baseball."

And while the Twins certainly did not want to be on the wrong side of history, members of the

organization tipped their caps to one of the greatest hitters to ever play the game.

June 5, 2017 Page 17 of 33

"I was joking with him the first game, telling him I was proud of him and I've had fun watching him over

the years, but not to hit 600 against us," Minnesota second baseman Brian Dozier said. "Obviously, the

winning comes first, but when someone reaches a milestone, and you get to somewhat be a part of it,

it's pretty cool to see. When you put the numbers in perspective, it's a lot of homers."

"I think guys should take a step back, and despite the loss, realize that getting the chance to watch

something of that magnitude is pretty special," manager Paul Molitor said. "It's a memory that's created

that you're be able to be a part of because you're in this game."

"Not many guys have done that, but I've been fortunate enough to see two with [Jim] Thome doing it,"

Mauer added. "As a teammate, it's a lot more fun. But he's had an amazing career. And he did it in a

unique way with a grand slam, coming off maybe the game's best pitcher at the moment. It was

something I'll always remember."

Nolasco takes loss in first start vs. former club

Angels right-hander satisfied with start despite a 'couple mistakes'

By Kaelen Jones / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- Several Angels starting pitchers have been stung by home runs this season. It cost them

again Sunday, when right-hander Ricky Nolasco was touched for two home runs during the Halos' 3-2

loss to the Twins.

"I felt really good," Nolasco said. "It comes down to a couple mistakes there. Just gotta keep trying to

make pitches."

Nolasco said he was unfazed, despite facing the Twins for the first time since they traded him to the

Angels in 2015. He began his outing strong, allowing one hit to the first eight batters, retiring two via

strikeout and five on groundouts.

Then, Minnesota catcher Jason Castro drilled a no-doubt solo shot over the right-field wall in the third

inning to put Minnesota ahead, 1-0. Nolasco struck out his seventh batter of the contest before Miguel

Sano mashed a two-run homer to give the Twins a 3-2 lead in the sixth.

"Slider was supposed to be away, stayed up," Nolasco recalled of Sano's at-bat. "Kid is strong enough

[that] once he puts a swing on it, it's bound to go."

The home run marked the 18th Nolasco has surrendered this season, which only trails Bronson

Arroyo for most in the Majors, at 19.

"A couple mistakes," said manager Mike Scioscia of Nolasco's performance. "He battled like he always

does."

Nolasco pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits. He fanned seven batters and hit one

batter.

June 5, 2017 Page 18 of 33

Scioscia felt he did enough.

"I think when he needed the big pitches, he did," Scioscia said. "There's no doubt that he was missing

some spots… He kept us in the game."

The Angels had an opportunity to add to a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth with the bases loaded

and no outs, but a strikeout and a double play stymied the effort. Despite the offense's inability to come

through for him Sunday, Nolasco was positive about his performance afterward.

"It's baseball," he said. "At the end of the day, I just do what I can do: Eat up innings and give us a

chance to win, just keep grinding."

Chavez aims to keep thwarting Tigers' bats

By Jordan Horrobin / MLB.com

After a day off for both teams, the Tigers and Angels will open a three-game series at Comerica Park on

Tuesday night. The Tigers will send lefty Daniel Norris to the mound, opposite right-hander Jesse Chavez.

The teams split a four-game set in Los Angeles, so the trio of games in Detroit will decide the season

series.

Norris (2-3, 4.47 ERA) was handed a no-decision when he faced the Angels on May 13, allowing seven

hits, two walks and two earned runs in 5 2/3 innings. His pitch count has consistently hovered around

100 in each of his 10 starts this season, but he's looking to throw deeper into games, having completed

six or more innings just four times.

Chavez (4-5, 4.68) did not appear in the Angels' previous series against Detroit. In 13 career games

(three starts) against the Tigers, he is 0-4 with a 6.25 ERA (22 earned runs over 31 2/3 innings pitched).

He threw eight innings, allowing one run (unearned) on five hits and two walks in his last start against

Detroit on May 26, 2015, as a member of the A's, and has an active streak of 11 2/3 consecutive innings

pitched without allowing an earned run against Detroit.

The Angels will be without center fielder Mike Trout, who underwent surgery Wednesday to repair the

ulnar collateral ligament tear in his left thumb and is expected to miss six to eight weeks. Trout homered

in three of four games against the Tigers in May and reached base safely against Norris in all three plate

appearances against him.

Things to know about this game

• In Trout's absence, the Angels have slugged 11 home runs and have a .264 team batting average in six

games, going into Sunday. The team had 55 home runs and a .236 average in 53 games with Trout.

• Norris has had up and down starts this season, but he's building a promising trend with his strikeout-

to-walk rate. He had a 1.53 K/BB rate his first five starts, but has upped that to 2.78 K/BB in his five

starts since.

June 5, 2017 Page 19 of 33

• Norris is allowing a 93.6 mph average exit velocity on fly balls and line drives this year, which ranks

first among Tigers starters and 14th in the MLB among pitchers with at least 170 batted ball events,

according to Statcast.

Halos take cues from Pujols, focus on winning

Slugger's historic feat doesn't distract from ultimate goal

By Kaelen Jones / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- Albert Pujols went deep for the 600th time in his career Saturday night during the Angels' 7-

2 win over Minnesota at Angel Stadium. But while the celebration raged over the historic moment, Los

Angeles won't let it blur the team's focus of achieving their goal for Sunday and beyond -- to win

ballgames.

When asked whether an emotional halo from Pujols' accomplishment would linger over his club

entering Sunday's contest, manager Mike Scioscia said it wouldn't be an issue.

The 37-year-old slugger became the ninth player in Major League history with 600 home runs, joining:

Barry Bonds (762)

Hank Aaron (755)

Babe Ruth (714)

Alex Rodriguez (696)

Willie Mays (660)

Ken Griffey Jr. (630)

Jim Thome (612)

Sammy Sosa (609)

"We'd be ready to play whether Albert hit it last night or not," Scioscia said. "I really like the makeup of

our club. We come to play, and these guys are playing hard every day. I don't think [Pujols reaching 600]

was a distraction to any guys on the team."

Scioscia said players take their cues from Pujols, who was given the day off Sunday, and his win-first

mentality, adding that he sensed it was a relief for the slugger to accomplish the feat.

"He wanted to do it at home, wanted to do it for his family," said Scioscia. "That happened. I know he's

thankful for that, and he can hopefully not skip a beat when he gets in there on Tuesday, and continue

to hit the ball."

Pounders recalled, Magnifico optioned

The Angels recalled right-handed pitcher Brooks Pounders and optioned right-hander Damien

Magnifico to Triple-A Salt Lake on Sunday.

June 5, 2017 Page 20 of 33

Magnifico was called up from Salt Lake on Saturday and made his club debut later that evening, walking

each of the two batters he faced during the ninth inning of the contest before being lifted.

Pounders has appeared in five games for the Angels this season, with his latest outing coming on May 24

against Toronto. He struck out two batters and walked two in one inning.

"He brings a little more length," Scioscia said of Pounders.

Worth noting

• Right-handed reliever Cam Bedrosian threw a rehab outing Sunday. Bedrosian has been on the

disabled list since April 22 after sustaining a right groin strain.

• Right-handed reliever Huston Street will throw off a mound later this week, according to Scioscia.

Street suffered a setback Friday in his rehab assignment because of tightness in his right tricep. The

veteran closer began the season on the 60-day disabled list due to a right lat strain, and was eligible to

be activated Thursday.

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Twins beat Angels 3-2 when replay decision calls Revere out

Associated Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Minnesota Twins shortstop Ehire Adrianza knew it was over before anyone else did,

pointing emphatically at second base umpire Clint Fagan, and then to his own bench.

A 1-minute, 45-second review confirmed what Adrianza saw -- Ben Revere slid past second base on his

attempted steal, and Adrianza had held the tag.

Behind that bit of eagle-eyed defense and Miguel Sano's go-ahead, two-run homer in the sixth inning,

the Twins beat the Los Angeles Angels 3-2 on Sunday to extend their winning ways on the road.

"Players, I don't always trust players, but with the situation and having a challenge ... we probably would

have done even if it was borderline just because of the time of the game," Molitor said. "We just caught

the overslide. Kind of a strange way to end the game, but not complaining."

Revere singled with one out in the ninth against Brandon Kintzler, and Cliff Pennington popped out. Eric

Young Jr. took a called strike, Kintzler tried a pair of pickoff throws to first and then Revere took off for

second as Young swung and missed.

Revere slid headfirst ahead of catcher Jason Castro's throw to Adrianza, and Fagan called him safe. But

Revere slid past the base as Adrianza kept his glove on Revere's left foot.

June 5, 2017 Page 21 of 33

Kintzler earned his 15th save in 17 chances as Minnesota took three of four from the Angels to open a

10-game trip.

The Twins are 16-6 on the road and have won seven of eight series. They had dropped four straight

games at home earlier in the week.

Revere's RBI single in the fourth off Jose Berrios (4-1) gave the Angels a 2-1 lead. Robbie Grossman was

hit by a pitch from Ricky Nolasco (2-6) leading off the sixth and, one out later, Sano hit his 14th homer, a

drive into the left field bullpen.

Berrios gave up two runs and six hits. After Revere's RBI single, Berrios loaded the bases with a walk to

Pennington, then struck out Young and got Juan Graterol to ground into a 6-4-3 double play.

Nolasco lost his fourth straight start, allowing three runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings and giving up

multiple home runs for the eighth time in 12 starts.

Castro homered in the third, but Andrelton Simmons grounded into a run-scoring double play in the

bottom half.

Kole Calhoun had a hit and two walks and went 7 for 13 with three home runs during the series.

PUJOLS PAUSE

Angels slugger Albert Pujols did not start after hitting his 600th career homer on Saturday night. He hit

into a double play as a pinch hitter in the eighth.

Despite all the attention on Pujols' quest to become the ninth member of that fraternity, Angels

manager Mike Scioscia didn't get the sense he was particularly bothered by the pressure, aside from a

couple of overly aggressive at-bats to start the weekend series.

"He can exhale," Scioscia said. "He wanted to do it at home, he wanted to do it for his family. That

happened. I know he's thankful for that and he can hopefully not skip a beat when he gets in there on

Tuesday and continue to be productive."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Twins: 3B Eduardo Escobar said he was fine after a knee-on-knee collision with Simmons while stealing

second in the ninth. Escobar went 3 for 4. ... Sano started at first base for the second time this season,

making his third appearance there as opposed to his usual spot at third. The 6-foot-4, 262 pound Sano

joked after the game he could even play second or shortstop if given the opportunity.

Angels: RHP Huston Street is to throw from a mound in the coming week as he recovers from a strained

latissimus dorsi muscle. ... RHP Damien Magnifico was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake City after walking

two batters in one-third of an inning Saturday night. Brooks Pounders was recalled to fill the roster spot.

UP NEXT

June 5, 2017 Page 22 of 33

Twins: RHP Hector Santiago (4-5) starts Tuesday at Seattle, his first road outing since allowing six runs in

2 2/3 innings at Cleveland on May 14.

Angels: RHP Jesse Chavez (4-6) is slated to start Tuesday at Detroit. He is 1-4 in five road starts.

Weekend Sports in Brief

Associated Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Albert Pujols hit his 600th career homer, delivering a grand slam to become the

ninth player in major league history to reach the mark.

The Los Angeles Angels slugger connected in the fourth inning against Minnesota's Ervin Santana, driving

a high fly into the short left-field porch at Angel Stadium.

The milestone homer is the latest superlative in the 17-year career of Pujols, a 13th-round draft pick

who became one of the greatest hitters of his generation.

The 37-year-old Pujols is the fourth-youngest player to hit 600 homers behind Alex Rodriguez, Hank

Aaron and Babe Ruth. Pujols joins home run kings Barry Bonds and Aaron as the only players to hit 600

homers and 600 doubles.

The Dominican veteran is the first player to hit his 600th homer since Jim Thome in August 2011. With

his ninth homer this season, Pujols has joined the club with Bonds (762), Aaron (755), Ruth (714),

Rodriguez (696), Willie Mays (660), Ken Griffey Jr. (630), Thome (612) and Sammy Sosa (609).

MIAMI (AP) - Edinson Volquez threw the sixth no-hitter in Miami Marlins history, facing the minimum 27

batters and beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-0.

Volquez (2-7) struck out 10, and the two baserunners who reached on walks were erased by double

plays. He needed 98 pitches, the last of those striking out Chris Owings to complete the masterpiece.

It's the first no-hitter in the majors this season, and the first time Arizona was no-hit since the Marlins'

Anibal Sanchez threw one on Sept. 6, 2006.

Volquez was nearly knocked out of the game after only three pitches, when he collided with

Diamondback leadoff man Rey Fuentes as he covered first and rolled his ankle.

PRO BASKETBALL

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Derek Fisher was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving after the former NBA

player and coach flipped his vehicle on a California freeway.

Fisher and his passenger, girlfriend and former ''Basketball Wives'' reality star Gloria Govan, were not

injured in the early morning crash, the California Highway Patrol said.

June 5, 2017 Page 23 of 33

The former Los Angeles Lakers player and ex-New York Knicks coach was driving on U.S. 101 in the

Sherman Oaks area of Los Angeles when his 2015 Cadillac veered onto the right shoulder while

approaching an interchange. The car hit the shoulder's concrete curb and guardrail, overturned and

came to a rest on its roof, blocking two lanes of the freeway, the highway patrol said.

Officers discovered that the 42-year-old Fisher had been drinking and arrested him on suspicion of

driving under the influence of alcohol after a DUI test, authorities said.

SEATTLE ARENA

SEATTLE (AP) - One of two groups that submitted plans for a possible renovation of KeyArena withdrew

from the process because of concerns about how the city of Seattle has conducted review of the

proposals.

Seattle Partners - a group that combined arena giant AEG and Hudson Pacific Properties - announced it

is pulling out of the process after submitting plans in April for a proposed $521 million renovation of

KeyArena.

Seattle Partners was one of two groups to submit proposals for the privately-financed renovation of the

arena. Oak View Group was the other group to submit a proposal - a $564 million plan - and has

appeared to be the favorite in the process.

In a letter to Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, Seattle Partners says it believes it has the best plan, but raised

significant questions that the project can be completed by either group.

ROCK CLIMBING

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) - An elite rock climber has become the first to climb alone to the

top of the massive granite wall known as El Capitan in Yosemite National Park without ropes or safety

gear.

National Geographic documented Alex Honnold's historic ascent, saying the 31-year-old completed the

''free solo'' climb Saturday in nearly four hours.

A photo on the magazine's website shows a grinning Honnold wearing just a pair of black pants after

reaching the summit.

The climb up 3,000-foot (914-meter) El Capitan used to take days to complete with the help of ropes,

safety gear and a partner.

In the past few decades, speed climbers working in tandem and using ropes have set records in reaching

the top of the cliff.

Honnold is first to climb the iconic rock alone without protection.

June 5, 2017 Page 24 of 33

FROM CBS SPORTS

Don't forget, once upon a time we'd never seen anything like Albert Pujols

He's very much in decline now, but Pujols' first 10 seasons were almost unfathomably outstanding

By Dayn Perry

If you stare too long, you can undermine a milestone. It necessarily takes a lot of years and toil to get to,

say, 3,000 hits or 300 wins, and by the time our beloved ballplayer gets there, he's not what he used to

be. He's graying at the temples. He lumbers. He's a bit more pear-shaped than he once was. He's

probably not very good anymore. Time is a fire in which we burn, Delmore Schwartz reminded us.

This is Albert Pujols on the occasion of his 600th homer. In 2017, you could call him a waste of the $26

million he's being paid. If you did that, you'd be uncharitable, but you wouldn't be wrong. If you're

young enough or new to This, Our Baseball, then maybe your memories of Pujols are too recent, and the

somewhat cloddish present crowds out how we ought to remember El Hombre. Sure, getting to 600

home runs in and of itself evokes past brilliance, but Pujols' descent in tandem with his signing one of

the largest free agent contracts in history has conspired against legacy.

Let's not let that happen.

Click on through and admire the almost habitual brilliance of Pujols over his first decade in the majors.

He never struck out 100 times. He never batted worse than .312. Just twice did his OPS dip below 1.000.

He never scored fewer than 99 runs, never drove in fewer than 103. His worst home run total was 32.

When his doubles dipped to 33 in 2006, he offset it (and then some) by clouting 49 homers, all while

striking on just 50 occasions. Despite being banged up plenty over the years, he went on the DL just

twice during the years chronicled above on that Topps card.

Look at Mike Trout's card and you see that initial cup of coffee in which he struggled badly. Look

at Bryce Harper's and you see wild swings on either side of a brilliant center. Not even Willie Mays and

Hank Aaron achieved Pujols-grade excellence at the outset of their careers. Ted Williams would've, but

war got in the way. When trying to summon up fellow travelers for Pujols' first decade, those are the

names we invoke -- Mays, Aaron, Williams.

Sure, Pujols these days is a stew of strikeouts and creaking hinges, leavened only by his occasionally

running into one. The outsized paychecks are the fault of ownership who surveyed a first baseman in his

thirties, already showing signs of decline, and deemed him worthy of almost a quarter billion dollars.

However, the sturdy foundation of those 600 homers is as essential as the 600th homer itself.

I can personally testify that he was once upon a time the kind of player who could make you leap up and

spill half a plate of nachos and two-thirds of a beer on your couch ...

It's been a few years, and the couch is as gone as that baseball -- as gone as the Albert Pujols who could

do things like that with tidal reliability.

June 5, 2017 Page 25 of 33

You used to hear fans of a certain age mourn that there were those out there who remembered Mays

only from his decrepit and bumbling final season with the Mets. This is a similar lamentation. If you

don't remember Albert Pujols when he was his vintage self, when he was much more than he is now,

then stare a bit more at that card.

He was something, wasn't he?

Only three players have 700 homers, and here's how Pujols can become the fourth

He's under contract through 2021, so it's a possibility

By Matt Snyder

So Angels slugger and former Cardinals superstar Albert Pujols has now reached the 600-homer barrier.

That makes him the ninth player in MLB history to get there.

Let's get greedy, though. Only Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714) have ever

gotten to 700. Can Pujols join them?

Pujols' contract certainly gives him enough time. Here are his remaining salaries per season:

2018: $27 million

2019: $28 million

2020: $29 million

2021: $30 million

The Angels don't have an influx of 1B/DH types breathing down his neck to steal playing time, either. It's

a fair bet to see Pujols remaining a regular DH at least through 2019 and maybe even 2020.

Pujols hit 40 homers two years ago and 31 last year. In 2016, he homered once every 4.9 games. Let's

modestly jump that up to once every 6.5 games through 2019 with an average of 145 games played,

given that he's starting to push 40 years old. That gives him 45 home runs total in 2018-19.

So at this rate, Pujols would need to combine for 55 home runs the rest of this season (he could have 25

or so left, reasonably speaking) and then in 2020-21.

A breakdown to get to 700 could look like this.

Rest of 2017: 25

2018: 25

2019: 20

June 5, 2017 Page 26 of 33

2020: 17

2021: 13

That gets him to exactly 700.

This isn't ridiculous, but it's far from a sure thing. We have to keep in mind the aging curve, the

problems he's had with his lower body, specifically his feet and that at some point, the Angels will surely

find a better option to DH.

Plugging Pujols' numbers into Bill James' "favorite toy" that uses historical data without knowing the

particular player or contract status, it's estimated that Pujols has a 34 percent chance to reach 700

homers and the most likely number to end on would be 683.

One final method is to stop crunching numbers and just ponder if we think Pujols has 100 more homers

in him. He combined for 99 homers from 2014-16. He turns 38 next January and, again, has dealt with

the lower body injuries. He's still very powerful, but it's a tall order to expect 100 more.

I do think he gets north of 650 and gets within striking distance of 700. He might even top 700, but it

doesn't seem like the most likely path. I'll go a little bit past the favorite toy estimation and say Pujols

has a 40 percent chance of reaching 700.

FROM USA TODAY SPORTS

For Albert Pujols, 700 - or more - home runs would bring spotlight 600 didn't

By Bob Nightengale

Let's face it: Albert Pujols’ 600th home run didn’t captivate the sports world the way it should have.

Much of the country was asleep when he became the ninth player in history to achieve the feat, and the

first to hit a grand slam as his 600th homer, while the rest of America yawned.

Maybe we’ve just gotten immune to these milestones.

After all, only three players had accomplished the feat before 2002: Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth and Willie

Mays.

In the last 15 years, six new members have joined the club, the last before Pujols being Jim Thome when

he hit No. 600 on Aug. 15, 2011.

We’ve become conditioned to indifference unless it involves someone screaming, ranting and raging or

at least being rooted in controversy.

But if Pujols hits his 700th home run, maybe then, and only then, will it jolt our consciousness, knowing

June 5, 2017 Page 27 of 33

that only Barry Bonds, Aaron and Ruth have reached the number in the history of baseball.

Pujols, 37, the Los Angeles Angels DH, breaks into a slow grin, knowing that he has something even

greater in mind.

Sure, he might be 37 and slowing down, but as long as his body doesn’t completely break down, he’ll let

you in on a secret.

He would love to have the chance to become baseball’s home run king, and if he’s close to Bonds’

record of 762 when his $240 million contract expires after the 2021 season, he’ll keep on going.

“God willing, I hope I get the opportunity,’’ Pujols recently told USA TODAY Sports. “If I’m close, and I’ve

played 20 some years already, why not play one more and try to get it?

“It would be so special. I can’t even imagine.’’

Considering that Pujols is the fourth-youngest player to hit 600 home runs and has averaged 29 home

runs a season even during five injury-plagued years with the Angels, it’s hardly unimaginable.

Let’s put it this way: Pujols should reach 700 home runs before anyone else again passes the 600 barrier.

There are eight active players with more than 300 homers, but only Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers

and Carlos Beltran of the Astros have at least 400.

Pujols hit his 500th homer three years ago. If he has 700 home runs by the time he’s 40, why couldn’t he

do it?

“You can’t put nothing past Albert,’’ Angels two-time MVP teammate Mike Trout says.

And once he hits his 700th, with Bonds in his sights, Pujols suddenly would have everyone paying

attention, rooting for him to break the record, becoming baseball’s presumably clean home run

champion, with no ugly taint of steroid use.

“To be able to accomplish what I have in 17 years, with the time I missed, over 100 games with injuries,

it's pretty special,’’ Pujols says quietly. “If that time comes and I have a chance to accomplish it, I know

people will talk about that for a long, long time.

“People ask me when I’ll retire, but as long as I’m still producing in this game, as long as I’m still

competing, as long as I’m still having fun, why should I stop?

“The game will tell me when it’s time to stop, but I know I’ve got four more years after this, and then,

who knows?’’

Pujols no longer is the same player who averaged 40 homers and 121 RBI for 11 years with the St. Louis

Cardinals, but he still is a guy who has hit 80 home runs with 256 RBI since the start of the 2015 season.

He is second in the American League this season with 42 RBI and has more RBI than anyone else in the

league since 2016.

June 5, 2017 Page 28 of 33

“This guy is probably the toughest ballplayer I’ve ever seen,’’ Angels manager Mike Scioscia says, “being

able to go out there and play at 50% and still be extremely productive.’’

Pujols’ consistency separates him from just about everyone else. He has driven in at least 95 runs in

every season but 2013, when he only played in 99 games because of a torn foot ligament. He has hit 30

home run in all but two seasons. And never, ever, has he struck out 100 times.

“Right now, people are getting caught up with things in the computer,’’ Pujols says. “Take the

knowledge I have for 18 years, you just don’t find in your computer. You can type in whatever numbers

you want, but computers are not going to tell you how smart a player you are.

“I don’t care about launch angle and all of that stuff. Who cares if your home run goes 500 feet or 400

feet, as long as it goes over the wall? I consider myself a line-drive hitter with power. I’ve always been

that way

“No computer is going to define me.’’

Now that Pujols has reached a place where only eight other men have gone, it will be weeks, maybe

even a month, he says, to fully grasp the magnitude of his accomplishment. It was that way three years

ago, too, he says, when he hit No. 500. He’ll be able to reflect on the past, and yes, dare to look ahead.

“When that time comes, and it hits me, it will be really emotional," Pujols says. "I’m being honest with

you. I can’t think about it now, but I will. There are other things I’m looking at, too.’’

Yes, like 3,000 hits. And 2,000 RBI. And another World Series title.

Pujols, who has 2,876 hits, passing Ruth last week, and 1,859 RBI, should join Aaron, Ruth and Alex

Rodriguez as the only players in history with 600 homers, 3,000 hits and 2,000 RBI. He already is the

third player in history to have 600 homers and 600 doubles in a career, along with Aaron and Bonds.

“That’s a pretty special club,’’ Pujols says, laughing. “If you had told me 17 years ago when I was drafted

by the Cardinals that I would have had a career like this, I would have laughed at you in the face. What a

journey I’ve had.

“And you know what, it’s not over yet.’’

Maybe not even close.

9 times Albert Pujols was superhuman

By Ted Berg / For The Win

Albert Pujols hit the 600th home run of his MLB career on Saturday night with a grand slam off Twins

starter Ervin Santana at Angel Stadium. The 37-year-old Angels slugger became only the ninth player in

Major League history to reach the milestone, and the first since Jim Thome cleared the mark in 2011. In

his 17th season, Pujols is the only player in the 600-homer club to date who debuted after 2000.

June 5, 2017 Page 29 of 33

“He’s in elite company,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said before Thursday’s game. “And for him to

reach this milestone is really special. He’s not done yet. He’s still going to keep going strong.”

Though Pujols is no longer the megastar-caliber player he was in his prime years with St. Louis, he

remains a potent home-run hitter, with 80 longballs since the start of the 2015 season. The current

incarnation of Pujols does not draw walks or collect hits at the rate he did in his heyday, but Pujols’

career accomplishments outshine those of all other current big-leaguers: He is the active leader in

homers, WAR, extra-base hits, total bases, times on base, walks, doubles and runs scored.

“There are guys, obviously, that have some big home-run years, and maybe they get derailed by injuries

or they don’t adapt and the league adapts to them, and maybe their production starts to wane a little

bit,” Scioscia said. “Albert has got an incredible baseball IQ. He understands the game. He has adapted

now, and is doing things a little differently than maybe he did 10 or 12 years ago, but with similar results

— the way he drives the ball, the way he drives in runs. This guy is still a force in the batter’s box. He’s

doing it.”

In honor of Pujols’ 600th home run, here are nine times Pujols seemed superhuman:

1. His first college game

This may be my favorite Albert Pujols anecdote. Pujols played high-school ball in the Kansas City area

after immigrating from the Dominican Republic, but opposing pitchers walked him 55 times in 88 plate

appearances his senior season in part to protest what they believed was an age disparity. Pujols did not

get drafted out of high school, so he went to play at local Maple Woods Community College.

In his first college game, Pujols — then a shortstop — turned an unassisted triple play and hit a grand

slam. Again: In his first college game, Pujols turned an unassisted triple play and hit a grand slam. No

player has ever done that in well over 200,000 Major League games, and it’s hard to imagine it has

happened in more than a handful of instances in the history of baseball at any level. But one of those

times, it was Albert Pujols in his first college game. It seems about as effective a means imaginable to

show that you’re ready for a higher level. Speaking of which….

2. When he erupted into the Majors

Though Pujols continued dominating the competition after his incredible first college game, he famously

fell to the 13th round in the 1999 draft due in part to more skepticism about his age. Pujols spent most

of the 2000 season at Class A ball, but graduated to Class AAA in time for that circuit’s postseason. He

ranked only No. 42 on Baseball America’s Top 100 prospects list before the 2001 season and opened

spring training as a non-roster invite.

But Pujols, it turned out, was already ready to be Albert Pujols. He made the big-league Cardinals out of

camp, played 161 games, hit 37 homers with a 1.013 OPS and ran away with the Rookie of the Year

Award. As for the questions about his birthdate that followed him in his early years: They look pretty

dumb in retrospect. Though Pujols, to be fair, always looked mature for his age, he followed a fairly

typical aging curve throughout his career, enjoying his best seasons in his late 20s and beginning to

June 5, 2017 Page 30 of 33

decline in his early 30s. Also, even if he was ten years older than his records said he was at the time of

the draft — and he wasn’t — he was only a year away from dominating the Majors for a decade. Who

wouldn’t want that guy? Scouts everywhere just totally whiffed.

3. When he did this

Pujols already had nine career postseason homers on his resume when his Cardinals took on the Astros

in Houston for Game 5 of the 2005 NLCS. But while St. Louis would ultimately lose the series, Pujols’

mammoth, go-ahead, three-run homer off then-dominant closer Brad Lidge in the ninth inning of Game

5 remains perhaps the most memorable longball of his big-league career. It was so outrageously

triumphant. Lidge looks like he’s just witnessed an actual human atrocity.

4. When academics tested his motor skills

In 2006, Pujols visited Washington University in St. Louis to undergo a series of tests once performed on

Babe Ruth to measure certain aspects of his physical skills and cognition. From the school’s website:

Asked to depress a tapper with his index finger as many times as possible in 10 seconds, Pujols scored in

the 99th percentile, a score almost identical to one earned by Ruth on a similar test of movement speed

and endurance. White was impressed not only by Pujols’ tapping speed (2.4 standard deviations faster

than normal), but also by the fact that his performance kept improving after repeated trials….

Pujols tapped with such force, in fact, that, at one point, he actually knocked the tapping key out of

alignment. Pujols then helped White repair the finger tapper, tightening a loosened screw with his

fingernail, she said.

Pujols also surprised researchers with his unique approach to a test that required he pick out specific

letters from a page of “randomly positioned letters.” Instead of reading the letters left to right, like most

would, Pujols scanned by sector.

5. When he bucked the strikeout trend

Baseball’s sabermetric revolution helped destigmatize the strikeout for power hitters, and many of

Pujols’ fellow sluggers in recent years have fanned in excess of 150 times a season on the regular. But

after striking out a career-high 93 times in his rookie season, Pujols began steadily walking more and

whiffing less as he approached his peak and has not struck out more than 76 times in any season since.

Of the 27 big-leaguers in the 500 home-run club, Pujols ranks fourth with a rate of 8.6 at-bats per

strikeout. That’s the best mark of any 500-homer guy since Hank Aaron retired in 1976, and more than

double the rates of Sammy Sosa, Jim Thome and Mark McGwire.

“There are some home run hitters, obviously, that a lot of times strikeouts are part of the package,”

Scioscia said. “Albert’s a unique player, and really, when you look at his seasons — very few strikeouts. I

think that’s one of the reasons he has been able to adapt. Albert doesn’t believe a strikeout is just

another out. He’s certainly not afraid to take his swings, but he understands situational hitting, he

June 5, 2017 Page 31 of 33

understands the ability to take what a pitcher is giving you, and he has just been a player that is very

gifted — hits the ball hard, uses the whole field, and never has had a lot of strikeouts in his game.”

6. On his U.S. citizenship test

Pujols became a U.S. citizen before spring training in 2007. He scored 100% on his test. Only half of

native-born Americans can clear 70% on the test.

7. Whenever he has been injured

On Thursday, Scioscia noted Pujols’ ability to play through pain multiple times during his pre-game talk

with reporters.

“Albert is a special athlete,” Scioscia said. “And I’ve never really seen or played with anyone who can

play or perform so well while being banged up as he has with us.”

It’s impossible to quantify a player’s ability to recover from injuries or succeed despite them, as every

injury and every body is obviously a little bit different. But Scioscia’s praise for the way Pujols negotiates

pain might not even cover it. This will sound fairly crazy, but Pujols has a history of returning to action

from injury sooner than anyone expects.

In 2006, when Pujols made the first DL trip of his career with a strained muscle in his side, a veteran MLB

trainer told USA TODAY Sports to expect Pujols to miss more than a month. He returned after 15 days. In

2011, after he suffered an on-field wrist fracture, he was again expected to miss at least a month and

again returned in two weeks.

Though Pujols has by now endured a battery of procedures to correct knee and foot issues, they rarely

seem to keep him off the field longer than the minimum time expected for recovery. Offseason foot

surgery following the 2015 surgery put his 2016 opening day in question, but Pujols was there to play it.

The exact same thing happened this year.

8. The 2011 postseason

Pujols helped the Cardinals to a World Series win in 2006, posting a .959 OPS across 16 postseason

games to secure his first ring. But his biggest October performance to date came in 2011, when he

rocked a 1.155 OPS across 18 games en route to the second World Series win of his career. In Game 3 of

the World Series against the Rangers, he homered three times to tie an MLB postseason record. Pujols

owns a lifetime .323/.431/.599 line in postseason play.

9. This beautiful moment

Pujols’ daughter Bella has Down syndrome, and Pujols has always seemed to have a special connection

to fans with Down syndrome and their families, from Joc Pederson’s brother Champ to all those the

Cardinals annually welcomed for their “Buddy Walk Day.”

June 5, 2017 Page 32 of 33

But one especially heartwarming moment of Pujols’ career came in August of 2009, after retired

schoolteacher Tim Tepas and his son, Keith, made the drive from Buffalo to Pittsburgh to see Pujols play

in person. The elder Tepas, who brought with him a letter he wrote to Pujols about the experience of

raising a special-needs child, tried to corral a foul ball for Keith and fell on the field. Read Todd Frankel’s

account of Pujols’ response.

Mike Trout Monday: The 5 Hall of Famers Mike Trout surpassed in career WAR in May

By Ted Berg

Mike Trout remains sidelined following wrist surgery, but Mike Trout Monday continues, for now at

least, because the holiday last week combined with the news of Trout’s injury meant this author failed

to provide a monthly update on Hall of Famers Mike Trout surpassed in career WAR. That will follow

shortly. Here’s Trout’s final dinger before the injury. It’s majestic:

As for Trout’s health, he told Jeff Fletcher of the O.C. Register that he aims to start rehabbing his injury

on this very Mike Trout Monday,and did not dismiss the possibility of playing in the All-Star Game. The

guess here is that there’s no way the Angels would want Trout playing in that exhibition before he plays

in real games, and even if Trout were playing in rehab games by that point it’d seem silly to pull him off

that assignment on behalf of the All-Star Game.

So if all goes well with Trout’s recovery and the Angels play it safe — like they seemed to do with Trout’s

hamstring early last month — I’d figure the realistic target for Trout’s return would be July 14, the first

game after the break. But that’s just guesswork, maybe with some optimism mixed in, so please don’t

quote this article on your fantasy baseball site as evidence of a specific timetable.

Trout played only 20 games in May but racked up 1.3 WAR thanks to his stunning .297/.484/.797 line

over the month. He now has 51.9 WAR for his career. He surpassed the following five Hall of Famers in

career WAR in May:

1. Joe Kelley: Not the frustrating Red Sox righty but the homonymous Orioles outfielder of the Deadball

Era. A couple of important things to know about this Joe Kelley, per the incredible SABR Bio project: 1)

He was known as “Handsome Joe Kelley,” and kept a comb and mirror in his pocket during games to

make sure he looked hot. 2) Kelley, reputed as a great defender but rumored to hide extra baseballs in

the long outfield grass to make easier plays, played for the Orioles under Ned Hanlon at a time when

Baltimore players would sometimes sit on a bench outside their opponents’ clubhouse sharpening their

spikes with metal files. Under Hanlon — who’d later take Kelley with him to the Brooklyn Superbas —

the Orioles employed a groundskeeper that buried a hard surface under the dirt in front of home plate.

Players learned to smack pitches straight downward so they’d take huge hops that led to infield singles.

This is where we get the term “Baltimore chop.”

2. Kirby Puckett: An inspiration to portly American youth of the late 1980s and early 1990s, Puckett had

a short career by Hall of Fame standards: He came up at age 24 in 1984 and struggled for his first two

seasons, then blossomed into one of the game’s best all-around players before his big-league tenure

June 5, 2017 Page 33 of 33

ended prematurely when he took a Dennis Martinez fastball to the jaw near the end of the 1995 season.

Though Puckett certainly played like a Hall of Famer during his prime, he fell well short of many

traditional Hall of Fame counting numbers and his case perhaps benefited from the ballot’s character

clause: Puckett was beloved during his playing days, and never blamed Martinez for the vision issues

that forced him off the field. But after Puckett’s Hall of Fame induction in 2001 and before his untimely

death in 2006, multiple women — including Puckett’s ex-wife, Tonya — accused him of violent and

threatening behavior.

3. Bobby Doerr: The oldest living former big-leaguer at 99 years old, Doerr was a slick-fielding and good-

hitting second baseman for the Red Sox until a spinal issue ended his career at age 33 in 1951. Initially

exempt from military service during World War II due to a young son and a perforated eardrum, Doerr

was ultimately called to Army duty in September of 1944, his best big-league season. He missed the

entire 1945 season, or else he’d almost certainly still have a higher career WAR than Mike Trout.

4. Jim O’Rourke: One of the sport’s first superstars, O’Rourke started his pro career in the National

Association in 1872 as a member of the Middletown Mansfields, a short-lived Connecticut team named

for a Civil War general. The owner of a truly bodacious mustache, O’Rourke played in the Majors

through 1893, starring for championship NY Giants teams in 1888 and 1889 and earning a reputation for

eloquence, gentlemanliness and dignified sobriety that challenged American stereotypes of the Irish in

his era. After a failed bid for the Connecticut legislature, he formed a new league in his home state and

kept playing there — playing catcher, no less — until he was 62 years old in 1912. O’Rourke also made a

brief return to Major League play in 1904, when Giants manager John McGraw summoned the 54-year-

old O’Rourke — the last active player from the 1889 championship team — to catch the club’s title-

clinching game. He went 1-for-4 in the contest, and remains the oldest person ever to catch in a

modern-era Major League Baseball game.

5. Waite Hoyt: One of the best pitchers on the Yankees during their 1920s dynasty, Hoyt spent parts of

21 seasons in the Majors, racked up 237 wins, and finished his career the all-time leader in postseason

starts and postseason wins. He was never especially dominant — he never led his league in ERA and only

landed in the Top 5 four times in his long career — and as such, Hoyt finished his long and decorated

big-league career at age 38 with a lower lifetime WAR than 25-year-old Mike Trout has already.