AFP, Los Angeles :
Anaheim Angels slugger Albert Pujols put himself among rarefied Major League Baseball company on Friday as he became the 32nd player to notch 3,000 career hits.
Already just the ninth player to hit 600 career home runs-a milestone he reached in 2017 — Pujols became the fourth player, along with Hank Aaron, Willy Mays and Alex Rodriguez, to number 600 homers among 3,000 hits.
Pujols, who notched hit No. 2,999 on Thursday against Baltimore, nabbed No. 3,000 when he singled to right field off Mariners right-handed hurler Mike Leake in the top of the fifth inning in Seattle.
Pujols, who was congratulated by teammates near first base, tipped his helmet to an appreciative crowd at Safeco Field.
He joined Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre as the only Dominican-born players with 3,000 hits.
A three-time National League Most Valuable Player, the 38-year-old Pujols has had at least 150 hits in 14 of his 17 full major league seasons.
With Japanese hit king Ichiro Suzuki’s move to the Mariners’ front office just this week, Pujols and Beltre are the only active members of the 3,000-hit club.
Anaheim Angels slugger Albert Pujols put himself among rarefied Major League Baseball company on Friday as he became the 32nd player to notch 3,000 career hits.
Already just the ninth player to hit 600 career home runs-a milestone he reached in 2017 — Pujols became the fourth player, along with Hank Aaron, Willy Mays and Alex Rodriguez, to number 600 homers among 3,000 hits.
Pujols, who notched hit No. 2,999 on Thursday against Baltimore, nabbed No. 3,000 when he singled to right field off Mariners right-handed hurler Mike Leake in the top of the fifth inning in Seattle.
Pujols, who was congratulated by teammates near first base, tipped his helmet to an appreciative crowd at Safeco Field.
He joined Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre as the only Dominican-born players with 3,000 hits.
A three-time National League Most Valuable Player, the 38-year-old Pujols has had at least 150 hits in 14 of his 17 full major league seasons.
With Japanese hit king Ichiro Suzuki’s move to the Mariners’ front office just this week, Pujols and Beltre are the only active members of the 3,000-hit club.
