Every time Albert Pujols steps on the field, he always seems to make a little bit of history.
Back with the St. Louis Cardinals for his farewell tour alongside Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina, Pujols is taking it all in as he experiences everything for a final time.
On Saturday, he made some more history against the Chicago Cubs.
The 42-year-old slugger was not in the starting lineup for the Cards in Game One of their doubleheader against the rival Cubs.
But when Corey Dickerson was pulled with a calf issue and Brendan Donovan shifted from first base to right field, Pujols was plugged in at first, which marked his 3,000th career game.
MLB tweeted that Pujols is just the ninth player in MLB history to appear in 3,000 or more games.
With his appearance today, @PujolsFive is just the 9th player in AL/NL history to play in 3,000 career games. pic.twitter.com/2wfukttfgR
— MLB (@MLB) June 4, 2022
The Machine Makes History
Albert has certainly seen it all.
He’s been to every city with a big-league team and has played in every single ballpark in Major League Baseball.
At 42, he’s not done making history.
Though he is no longer an everyday player, his presence is sure felt with the Cardinals, as he continues to mentor young players on the team’s roster and even have some more memorable moments here and there.
It’s rare for a player to play in 3,000 or more career games, but Pujols is no ordinary player.
When you’ve been around as long as he has, you’re bound to make some history with the number of games you play in.
And he got to play No. 3,000 at a ballpark he knows very well, with fans that have watched him dominate their Cubs for years, hitting some home run balls out on to Waveland Avenue.
This is his final season, and he’s making sure to take in every bit of it.
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