Tapp-ing into the Numbers: The 600-HR Club welcomes Albert Pujols

By JERRY TAPP

On Saturday night, June 3, Angels’ first baseman Albert Pujols became the ninth member of the exclusive 600-HR Club. Pujols hit a grand slam that night, becoming the first member of the 600-HR Club to join the club with a grand slam.

For the record, here are the nine members of the club: 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) and Pujols (600).

Here are a handful of stats about the 600-HR Club and Albert Pujols’ 600 homers:

• None of the nine members played for just one team. Pujols becomes the fourth member of the group who has played for just two teams in his career (he has played for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Angels). The others: Bonds (Pittsburgh and San Francisco), Aaron (Braves and Brewers) and Mays (Giants and Mets). Thome played with the most teams, six (Cleveland, Philadelphia, the White Sox, Dodgers, Minnesota and Baltimore).
• Three of the nine members also have 3,000 hits: Aaron (3,771), Mays (3,283) and Rodriguez (3,115). Pujols has 2,876 (as of June 3).
• Pujols, as of June 3, had 608 career doubles. That ranks second among the nine 600-HR Club members. Aaron has the most two-baggers with 624. Pujols does, however, have the fewest triples of the nine members with 16.
• Three members also have 2,000 or more RBIs: Aaron, Ruth and Rodriguez. Pujols had 1,859 as of June 3.
• Of the nine members of the club, Pujols has the fewest strikeouts with 1,091.
• Of the nine members of the club, Pujols and Thome have the fewest sacrifice bunts with one each.
• Babe Ruth has the highest batting average of the club members at .342. Pujols is second at .308. Two other members hit .300: Aaron (.305) and Mays (.302). The lowest average of the nine? Sosa at .273.
• Although he has 600 career HRs, Pujols has never hit 50 or more in a single season.
• Pujols has homered against all 30 MLB teams. The fewest HRs against any one team is one versus his old team, the Cardinals.
• Pujols has 56 HRs versus the Cubs and 55 versus the Astros, most against any team.
• Pujols has hit 137 of his home runs in the first inning, most of any inning.
• He has hit 487 of his 600 home runs from the three spot in the batting order.
• The month with the most HRs for Pujols is August with 112.
• Pujols has hit 318 homers at home and 282 on the road.