In Game 5 of the 2005 NLCS, the St. Louis Cardinals were one out away from elimination.

They were trailing the Houston Astros in the series, 3-1.

However, Albert Pujols saved the day with his epic home run off of Brad Lidge that gave St. Louis a 5-4 lead.

St. Louis held on to win and force Game 6.

Now retired from baseball, Pujols has joined MLB Network as an analyst.

On Tuesday, he spoke with former MLB pitcher Al Leiter and discussed his epic home run off of Lidge, explaining his thought process in the moment and what worked for him.

The video can be found on Twitter.

.@PujolsFive hits the #MLBCentral Skybox to break down some of his legendary Postseason moments! @AlLeiter22 | @Cardinals pic.twitter.com/4FRQ3eEq2Q

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 6, 2023

Pujols swung at a first-pitch slider from Lidge in his at-bat in the top of the ninth inning of Game 5.

The future Hall-of-Famer said that he knew Lidge’s best pitch at the time was his slider, despite him being able to touch the upper 90s with his fastball.

Pujols recalled being completely fooled by the first pitch, but ultimately coming to realize that Lidge would go back to it.

The three-time MVP said at that point, he knew what was coming and that he had Lidge right where he wanted him.

Of course, everybody knows what happened next.

Pujols received an 0-1 slider from Lidge and hit one of the most legendary home runs in Cardinals history, saving them from the brink of elimination.

The ball hit the train tracks in the rafters at Minute Maid Park and left the crowd stunned in disbelief before the Cardinals completed their comeback to force Game 6.

The post Albert Pujols Recalls A Legendary Home Run appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source link

The Oakland Athletics and their ownership have shown their hand by now.

Their intention is to be playing games in Las Vegas by 2028.

To do that, however, they need Nevada lawmakers to approve their funding plan to build a new stadium on the Las Vegas strip.

That still hasn’t happened.

“Late last night, Nevada ended its legislative session without voting on a bill to fund a new Vegas stadium for the A’s. Gov. Joe Lombardo is expected to call for a special session of the Legislature Tuesday morning,” Front Office Sports tweeted.

Late last night, Nevada ended its legislative session without voting on a bill to fund a new Vegas stadium for the A’s.

Gov. Joe Lombardo is expected to call for a special session of the Legislature Tuesday morning.

— Front Office Sports (@FOS) June 6, 2023

Advertisement

The clock is ticking, as the A’s need approval by the lawmakers soon if their plan is to be fulfilled.

The team has been looking to move from the Oakland-Alameda County Stadium for years.

As long as there is no agreement to build the stadium in Las Vegas, the move from Oakland won’t take place.

The post The A’s Are Facing Another Stadium Dilemma appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source link

The New York Yankees weren’t at their best in the period ranging from 2010 to 2015.

They always had a positive record but didn’t always seriously contend.

Things started to change on this day, but 10 years ago, when they drafted the player that would graduate into one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball in 2017: Aaron Judge.

The Yankees drafted Aaron Judge with the #32 overall pick ten years ago today pic.twitter.com/TDfvocttGd

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) June 6, 2023

The video is absolutely priceless.

For starters, Bud Selig was still the Commissioner, so you know some time has passed!

A baby-faced Judge switched his jacket for a Yankees shirt.

He had just turned 21 at the time.

Judge made his debut in 2016, and things weren’t that promising back then as he had a .608 OPS in 27 games and 95 plate appearances.

A year later, however, he developed into a true star with a 1.049 OPS, 52 home runs, 128 runs, and 114 RBI.

That performance earned him the Rookie of the Year award and a second-place finish in the AL MVP vote.

Since that year, he has performed at an All-Star level for the Yankees, even if injuries somewhat slowed him from 2018 to 2020.

He had a historically relevant performance in 2022, with 62 home runs to establish a new American League record.

He also flirted with the AL Triple Crown last year.

This season, he is already up to 19 homers and 40 RBI with a 1.078 OPS.

However, he already visited the injured list with a hip strain and could do so again with a toe ailment.

Still, it’s fair to say the Yankees have gotten historically great value from that first-round pick in 2013.

They got a legitimate star and, perhaps, a future Hall of Famer.

The post The Yankees Are Celebrating A Special Anniversary Today appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source link