Stat of the Day
by Adam J. Morris on Jul 13, 2009 3:00 PM CDT
Email
Print
Chris Davis in AAA: .370/.419/.630, 31 PAs, 6 Ks, 2 walks
I'm not calling for him to be promoted or anything, but the early results are encouraging.
122 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
How long would you leave him down there?
assuming, of course, he keeps hitting well.
"I saw a soldier try to dig a foxhole with his bare hands. He didn't notice that he'd torn off all his fingernails. I got him out of there quickly; not for his sake, but for ours. Fear is poison in combat...destructive, contagious." - Band of Brothers
My $.02...
I wouldn’t even THINK about bringing him up until those numbers exist over 100 PAs. Even then, I’d have to think long and hard about it.
The Texas Rangers have been synonymous with explosive firepower ever since they emptied 130 rounds into Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow in 1934. - Alyssa Milano
If Blalock is traded, CD can come right back up.
The likelihood of Blalock being traded is really, really small. So, I would say CD will be called up when Blalock gets injured, or September, whichever comes first.
Wonderboy, what is the secret of your power? Wonderboy, won't you take me far away from the mucky-muck now. -- Tenacious D
Middle of August...
unless the Rangers can deal Blalock.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
If the Rangers deal Blalock
it will be because they’re 10 games out of first place.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
" I don’t feel like arguing with laxtonto about it for the same reason I wouldn’t argue with him if he said the earth was flat. He’s a person who is happy with his head up his ass so why should I make him sad?"
by Josey Wales on Jul 13, 2009 10:52 PM CDT up reply actions
If the Rangers deal Blalock
it will be because they’re 10 games out of first place.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
" I don’t feel like arguing with laxtonto about it for the same reason I wouldn’t argue with him if he said the earth was flat. He’s a person who is happy with his head up his ass so why should I make him sad?"
by Josey Wales on Jul 13, 2009 10:52 PM CDT up reply actions
If the Rangers deal Blalock
it will be because they’re 10 games out of first place.
"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."
" I don’t feel like arguing with laxtonto about it for the same reason I wouldn’t argue with him if he said the earth was flat. He’s a person who is happy with his head up his ass so why should I make him sad?"
by Josey Wales on Jul 13, 2009 10:52 PM CDT up reply actions
The Alternative...
he is a AAAA player
i hope that isnt the case but it is always a possibility
that long swing he has just scares me, but hopefully he is working out the kinks
His swing is actually alot shorter than during his Spokane days.
That’s a pretty good sign, to me, that he has the aptitude to make adjustments.
Wonderboy, what is the secret of your power? Wonderboy, won't you take me far away from the mucky-muck now. -- Tenacious D
I don't know that there is such a thing...
…as a AAAA player.
by Adam J. Morris on Jul 13, 2009 3:13 PM CDT up reply actions
Interesting.
"Was this really necsarry?" - cowpoke/hurler hurley
AAA All-Star player?
Wonderboy, what is the secret of your power? Wonderboy, won't you take me far away from the mucky-muck now. -- Tenacious D
This.
The idea of the AAAA player is largely a myth.
The 40 Trumps All!!!
Everyone needs to drive a vehicle, even the very tall. This was the largest auto I could afford. Should I therefore be made the subject of fun?
by thedirkatron on Jul 13, 2009 4:24 PM CDT up reply actions
Unlike AAAA ballplayers, unicorns are *real*,
damnit.
Your 2009 Texas Rangers: "Can't take a fucking to save their lives" (lisa w, 2009).
What an ass...
I have no idea why he would spread non-truths like that.
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"you gonna lose your horse. seriously." FX2
Yes we can! November 04, 2008
Seriously.
Everybody knows unicorns are kept in a special zoo in New Zealand.
Your 2009 Texas Rangers: "Can't take a fucking to save their lives" (lisa w, 2009).
AJM is bored today.
lol
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"you gonna lose your horse. seriously." FX2
Yes we can! November 04, 2008
Is anybody surprise by this...?
Who didn’t expect him to go down and flat out MASH? I just don’t think what ails Chris Davis will be ironed out in the minor leagues..
Confidence? How does mashing AAA pitching change the notion he probably has in the back of his mind that he cannot hit major league pitchers? He’s still gonna step to the plate and have that thought in the back of his mind…
He’s not gonna be forced to make the necessary adjustments to hit MLB pitchers at Oklahoma city… Obviously something needed to be done, but I hope nobody buys into this as the beginning of CD figuring things out… I’ll start buying back Chris Davis stock when he comes back and actually makes contact with big league pitches..
by N41D on Jul 13, 2009 3:09 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
so
You’ll believe needs to be back in the lineup when he is hitting well back in the lineup?
"Was this really necsarry?" - cowpoke/hurler hurley
I'll believe he BELONGS back in the lineup...
…when he’s back in the lineup and hitting well.
He’s got nothing to prove or gain from playing in AAA, in my opinion…
by N41D on Jul 13, 2009 3:44 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
So you think
The Rangers should have left him up and swinging away? It was obvious Rudy wasn’t helping him. They made the right decission to send him down and let it get figured out in OKC. If for nothing else a mental break to show himself he could hit.
2009 Texas Rangers: Why The Hell Not Us?--ghtd36 on May 13, 2009
I mean... They needed to do something...
But I’m just not convinced going down to AAA is going to fix anything… It was probably the right move, because he was flat out a liability offensively with the big club, but I just don’t buy that his woes are gonna be ironed out at AAA…
Sure, he’ll go down and mash, but what does it fix, exactly?
Just giving him a chace to get out of his own way..
It had to be impossible to clear his head and just get back to “See the ball, hit the ball”, when his every AB was the subject of so much scrutiny.
The Texas Rangers have been synonymous with explosive firepower ever since they emptied 130 rounds into Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow in 1934. - Alyssa Milano
You do see the circuitous nature of your logic, though, don't you?
"Was this really necsarry?" - cowpoke/hurler hurley
Perhaps...
But all I’m saying is I don’t believe the problems he’s struggling with will be resolved at AAA…
Hitting AAA pitching doesn’t change the mentality he’ll go to the plate with when he’s back in Arlington.
How do you know that?
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
"I am one of the biggest Texas Ranger fans out there but I'm also one of the smartest. Deal with it."
-The Outlaw
How do you know it does?
I just don’t think after mashing AAA pitching, he comes back to the Rangers ready to stop swinging at every single pitch and is completely confident he can hold his own…
Rudy said it was in his head, and I think it’s fairly obvious it was, and I just don’t see how mashing at AAA changes that when he comes back…
If the problem was all confidence
Then mashing AAA pitching and feeling that he is ready for the Majors again is a good bet to say that he’s got his confidence back.
By 2028, Mark Teixeira will be in the HOF.
"I am one of the biggest Texas Ranger fans out there but I'm also one of the smartest. Deal with it."
-The Outlaw
If you agree it was in his head...
but you REALLY don’t think going down and having prolonged success will help with his mental state, then I really don’t think that there is much point in discussing it anymore.
The Texas Rangers have been synonymous with explosive firepower ever since they emptied 130 rounds into Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow in 1934. - Alyssa Milano
He mashed against Sidney Ponson
True, Ponson isn’t a top-level MLB starter, but he’s still a cut above what you’d think the pitching would be in the minors. Worse pitchers than Ponson were making Davis look silly in the majors.
If anything this throws some gas on the Rudy bashing
Although Davis admitted he wasn’t doing the same drills he used to. Davis should be hitting better just cause he’s in AAA but not this well.
Remember Red, hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies.
I think returning to his old drills and admitting he wasn't practicing an up-the-middle approach,
really gives credibility to the numbers he’s posted on his return. Maybe he’s learned the lesson of what works for him.
On the Rudy front, I think Rudy will let CD do what works best for him. He tinkered with Hamilton’s approach but has now let Hamilton go back to what worked for him last year. So long as the players express confidence in Rudy, I see no way that Rudy gets a fail.
Wonderboy, what is the secret of your power? Wonderboy, won't you take me far away from the mucky-muck now. -- Tenacious D
Dr. Phibes
I think CD is like a succubus and drained all the tender prospecty goodness outta Smoak while he was sleeping and absorbed it all for himself. It would explain a lot. Expecially all the sinister organ music on CD’s IPOD. The Abominable Beasticon.
by shroomer on Jul 13, 2009 3:14 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
I was about to post something to this effect the other day, but I was going down the Twilight Zone path.
Wonderboy, what is the secret of your power? Wonderboy, won't you take me far away from the mucky-muck now. -- Tenacious D
He'll come back
Like The Bone Collector.
"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination." - Andrew Lang (1844-1912) also -
"Telephone, n. An invention of the devil which abrogates some of the advantages of making a disagreeable person keep his distance."
~Ambrose Bierce
by Ed Coffin on Jul 13, 2009 3:18 PM CDT up reply actions
I was think "Outer Limits: Caught in the Act" and Alyssa Milano, myself.
And I’d link to it, but it is so definitely NSFW.
Your 2009 Texas Rangers: "Can't take a fucking to save their lives" (lisa w, 2009).
How?
Did he overhaul his swing in these last two weeks since going down? He started doing drills that he himself said he had stopped doing because he was caught up in his slump at the plate. Do we know what those drills are? Are they drills the hitting coach works with him on?
I just love how apparently whatever Crush did last year has nothing to do with Rudy but yet once he starts struggling this year its all Rudys fault.
Im not trying to be a Rudy apologist here but I think some people have a distorted view of what a hitting coach’s job actually is.
Bryan Smith (12:17:17 PM PT): Justin Smoak and Josh Hamilton. The AL West might just have found their Bash Brothers, v. 2.0.
I agree
Not saying Rudy’s the root of the problem but some will claim that.
My personal belief (unsubstantiated) is that Rudy teaches an aggressive approach and some guys with long swings can get out in front of things without a chance to check up. Nellie certainly has a quicker swing this year and look at some of things he’s done. Other guys do well diving into the ball like MY and DeRosa.
Rudy is probably comparable to Mazzone regarding reputation. I’d be sad if they got rid of him.
Remember Red, hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies.
"I’d be sad if they got rid of him"
I wouldn’t. He is overrated just like Mazzone was.
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland - 2009 Rangers Minor League POY
So how is Jeff Francour doing these days?
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland - 2009 Rangers Minor League POY
BS
A shitty hitter will be a shitty hitter no matter what
so if Rudy cant turn everyone into an AS he sucks…brilliant
there
are still people willing to sleep with Pam Anderson too…
Adam Lambert is indeed a rock god,so suck it.
by red shoe ranger on Jul 13, 2009 5:53 PM CDT up reply actions
Wear a rubber!
/Ryhner
"Back on the scene, with a gangsta lean" RW
"you gonna lose your horse. seriously." FX2
Yes we can! November 04, 2008
What has he done since he left Atlanta?
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland - 2009 Rangers Minor League POY
Well, he hasn't had a job since 2007
So you’re really only talking about two years with the O’s. And I suggest looking at a certain Erik Bedard’s improvement in 2006 and 2007.
Go Rice Owls!
I a not saying Rudy and Mazzone
are not good coaches. But, to a certain extent they were in the right place at the right time.
Elvis Andrus - 2009 AL Rookie of the Year
Mitch Moreland - 2009 Rangers Minor League POY
Very encouraging
I’d love to see him get his walks up, though.
"Was this really necsarry?" - cowpoke/hurler hurley
Not much time for a walk when you're hitting .370
Remember Red, hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies.
No rush to bring him back the way Blalock is hitting.
Keep him down there for a few more weeks, continue building those good habits, getting that confidence back up by doing it for a sustained period of time and bring him up early August.
I thought it be all warm and shitty, but it just tasted like normal beer. It was still cold.
I'd leave him in OKC
Got to imagine it takes longer to replace the poor habits of his 258 ML ABs.
shroom posted good quotes from CD this morning…
Infielder Chris Davis said after Saturday’s win over Iowa he is ready to return to Texas, though it is unclear if he’ll get his wish. Davis went 2-for-4 Sunday and has hit .370 with the RedHawks. The Rangers sent Davis down to OKC to work on his swing July 6.
.
"I definitely think I’m where I want to be," Davis said. “I had good at-bats off a lefty, I was squaring balls up. I think it’s just a matter of time before I get the call.”
.
Davis has had plenty of support from fans, including his mother, who was here for a doubleheader Saturday.
.
"I’ve seen a lot of people with signs and a few who told me they came up from Arlington to watch me play," he said. “That means a lot.”
"[Font} doesn't turn 19 until the end of May and his heater can already hit 99 on the gun. That's baseball porn." - Jason Parks
Kid is smooth
I can’t wait until next year when the Rangers have him and Holland in the starting rotation.
2009 Texas Rangers: Why The Hell Not Us?--ghtd36 on May 13, 2009
Alright - how is this screwed up?
I’ve logged into MLB.com and still can watch this. What do I need to do?
Remember Red, hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies.
Does it give you a message or is it just that nothing ever comes up in the black part of the screen?
I was getting no video in Firefox but video works fine in Chrome.
Yeah - just black
And I’m too damn dumb/frightened to load up a new browser.
Remember Red, hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies.
I'm no compy wiz
but I bet you need to upgrade Adobe Flash – or install it altogether if you haven’t yet.
Now that I think about it that's probably it
Videos play on my work computer but not this home one which I rarely update.
Remember Red, hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies.
Wow.
Thanks for that.
I missed the game and was pretty sad about not getting to see Neffy throw.
Lemme just say: Wow.
He throws HARD. The ball just rockets out of his hand. That’s silly. If he can learn to control that fastball down in the zone he’ll be a monster even if his other pitches stay mediocre.
I’m so psyched about this kid.
Is there a replay of the entire game somewhere? I’d love to see guys like Heyward and Drabek who I’ve heard so much about but never seen in action.
The 40 Trumps All!!!
Everyone needs to drive a vehicle, even the very tall. This was the largest auto I could afford. Should I therefore be made the subject of fun?
by thedirkatron on Jul 13, 2009 4:34 PM CDT up reply actions
and that 95 was probably the 100.8 he threw too.
The 2009 Texas Rangers offense: sigh...
by Kinslerhomer on Jul 13, 2009 4:41 PM CDT up reply actions
I haven't seen a replay time yet but
Heyward looked Really good as did Drabek (it almost made me cry;)
The 2009 Texas Rangers offense: sigh...
by Kinslerhomer on Jul 13, 2009 4:44 PM CDT up reply actions
Yah, I kind of actually don't want to see Drabek, if you know what I mean.
It’s like being showing up at a club and hearing from a friend that your ex is out on the dance floor dancing with her new boyfriend.
You really don’t want to look out there and see her cause you know it’s just gonna make you feel like crap, but you can’t help but turn around and look anyways.
The 40 Trumps All!!!
Everyone needs to drive a vehicle, even the very tall. This was the largest auto I could afford. Should I therefore be made the subject of fun?
by thedirkatron on Jul 13, 2009 5:03 PM CDT up reply actions
Dude
Drabek looked like a future AS. Silky smooth mechanics.
by Michael Cave on Jul 13, 2009 5:52 PM CDT up reply actions
OT.
Rumor has it that SD RHP Mat Latos is on his way to the big leagues.
The 2009 Texas Rangers offense: sigh...
by Kinslerhomer on Jul 13, 2009 5:53 PM CDT up reply actions
His mechanics suck, BTW.
The 2009 Texas Rangers offense: sigh...
by Kinslerhomer on Jul 13, 2009 5:54 PM CDT up reply actions
There are differing opinions regarding his mechanics.
Goldstein likes it for example.
mechanics
ive seen him pitch and they dont look bad, he’s impressive thats for sure
"I'm against picketing, but I don't know how to show it." - Mitch Hedberg
His mechanics just look awkward to me.
Can’t really argue with the results though.
Davis' K rate
19% in OKC, compared to over 40% in MLB this year, 27.8% in MLB last year, 22.8% in OKC last year, and 21.8% in Frisco last year.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
Seriously?
Doing K rates on 31 PA?
"I saw a soldier try to dig a foxhole with his bare hands. He didn't notice that he'd torn off all his fingernails. I got him out of there quickly; not for his sake, but for ours. Fear is poison in combat...destructive, contagious." - Band of Brothers
Give me a break.
I am well aware it’s a small sample. I’m not saying call him up Friday.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
no he's right
differentiating on K rates after 31 PA is silly.
"I just want to comment on how it’s become like a common thing in the [MLB] for guys to fall in love with [the Rangers’s] sloppy seconds." (thanks cstorm)
No, fuck you both
I’m not some noob who needs to be schooled on small sample size. He went down there to work on not striking out, and I thought it was interesting. Not significant yet, just interesting. I didn’t make a fanpost about it and claim he’s fixed himself. It’s simply an encouraging data point, give me a fucking break.
G G G E-flat_______ F F F D__________....
by t ball on Jul 13, 2009 10:12 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
his last at bat was an out
i’m worried
"I just want to comment on how it’s become like a common thing in the [MLB] for guys to fall in love with [the Rangers’s] sloppy seconds." (thanks cstorm)
It's that disparity in MLB between last year and this that is incredibly provocative when it comes to the question of
Rudy’s approach. It’s well publicized there was some tinkering, primarily the thing about starting his swing earlier. But, now, there is this whole thing about hitting up the middle, which Rudy reportedly asked CD to do but that he didn’t do until Vizquel mentioned it, and CD then went on a tear, but then fell back down to earth.
It confusing, and maybe his K-rate in this instance is more about the types of pitches he’s seeing at AAA than any adjustment he’s made.
I don’t even know what to look for out of him. With Cruz, we all wanted to see the ability to lay off the breaking ball. With Davis, I don’t have a clue. I still think he has very little left to learn at AAA, though.
Wonderboy, what is the secret of your power? Wonderboy, won't you take me far away from the mucky-muck now. -- Tenacious D
Good News
It’s good to see that he can still hit. If he’s feeling good and is ready to come back up that’s gotta be a good sign.
OT: Is this old news?
Romo says GTFO!!!!
son-tony-romo-split/569096?icid=main|htmlws-main|dl2|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.popeater.com%2Fmusic%2Farticle%2Fjessica-simpson-tony-romo-split%2F569096
The I.Q. test has been abolished.
It is now the Gardner Scale.
http://www.popeater.com/music/article/jessica-simpson-tony-romo-split/569096?icid=main|htmlws-main|dl2|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.popeater.com%2Fmusic%2Farticle%2Fjessica-simpson-tony-romo-split%2F569096
The I.Q. test has been abolished.
It is now the Gardner Scale.
fail[x2]
"Anyone that isn't pro-choice never met you" ~Brian Thomas on Seth...
by ivysafety39 on Jul 13, 2009 4:33 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
x
It’s not old news. I found it funny that he broke it off the night before her birthday.
by GregoryM on Jul 13, 2009 4:36 PM CDT up reply actions
Probably did it cux she was havig a freaking BARBIE party!!!
Please tell me it was “Stripper Barbie” or something like that. She’s supposedly a grown-ass woman, and she’s having a BARBIE-themed party????
The Texas Rangers have been synonymous with explosive firepower ever since they emptied 130 rounds into Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow in 1934. - Alyssa Milano
On MLBN
sigh…DishN
The 2009 Texas Rangers offense: sigh...
by Kinslerhomer on Jul 13, 2009 4:54 PM CDT up reply actions
It isn't on ESPN this year?
"BIg whoop, wanna fight about it?"
by lost in space on Jul 13, 2009 4:58 PM CDT up reply actions
Not the BP
The 2009 Texas Rangers offense: sigh...
by Kinslerhomer on Jul 13, 2009 5:08 PM CDT up reply actions
the HR Derby
I don’t know if this has been asked, but what is the O/U on # of “Whoa Nellie!” references Chris Berman makes?
Go Rice Owls!
UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chris Berman. Just when I thought I’d get to enjoy the Derby.
"Thats all we got? One goddamned hit?" - Harry Doyle
"You cant say god damn on the radio."- Colorman
"Ehhh, who cares...nobody's listening!"- Harry Doyle
If Nelly hits a few balls out in a row
I guarantee you he uses “He’s in CRUZ CONTROL.”
by LiamP on Jul 13, 2009 6:01 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
A Cruz Missile reference wouldn't surprise me either
Ron Washington...giving hope everywhere to the kids who eat lead paint chips of being a big league manager when they grow up since 2007.
Not as many as his "back back back" calls...
God that is so fucking annoying. Maybe ok during a game or highlights, but honestly man, it’s a fucking home run derby. Most solidly hit balls out of the infield are going to be homers.
Ron Washington...giving hope everywhere to the kids who eat lead paint chips of being a big league manager when they grow up since 2007.
ESPN gives the Rangers # 5 in power rankings...in A.L.
not that they matter or anything but it’s kinda nice still.
The I.Q. test has been abolished.
It is now the Gardner Scale.
That was in the whole MLB.
The 2009 Texas Rangers offense: sigh...
by Kinslerhomer on Jul 13, 2009 6:58 PM CDT up reply actions
are you sure/
I looked briefly as I was walking by and I definately saw the Angels # 4, and the Red Sox and maybe the Yankees on the list..but I could be mistaken..
One of the ESPN commentators pics Nelly to win the derby.
The I.Q. test has been abolished.
It is now the Gardner Scale.
The Dodgers
were #1. And Kruk said the Phillies were the 2nd best team in the MLB. John Kruk needs to get hit by a truck.
I’m a white boy who doesn’t think a black man is good enough to manage my baseball team. - LSJ
"I really think that" - LSJ, on being asked by AirJordan
yeh I noticed the Rangers did not make Kruks list..
he’s so fat it would have to be an 18 wheeler to do any damage.
The I.Q. test has been abolished.
It is now the Gardner Scale.
Yes, I was kind of half watching that.
From what I heard Kruk said the Phills were the second best team in baseball behind the Red Sox, but he had the Dodgers #1, the Sawx #2 and the Phills #5. WTF? I would’ve rewound it and watched it again to make sure I heard that idiotic bag of stupid right, but then I realized that subjecting myself to more John Kruk was unacceptable under any circumstances. My brain rejected the idea.
Also I found Kruk’s statement that the ESPN.com people were insane for their ridiculous inclusion of the Rangers in the top 5 kind of funny.
I don’t think we’re top 5 team right now, actually, but I really doubt Kruk has any idea what kind of team we are. He probably thinks Michael Young is our best player and that we’re winning cause of our big bopper high-octane offense
The 40 Trumps All!!!
Everyone needs to drive a vehicle, even the very tall. This was the largest auto I could afford. Should I therefore be made the subject of fun?
by thedirkatron on Jul 13, 2009 7:09 PM CDT up reply actions
John. Kruk.
"We're One Nation Under a Groove"
- Ayjayem
by inactive lsb user on Jul 14, 2009 12:06 AM CDT up reply actions
Woooooo Go Nellie!!!!
when you actually come to bat that is :)
The I.Q. test has been abolished.
It is now the Gardner Scale.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Lone Star Ball
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Big League Stew - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
- College player makes impossible over the fence catch to save tournament game (Video)
- Security!: Camden Yards guard collides with Royals’ Mike Moustakas
- The Juice: Nelson Cruz matches career high eight RBIs, Pujols stays hot in Seattle
- Benches clear at Fenway as Red Sox-Rays rivalry heats up
- Keeping good company: Albert Pujols becomes fourth-youngest player to hit 450 home runs
