RetroSimba

(Updated Oct. 20, 2016)

Stan Musial and Albert Pujols are the only players to hit 400 home runs as Cardinals.

Musial hit 475 home runs in 22 seasons (1941-1944 and 1946-1963) with the Cardinals. Pujols hit 445 home runs in 11 seasons (2001-2011) with St. Louis.

Pujols was 30 when he hit his 400th home run on Aug. 26, 2010 _ a solo shot off Jordan Zimmerman of the Nationals at Washington.

Musial was 38 when he slugged No. 400 _ and he did it in dramatic fashion.

On May 7, 1959, at St. Louis, the Cubs and Cardinals were deadlocked, 3-3, heading into the bottom of the ninth inning.

Don Elston, a veteran right-hander, was beginning his second inning in relief of Cubs starter Moe Drabowsky. Leading off the ninth for St. Louis was Musial.

Musial had gotten off to a slow start that season. His batting average was .268 and he had hit just one home run (the night before, at Philadelphia, off Ray Semproch).

Elston was a hard thrower and one of the best relievers in the National League (He would be named to the All-Star team in 1959.) But Musial was ready. He blasted a walk-off homer to deep right-center field, giving the Cardinals a 4-3 win. His second homer of the season was No. 400 in his career. Boxscore

The game-winner was one of the highlights for Musial in 1959. He experienced the poorest season of his outstanding career, hitting .255 with 14 homers and 44 RBI for a team that finished 71-83.

In August 1959, The Sporting News reported Musial would be traded to the Yankees for catcher Yogi Berra. Blog

Fotunately, it didn’t happen.