RetroSimba

(Updated May 7, 2019)

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 against 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 one home run (the night before, at Philadelphia, against 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 lined a 1-and-0 fastball over the 400-foot mark in right-center field for a walkoff home run, giving the Cardinals a 4-3 win. His second homer of the season was No. 400 in his career. Boxscore

After the ball cleared the wall, it caromed back onto the field. Center fielder George Altman, unaware of the historic significance of the home run, retrieved the ball and tossed it back among the fans, the Chicago Tribune reported. “We wanted to send that one to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown,” said Cardinals publicist Jim Toomey.

No. 400 put Musial sixth all-time in career home runs. The top five at the time were Babe Ruth (714), Jimmie Foxx (534), Mel Ott (511), Lou Gehrig (493) and Ted Williams (482).

“I’ll remember this one,” Musial said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch