Albert Pujols was once an obscure 13th-round draft pick out of Maple Woods Community College in Kansas City who almost didn't sign a professional contract. Now he's the 32nd member of the 3,000-hit club and just the fourth player in that group to get there while also slugging 600 home runs.
After lining out in his first at-bat and walking in his second plate appearance Friday night at Seattle's Safeco Field, Pujols singled to right field with two outs in the fifth inning off Mariners starter Mike Leake.
Pujols joins Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Alex Rodriguez in the 3,000/600 club, further solidifying his reputation as one of the best hitters of all time.