CHICAGO -- During Game 1 of Thursday’s doubleheader against the White Sox at Rate Field, Nolan Arenado slugged a ball 358 feet to left field in the first inning. It was almost a milestone home run.
“Oh I hammered that ball,” Arenado said. “Couldn’t believe it didn’t go out.”
Eleven innings and one game later, Arenado hit a ball to nearly the exact same spot. This time, he put enough on it to get the ball over the wall and cement the history he barely missed earlier in the day.
With his third-inning homer in the twin-bill nightcap, Arenado collected the 350th home run of his decorated career. The blast put him on a handful of elite lists, filled with names of players either enshrined in Cooperstown or currently on a path heading that way. He also added a go-ahead RBI single in the 10th as the Cards swept the doubleheader with an 8-6 win. They won the first game, 5-4.
“If you watch this guy day in and day out,” manager Oliver Marmol said, “how he works, how he goes about it, his preparation, how he handles failure, how he just continues to plow through. It’s hard to do what he does on the daily and play for as long as he has and put up the numbers that he has on both sides of the baseball. He wants to be a complete player, and to do what he did today is pretty damn special.”
One look at the company Arenado joined with Thursday's homer certainly confirms as much.
The Cardinals veteran became just the sixth active player to reach 350 homers, joining Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton, Angels superstar Mike Trout, former Cardinals teammate Paul Goldschmidt, Padres star Manny Machado and reigning World Series MVP Freddie Freeman.
But it’s the work that Arenado has put up on defense that made homer No. 350 even more prestigious.
Entering Thursday, only six MLB players had hit at least 350 home runs while also earning at least 10 Gold Gloves -- Johnny Bench, Mike Schmidt, Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr., Andruw Jones and Al Kaline. Of those six, five are in the Hall of Fame.
“Yeah, they don’t hand those out,” Marmol said. “You’ve got to earn them. That’s a special list, and he’s earned every bit of it.”
As Arenado rounded the bases, he thought of former teammate Albert Pujols, believing his own feat didn't meet the same level of grandeur as the Cardinals legend’s 700th homer. It wasn’t until after the game, when Arenado was told how rare it is to achieve what he has in his career, that the moment truly set in.
“It’s a great accomplishment,” Arenado said. “It makes it very special. The names you hear, it’s pretty crazy. I’m thankful I’ve been healthy enough to do it. It hasn’t hit me quite yet, maybe because I’m tired and I’m excited to go home. But I’m just thankful.”
Arenado’s blast completed a second-inning flurry that wiped out Chicago’s early 1-0 lead. After Alec Burleson launched his second homer of the series, a three-run blast to left, Arenado followed three pitches later by joining Pujols, Stan Musial, Jim Edmonds and Goldschmidt as the fifth big leaguer to hit career home run No. 250, No. 300 and No. 350 in a Cardinals uniform.
He’s also just one of three players to notch their 350th homer while visiting the White Sox, along with Torii Hunter (Sept. 13, 2015, at U.S. Cellular Field) and Mickey Mantle (July 13, 1961, at Comiskey Park).
The triumphant day comes in a year which Arenado admits didn’t get off to the best start. Just one month ago, the 13-year vet was openly wondering if his power had left him for good. Now, he’s hearing his name mentioned alongside some of the best players in big league history.
“This year hasn’t gone the way I would like thus far, but I feel like it’s turning,” Arenado said. “I’m having really good at-bats, it’s a lot better than what it was. If I continue to hit the ball hard, I think good things happen.”
He received more proof of that on Thursday, when he added another highlight to a career that may one day earn him a plaque of his own alongside the elite company he joined.