Carlos Santana on the doorstep of switch-hitter history
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This story was excerpted from Adam McCalvy’s Brewers Beat newsletter, with Tim Stebbins pinch-hitting. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
MILWAUKEE -- When Carlos Santana crushed a two-run home run off Aaron Nola on Saturday night, he padded the Brewers’ lead in an eventual win over the Phillies.
And the veteran slugger also got one step closer to etching his name into baseball’s record books.
That Statcast-projected 417-foot homer off Nola was the 297th of Santana’s career, putting him on the verge of becoming the 10th switch-hitter to hit 300 home runs.
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That list is full of great company, led by Hall of Famers Mickey Mantle (536), Eddie Murray (504) and Chipper Jones (468). Carlos Beltrán (435), Mark Teixeira (409), Lance Berkman (366), Chili Davis (350), Reggie Smith (314) and Rubén Sierra (306) round out the group.
Santana being on the doorstep of joining them is a testament to an impressive 14-year career.
“That’s a lot of homers,” Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich said. “You have to be around the league for a long time and be a pretty good player to be able to do that. Hitting from both sides of the plate is tough because you have to maintain two swings and be able to do that for a long time, too.
“Any time you hit one of those longevity milestones, or you hit the big round numbers as a player, it's pretty impressive. It's really hard to do, and he's obviously been a good player for a long time.”
Santana, whom Milwaukee acquired from the Pirates before the Trade Deadline, has hit 19 home runs this season, seven since joining the Brewers.
He has hit 221 in his career as a lefty, including Saturday’s, and 76 as a righty. His first career home run, on June 12, 2010, with Cleveland, obviously stands out among his most memorable.
Among others is Santana’s first career grand slam. It was a walk-off blast to give Cleveland a 9-5 win over Detroit on April 29, 2011.
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“That is one of my favorites, and I’ll never forget it,” Santana said.
With the Brewers pushing for the National League Central crown, Santana said his focus and biggest priority is helping Milwaukee win ballgames.
But of course, hitting No. 300 this time of year could make it a little sweeter.
“I'm blessed,” Santana said. “Thank you, God, every day for giving me the opportunity to be healthy and mentally positive. Trying to finish strong and help my team make the playoffs.”