Ryan Braun hit his
fortieth homerun on the season Sunday night against the Mets, one of two
impressive milestones the Brewers star outfielder managed during the game. Last
year’s MVP also joined just six other Brewers players, past-and-present, to
reach the career 200-homerun mark. Robin Yount, Geoff Jenkins, Cecil Cooper,
Gorman Thomas, and, most recently, Prince Fielder are the others to have
reached that number, though Braun set a new standard by slugging his
two-hundredth in 867 games, the fastest of any Brewer ever.
Ryan Howard holds the
title for the fastest currently active professional baseball player to reach
the 200-mark, hitting his record-setting long-ball in just 658 games. Braun,
meanwhile, is just four names behind Howard in the list, placing fifth only to him,
Albert Pujols, Adam Dunn, and Alex Rodriguez.
Braun Working Towards Brewers Record
At twenty-eight
years-young, Braun is on pace to overtake Yount for most career homeruns in
franchise history. The now retired Hall of Famer hit another fifty whoppers
after reaching 200, setting down the bat at an impressive 250. Currently tied
for sixth, and likely to be much beyond that by the end of October, Braun
should snap the long-standing number within a couple of years.
Braun’s teammates and
manager praised the outfielder for his accomplishments, though they were
careful to mention his other exploits as well. Third-basemen Aramis Ramirez
called Braun the best player he has ever been on the field with, while manager
Ron Roenicke said that his contributions for the team go far-and-beyond his
time at bat. The second year manager told reporters that Braun had the entire
package, able to hit, run, and play outstanding defense. Roenicke said that he
expects great things for the youngster, especially since he is guaranteed to be
in Milwaukee through the next decade.
Braun himself remained
humble about the feat, acknowledging that it is much better to appreciate the
accomplishment when it comes along with a win for his team, and when it brings
them another game closer to a wild card spot in the post-season.
