Fielder reaches 50 HRs, but wants 2 more in quest to top father

Don’t get him wrong. Prince Fielder is plenty pleased with becoming the youngest player to hit 50 homers in a season.\nBut he really wants to hit 52 – especially if it helps Milwaukee reach the playoffs.\nFielder connected twice Tuesday night to help the Brewers beat St. Louis 9-1, bringing Milwaukee within two games of the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central. It also allowed the typically jovial slugger to surpass Willie Mays as the youngest to reach that single-season milestone.\nBut Fielder was serious when he talked about hitting two more. His estranged father, former major leaguer Cecil Fielder, hit 51 home runs with Detroit in 1990 – and surpassing that total would be especially sweet.\n“That’s why I’m so passionate about playing,” the younger Fielder said. “Hopefully one day, whenever they mention my name, they won’t have to mention his.”\nFielder hit a two-run homer to right field in the first inning and a two-run shot to left in the seventh, giving him 50 at 23 years, 139 days old. Mays was 24 years, 137 days old when he hit his 50th in 1955, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.\n“It was a great thrill,” said Brewers manager Ned Yost, who this week was given a vote of confidence by team owner Mark Attanasio. “I told the boys, ‘We’re watching a little history here. Remember it.’”\nFielder’s feats overshadowed the fact that Milwaukee drew ever closer to the Cubs, who were hamstrung by Dontrelle Willis and lost 4-2 at Florida.\n“We’re in the middle of a pennant race right now, and that’s all I care about,” Yost said.\nPrince Fielder is guarded about the reasons behind the split with his father. According to a 2004 story by The Detroit News, Cecil Fielder frittered away his baseball earnings through gambling and bad business decisions.\nCecil has been more outspoken. At a Toronto Blue Jays alumni event in June, he said his son should show him more respect.\n“I just don’t think my son knows how to let it go,” Cecil Fielder said. “I don’t think he’s grown up yet. Until he can move on and talk to me like he’s my son, we don’t need to talk.”\nFielder said he wasn’t offended by any one particular comment from his father, but made it clear that he has been paying attention to what he says in public.\n“You’ve got to look at who’s saying it,” Prince Fielder said. “Let’s be honest, he’s not really the brightest guy.”\nNevertheless, the Fielders became the first father-son tandem to reach the 50-homer mark.\n“It’s just an awesome feat,” Prince Fielder said of No. 50. “Now my kids can know at one time, their dad was pretty good.”\nBraden Looper (12-12) served up Fielder’s first home run and gave up homers to Bill Hall and Rickie Weeks.\nMilwaukee starter Jeff Suppan (11-12) worked eight innings to beat his former team for the third time this year, scattering nine hits and three walks but allowing just one run.