Albert Pujols

Albert Pujols, born January 16, 1980, was born in the Dominican Republic. His family immigrated to the United States in the early 1990’s, settling down in Independence, MO. Albert attended Fort Osage High School where his new passion for baseball was paired with unbelievable talent. The Kansas City area quickly knew the name Albert Pujols and feared Albert’s power and strength with a bat. Albert moved onto Maple Woods Community College in 1998. In his only season, Pujols bat .461 on the year. He also managed to turn an unassisted triple play as well as a grand slam in his first game of the season.

The St. Louis Cardinals drafted Pujols in the 13th round of the 1999 draft. Pujols turned down the initial offer of $10,000 and by the end of the summer, the Cardinals increased their offer to $70,000 and he accepted. In Single-A, Albert was voted league MVP and quickly moved up the St. Louis farm clubs. In his first season in the Minor Leagues, Albert was named the Cardinals Minor League Player of the Year. He was given three awards by Baseball America, one that included Midwest League’s best batting prospect. He was selected to the Midwest League All-Star team. He was promoted to Class-A Potomac in August and then made the unusual jump to Triple-A Memphis Redbirds, where he arrived in the nick of time. Albert bat .302 in 11 postseason games and was named MVP of the PCL playoffs. After putting on a stellar rookie year, BBWAA named Albert the NL Rookie of the Year unanimously. He set rookie records for homeruns, doubles, RBI’s and set NL rookie marks for extra base hits and total bases. Albert also became the first Redbird to lead the club in batting, homers, RBI and runs scored, a feat that hadn’t been done in 40 years.

On opening day, Albert made his first major league start against the Colorado Rockies. Albert finished on the season with 37 homers and 130 RBI and set the rookie record for NL total bases (353) and runs scored (112). Albert became the first Cardinals rookie to make the NL All star team since 1955. After a phenomenal first season in the big leagues, Albert followed it up in the 2002 season leading almost every offensive category in the MLB. Albert finished 2nd in the NL for MVP and 4th in the NL MVP race in 2001 becoming the first Cardinal since Stan Musial to finish in the top 4 MVP race back-to-back years. Albert finished the season batting .314, 34 homeruns, and 127 RBI.

In the 2003 season, Albert accrued many postseason awards and honors. His awards included, Players’ Choice Major League Player of the Year, National League’s Outstanding Payer, Sporting News’ Major League Player of the Year, Hank Aaron Award for Best Hitter and Silver Slugger Award. He was once again selected to the NL All-Star team. Albert was also the youngest NL batting champion since 1962 and the first Cardinal to win since 1971 and 2nd player in Cardinal history to record 40 home runs and 200 hits in the same season. If there was any doubt that Albert would slow down, it was erased after he continued to shine offensively.

Albert became the Cardinals full-time 1st baseman in 2004. Once again, Albert finished 3rd in the NL MVP balloting and won another Silver Slugger Award. He finished ranked first in National League in total bases and runs and third in RBI. He also hit a career high 46 home runs and had a career high 84 walks. In the NLCS, Albert hit four homers, nine RBI and 10 runs scored to capture the MVP of the series. In 2005, Albert won the National League MVP becoming the 15th Cardinal to win since 1985. To no ones surprise, Albert was awarded Baseball America’s Major League Player of the Year and the Oscar Charleston Award by the Negro Leagues Museum.

In 2006, Albert’s individual achievements would bolster the St. Louis Cardinals. He bat .331 and hit career highs in home runs (49) RBI (137) and slugging percentage (.671). This was his 6th consecutive 100+ RBI season and made him the 2nd Cardinal to do so. He also set various records during the 2006 season including, fastest to reach 2,000 total bases and second fastest to 1,000 career hits. Albert was selected to his 5th All-Star team. Albert was given his first Gold Glove but came home with even better hardware, a 2006 World Series championship trophy. Albert led the Cardinals in the postseason with three homeruns and 11 runs.

In 2007, Albert would record another huge milestone. Albert became the first player in MLB history to start his career with eight seasons of at least 30 HR, 100 RBIs, a .300 BA, and 99 runs. Albert was once again selected to the NL All-Star Team and won the Fielding Bible Award for defensive excellence.

In 2008, Pujols had an outstanding season marked by awards, honors, and setting career highs in walks (104) and OBP (.462). He was selected as the Players Choice National League Outstanding Player of the Year, and Players Choice Player of the Year. Pujols was also named The Sporting News Player of the Year for the second time in his career. Albert won his 4th Silver Slugger Award, and most importantly, N.L MVP for his second time. On top of the on-field achievements, Albert was named the 2008 winner of the Roberto Clemente Award for the player who best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement, and the individual’s contribution to his team.

By 2009, Albert Pujols had become a household name. The 2009 All-Star game took place in St. Louis at Busch Stadium, where Albert was the ceremonial host. Albert competed in the Homerun Derby, started at 1st base for the NL All-Star team, and caught President Obama’s “first pitch” before the game. Albert recorded his ninth consecutive season of reaching 100 or more RBI and 30 or more homeruns, and the fifth time he has hit 40+ homers, bringing home his first home run title. On top of winning the National League MVP for the third time in his career, Albert also was awarded the Hank Aaron Award, selected to his 8th All Star team, won his 5th Silver Slugger, while leading the National League in OBP (.443), slugging percentage (.658), runs scored (124), homeruns (47) and extra base hits (93). Sporting News named Albert Major League Baseball Player of the Decade.

Half way through the 2010 season, Albert was once again selected to the N.L All-Star team, hitting 21 homeruns and 64 RBI and 9 stolen bases. Off the field, Albert is just as committed and dedicated. He is a strong religious family man who abstains from alcohol and gives back to his community. He has his own foundation, Pujols Family Foundation, whose mission is to help those living with Down syndrome here at home and to improve the lives of the impoverished in the Dominican Republic. Albert married Deidre in 2000 and the two have four children. Albert’s success on and off the field is due to his commitment to God, his family and his passion for baseball.

Career Achievements

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