Albert Pujols

[Sweet Lu]

José Alberto Pujols Alcántara (born January 16, 1980), better known as Albert Pujols (Spanish pronunciation: [puˈxols]), is a Dominican professional baseball player with the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball. Currently a first baseman, Pujols is considered one of the top players in Major League Baseball[1][2] and the most feared hitter in baseball, according to a poll of all 30 MLB managers in 2008.[3] He won the National League Rookie of the Year award in 2001 and has since been selected as an All-Star nine times, has won the National League Most Valuable Player Award three times, has twice won the National League Hank Aaron Award, and has a World Series ring from the Cardinals 2006 title.

At the end of the 2010 season, he led all active players in batting average (.331),[4] slugging percentage (.624),[5] and on-base percentage (.426), and ranks among the Top 40 leading home run hitters in Major League Baseball history.[6] He was selected by ESPN.com as the greatest player of the decade from 2000–2009.[7] He stands 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m), weighs 230 pounds (100 kg), bats and throws right-handed.[8]

Born on January 16, 1980, Pujols was raised in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic by his grandmother. Pujols and his family immigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic in 1996, first to New York City. In the U.S., Pujols displayed his hitting skill by batting over .500 in his first season at Fort Osage High School in Independence, Missouri, twice earning all-state honors. Pujols graduated from high school in December 1998. He attended Maple Woods Community College in the Kansas City area in spring of 1999. In his only college season, Pujols hit a grand slam and turned an unassisted triple play in his first game.[9] He batted .461 for the year.

Professional baseball careerMinor leaguesFew major league teams were very interested in Pujols out of high school, but he was finally drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 13th round of the 1999 MLB Draft, with the 402nd overall pick.[10] However, Pujols initially turned down a US $10,000 bonus and opted to play in the Jayhawk League in Kansas instead. The Cardinals increased their bonus offer to $60,000,[11] Pujols signed, and was assigned to the minor leagues.

In 2000, Pujols played for the Peoria Chiefs of the single-A Midwest League, where he was voted league MVP. Pujols quickly progressed through the ranks of the St. Louis farm clubs, first at the Potomac Cannons in the high-A Carolina League and then with the Memphis Redbirds in the Class AAA Pacific Coast League.

Major league career2001–2004During the 2001 season, the team was preparing for Pujols to be sent to Memphis-AAA. However, Pujols' outstanding play, combined with injuries on the big league roster allowed Pujols the opportunity to begin the season in the majors.[12] Pujols started his major league career playing third base. During his rookie season, he started at 4 different positions (1B, 3B, LF, and RF).

In May, he was named National League Rookie of the Month and was named to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. In the second half of the season, Pujols had a on-base streak of 48 consecutive games from July 28 to September 22. Pujols' successful rookie season helped the Cardinals tie for the National League Central Division title. In 2001, Pujols batted .329 with 37 home runs and 130 RBI, and was unanimously named the National League Rookie of the Year.[13] His 37 home runs were one short of the National League rookie record of 38 and his 130 RBI set an NL rookie record.

In 2002, Pujols was moved to left field to accommodate Scott Rolen and hit .314 with 34 homers and 127 RBI that year.

Following an injury scare in 2003, Pujols was moved to first base and had one of the best offensive seasons in Cardinals history, batting .359 with 43 home runs, and 124 RBIs. He won the NL batting title while also leading the league in runs, hits, doubles, extra base hits, and total bases. Pujols joined Rogers Hornsby as the only players in Cardinals' history to record 40+ homers and 200+ hits in the same season and had a 30-game hitting streak in 2003.

In 2004, Pujols signed a seven-year, $100 million contract extension with a $16 million club option for 2011 with no-trade provisions.

Throughout the year, Pujols was plagued by plantar fasciitis, but still hit .331 with 46 home runs and 123 RBIs. Pujols, along with teammates Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen, earned the nickname 'MV3' for their phenomenal season. He was named the MVP of the 2004 NLCS, helping his team reach the World Series,[14] where they would be swept by the Boston Red Sox in four games.

2005–2006In 2005 season Pujols established career highs in walks and stolen bases, while leading his team in almost every offensive category. He finished batting .330 with 41 home runs (including his 200th career homer), 117 RBIs, 97 walks, and 16 stolen bases and won the 2005 National League MVP award.[15]

Pujols wearing the 1982 St. Louis Cardinals retro jersey on June 18, 2005 at Tropicana Field.In the NLCS the Cardinals were eliminated in six games by the Houston Astros. With the Cardinals trailing by 2 runs and only one out from elimination Pujols hit a game-winning three-run home run that landed on the train tracks in the back of Minute Maid Park.[16]

Early in the 2006 season, Pujols became the 35th player to hit home runs in four consecutive at-bats, and the 20th batter to hit four home runs in four consecutive plate appearances. He set the record for the most home runs hit in April of the season, at 14—and became the fastest player in major league history to reach 19 home runs in a season. On April 16 of that year, he hit three home runs in a game against the Cincinnati Reds at Busch Stadium, the last one a walk-off home run that gave the Cardinals an 8–7 victory.[17] In June he was placed on the disabled list for the first time in his career, missing 15 games. He started at first base for the NL All-Star team and finished the season with a .331 batting average, establishing new career-highs in slugging percentage (in which he led the majors), 49 home runs (second) and 137 RBIs (second). Of his 49 home runs, 20 accounted for a game-winning RBI, breaking Willie Mays' single-season record set in 1962.[18][19]

On April 10, 2006, Pujols hit the first Cardinals home run at new Busch Stadium, a solo shot in the third inning off Tomo Ohka.[20]

Pujols at the 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star GameAfter appearing in the playoffs with the Cardinals in four out of five years, Pujols won his first World Series when the Cardinals defeated the Detroit Tigers in the 2006 World Series.[21]

After having shared the lead for errors at his position in 2005, Pujols' defensive improvements earned him his first Gold Glove award in 2006. He had the highest range factor among first basemen in his two full seasons at the position, and led the National League in that category; emblematic was a sprawling, flip-from-his-back play to save a hit in Game 5 of the World Series.[21]

2007–2008Pujols had a slower start in the spring of 2007 than in previous years due to several injuries in his right elbow. Following the All-Star break, he hit four home runs in his first three games back.

He hit his 25th home run on August 15, making him the fifth player to hit 25 home runs in his first seven seasons in the major leagues, and the first since Darryl Strawberry. On August 22, he hit his 30th home run of the season, becoming the first major league player to hit at least 30 home runs in each of his first 7 seasons. It was his fifth consecutive game with a home run, tying the Cardinals' single-season record.

Pujols notched his 100th RBI for the seventh consecutive year, to be only the third player to accomplish that from the start of his career.

Pujols won the Fielding Bible Award for defensive excellence at first base in 2007.[22]

In June Pujols went on the 15-day disabled list for only the second time in his career. Pujols won his seventh career NL Player of the Week award for Aug. 18–24.[23] He got his 1,500th career hit on August 30, against the Houston Astros.[24] His 30th home run on September 1, and his 100th RBI on September 11, made him 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.

In 2008, he also led the NL in three lesser-known sabermetric categories: VORP (98.6), runs created (160), and OPS+ (190).

On October 13, Pujols elected to have surgery on his troubled right elbow, "a procedure that included decompression and transposition of the ulnar nerve" but not the more invasive Tommy John surgery to relieve persistent pain.[25]

Pujols won a number of awards for 2008, including the Players Choice National League Outstanding Player of the Year,[26] and Players Choice Player of the Year[27][28] (his second Player of the Year Award, having also won in 2003; he joined Alex Rodriguez and Barry Bonds as two-time winners). Pujols was also named The Sporting News Player of the Year for the second time in his career.[29] On October 25, Pujols 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.[30]

Pujols won the Fielding Bible Award for defensive excellence at first base for the third consecutive year.[31] For the third time in four years, Pujols was named NL Most Valuable Player in the annual Internet Baseball Awards,[32] a poll conducted by Baseball Prospectus. Pujols also won his fourth Silver Slugger award, having previously won one at 3B in 2001, OF in 2003, and 1B in 2004.[33]

After the season Pujols won his second NL MVP Award.[34] The MVP award continues his streak of finishing in the top nine in the BBWAA voting every year of the first 8 years of his career.[35] He ended the year by winning TYIB's 'Hitter of the Year' Award.[36]

2009

Pujols participating in the 2009 Home Run DerbyPujols declined to play in the World Baseball Classic for his native Dominican Republic, because of insurance issues relating to his off-season right elbow surgery in October 2008.[37]

In May he hit an upper-deck HR off the "Big Mac Land" sign in left field, causing the "I" in "Big" to be knocked out.[38]

Pujols was the leading vote-getter for the 2009 MLB All-Star Game, receiving the highest number of votes in NL history thus far.[39][40] For the All-Star Game, which took place at his home ballpark of Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Pujols participated in the Home Run Derby and caught President Barack Obama's ceremonial first pitch before the All-Star Game.

The 2009 season marked the ninth consecutive season since the start of his career that he has reached 100 or more RBI and 30 or more doubles, and the fifth time he has hit 40+ home runs and won his first home run title. In 2009 Pujols also played his 1,000th game at first base[35] and also hit his 40th double of the season, making him the second player in major league history to hit 40 doubles and 40 home runs in three separate seasons (2003, 2004, 2009), joining Lou Gehrig and was a league leader in a variety of offensive categories.

Later that year he was awarded the Sporting News "MLB Player of the Decade".[41][42] Following the season, Pujols won the Sporting News "MLB Player of the Year" award for the second consecutive year, and his third (2003) overall. He is just the third player in the history of the award to win in consecutive seasons. Boston Red Sox outfielder Ted Williams won the award in 1941–1942, and Cincinnati Reds second baseman Joe Morgan did so in 1975–76.[43] In December, Sports Illustrated selected him as Player of the Decade and also as one of the Top 20 Male Athletes of the Decade.[citation needed]

Pujols was also named the NL MVP for the third time, tying Stan Musial as the St. Louis Cardinals' leader in that category.[44]

He had surgery to remove five bone spurs from his right elbow.[45][46]

2010Pujols homered twice on Opening Day (April 5) and later surpassed Eddie Mathews' old record (370 in 1952–1961) for most home runs in his first 10 years.[47]

He became the 161st player to hit 400 doubles in his career on May 20, 2010. On May 30, he had his 36th career multihomer game at Wrigley Field hitting 3 home runs. Later in June he had his 37th career multihomer game at Busch Stadium tying Stan Musial's franchise record by a Cardinals' player.[48]

On August 15, Pujols hit his 30th home run of the season extending his own major league record of most consecutive 30 home run seasons (10) to begin a career starting with his rookie year.[49] On August 26, he became the 47th player to hit his 400th career home run, and the first in major league history to do it in his first 10 seasons.[50] It was against the Washington Nationals in the fourth inning at their ballpark against Jordan Zimmermann. In the same game later, he hit his 30th double (#417 career) of the season, extending his consecutive years of 30+ doubles in a season to all 10 of his playing years. Pujols is the third-youngest player in Major League history to reach the milestone, at 30 years, seven months and 10 days (30,222 days). Only Ken Griffey Jr. (30,140 days) and Alex Rodriguez (29,316 days) hit 400 at an earlier age. Only four players in the history of the game reached their 400th homer in fewer at-bats than Pujols, who got there in career at-bat No. 5,617: Mark McGwire (4,726), Babe Ruth (4,853), Harmon Killebrew (5,300), and Jim Thome (5,416).[51][52]

He won the NL Player of the Month Award in August for the sixth time, more than any active NL player, hitting .379 (2nd) with 11 home runs (1st), 23 RBIs (T5th), .777 slugging (1st), and .453 on-base percentage (2nd).[50]

On September 11, Pujols reached 100 RBIs for the 10th consecutive year and drove in all three runs in the game, giving him 102 for the season. Only Al Simmons has a longer streak at the beginning of a career, 11 years (1924–1934). Pujols joins Jimmie Foxx, Lou Gehrig, and Alex Rodriguez in having 10 consecutive seasons of 100+ RBIs at any time in their career. Only two players besides Pujols have 10 consecutive years of 30 HRs and 100 RBIs at any time in their careers: Foxx and Rodriguez.[53]

On September 12, he passed Stan Musial to be the all-time Cardinals' leader in multi-HR games when he hit two home runs (38 and 39) for the 38th time in a game. It was the fifth time this year he has hit two home runs in a game.[54]

On September 23, he reached 40 home runs for the sixth time in his career at Pittsburgh, hitting two at PNC Park giving him an NL-leading 41 for the season, 112 RBIs, and extending his own record there to 26 home runs, which is also the most for him at any road ballpark. Only six other players have more than six 40-HR seasons. He also added to his Cardinals' franchise record of 39 career multi-HR games.[55] At season's end, Pujols became the second player in the last sixty years (the first was Hank Aaron), to lead the National League in runs, home runs, and runs batted in, and not be named Most Valuable Player.[56]

He won his second Gold Glove Award, his first since 2006.[57] He won the NL First Base Silver Slugger Award and finished second in the NL MVP race to Joey Votto.[58]

2011Pujols and the Cardinals set a deadline for the start of Spring Training for contract extension negotiations.[59] Negotiations were suspended without an agreement.[60]

He began the season hitting .245 with a .305 OBP, and .453 SLG through April. He did hit 7 home runs and 18 RBIs, but also had a league-leading 9 grounded into double plays.

On June 4, he recorded his 41st career multi-HR game.[61][62] On June 4 and 5, he had consecutive walk-off home runs in extra-innings, becoming only the third player to do that since 1950. They also were his 6th and 7th extra-inning walk-off home runs [9th and 10th total] in his career, ranking #2 behind Frank Robinson and Jim Thome who have eight, since 1950, tying Mickey Mantle.[63] After the game on June 5, manager Tony La Russa reported his autographing a picture of himself with Pujols after the 2001 playoff season ended (Pujols' first season in the majors), inscribing it, "To Albert, The best player I've ever managed."[64]

For the week of May 30-June 5, he was named NL Player of the Week for the first time since June 15–21 2009, hitting .444 (12-for-27), with five HR's, 10 RBIs, and a 1.620 OPS. His 12 hits and five walks led the NL, while his 1.074 slugging percentage, 29 total bases, and 11 runs scored led the major leagues.[65]

On June 19, against the Royals, both Wilson Betemit and Pete Kozma collided with Pujols, causing a small fracture in the left wrist-forearm. He was activated from the disabled list on July 5, after the minimum 15-days.[66]

On July 30, at Busch Stadium in the eighth inning against the Cubs, he got his 2,000th career hit, a double down the left-field line. It was in his 1,650th game, becoming the fifth Cardinal player to get 2,000 hits, joining Stan Musial (3,630), Lou Brock (2,713), Rogers Hornsby (2,110), and Enos Slaughter (2,064). He is the 12th quickest player by games to get to 2,000.[67]

On August 14, facing the Rockies, he hit the longest home run at Busch Stadium, estimated to be about 465 feet.[68]

Personal life

Pujols at Glenn Beck's "Restoring Honor" rallyPujols married his wife, Deidre, on January 1, 2000. They have four children, Isabella (Deidre's daughter, from a previous relationship), Albert Jr., Sophia, and Ezra.[69] Albert and his wife are active in the cause of people with Down syndrome, as Isabella was born with this condition.[70] He has taken part-ownership in Patrick's Restaurant in Maryland Heights, Missouri. The remodeled restaurant was re-opened as Pujols 5 in 2006.[71]

Pujols is close friends with third baseman Plácido Polanco, a former teammate with the St. Louis Cardinals. Pujols is godfather to Polanco's 3-year-old son, Ismael.[72]

In 2007 Pujols became a U.S. citizen,[73] scoring a perfect 100 on his citizenship test.[74] Later that year Upper Deck Authenticated announced it had signed Pujols to an exclusive autographed memorabilia agreement.

In 2008, Pujols agreed to help bring a MLS franchise to St. Louis by using his reputation and a large financial investment.[75]

Pujols and his wife are devout and active Christians;[76] one of his writings on his family's foundation's website states, "In the Pujols family, God is first. Everything else is a distant second".[77] He writes, "My life's goal is to bring glory to Jesus. My life is not mostly dedicated to the Lord, it is 100% committed to Jesus Christ and His will. God has given me the ability to succeed in the game of baseball. But baseball is not the end; baseball is the means by which my wife, Dee Dee, and I glorify God. Baseball is simply my platform to elevate Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior."[78] Pujols attends a Baptist church.[79]

Pujols and Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa attended Glenn Beck's Restoring Honor rally in Washington, D.C., after being assured by Beck that the rally was not political.[80][81] During the rally, Pujols was presented with a "Badge of Merit" for "Hope."[82]

Pujols Family FoundationIn 2005, Albert and Deidre Pujols launched the Pujols Family Foundation, a 501©(3) non-profit which is dedicated to their "commitment to faith, family and others."[83] The organization promotes awareness of Down syndrome and works to support those who have it and their families, aids the poor in the Dominican Republic, and supports people with disabilities and/or life threatening illnesses.[83] Among other activities, the foundation hosts events for people with Down syndrome.[70] The foundation gave the Down Syndrome Association of Greater St. Louis the resources to open and office and hire staff.[70] A center for adults with Down syndrome bears Pujols' name ("Albert Pujols Wellness Center for Adults with Down Syndrome") opened in 2009 in Chesterfield, Missouri;[84] he was present at the opening on November 18.[85][86]

Pujols has taken several trips to the Dominican Republic, by taking supplies as well as a team of doctors and dentists to the poor who need medical care. The Pujols Family Foundation also holds an annual golf tournament to raise money to send dentists to the Dominican Republic.[87]

AccomplishmentsBy the end of the 2009 season, Pujols ranked in the top 15 players in major league history in four statistical categories: on-base percentage (twelfth), slugging percentage (fourth), on-base plus slugging (OPS; fourth), and adjusted OPS (tied for sixth). He also ranks in the top 500 players in major league history in a variety of statistical categories (see below), and is a three-time MVP.

From 2001 to 2005, Pujols hit 201 home runs, second all-time for the most hit in a player's first five seasons. By 2009, he had reached the 350-homer plateau at the age of 29—the third-youngest to do so—and surpassed Ralph Kiner's record for most home runs in his first nine seasons. In doing so, Pujols became the first player to hit 30 or more home runs in the first nine seasons of his career (extended it to 10 in 2010), as well the second player to have 100 or more RBIs in the same timespan.

Pujols holds the Cardinals' franchise record for most career grand slams; he broke the record of nine previously held by Stan Musial.[88] Musial and Pujols are also two of only four players in history to have a career batting average above .330 and less than 500 strikeouts at the time of their 300th home runs (the other two being Musial's contemporaries Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio).

In his first 5,000 career at bats, Pujols hit 372 doubles, 358 home runs, and 14 triples for a total of 744 extra-base hits, the most in NL history,[89] and is the second player in Major League Baseball to post nine consecutive seasons with 30 doubles, a .300 batting average, 30 home runs, and 100 runs batted in or better (Lou Gehrig). He has scored 100 or more runs in nine of his ten seasons. (He scored 99 runs in the only season when he did not score 100 runs). He currently has eight career walk-off home runs.[90] His 1,230 RBI is second all-time among Cardinal players, only Stan Musial (1,951) has more.[91]

In the field, Pujols has set the Cardinals' franchise record for the most assists by a first baseman in a single game (seven). In 2009, he also set the National League record for assists by a first baseman in a season (182), and in the last game of the 2009 season, he broke Bill Buckner's 1985 major league mark of 184 with his 185th assist. Keith Hernandez held the previous Cardinals' record with 146 assists in 1979, and Mark Grace held the previous NL record with 181 in 1990.[92][93]

Pujols said he does not play solely for the numbers. "I don't play for numbers. I play first of all to glorify God and to accomplish in this game what everybody wants to accomplish, which is getting to the World Series and coming up with a win at the end. Those are the things that I really try to focus on and try to make sure that I do every day for the rest of my career."[94]

[Sweet Lu]

Awards and honorsAward / Honor Time(s) Date(s)

NL All-Star 9 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

NL Player of the Month 6 May 2003, June 2003, April 2006, April 2009, June 2009, August 2010

NL Silver Slugger 6[95][96] 2001 (3B), 2003 (OF), 2004 (1B), 2008 (1B), 2009 (1B), 2010 (1B)

Fielding Bible Award 4[97] 2006 (1B), 2007 (1B), 2008 (1B), 2009 (1B)

TSN Player of the Year 3[43] 2003, 2008, 2009

MLB Player of the Year Award (Players Choice Award) 3 2003, 2008, 2009[98][99]

NL Outstanding Player (Players Choice Award) 3[100] 2003, 2008, 2009

ESPY Awards Best MLB Player 4[101] 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010

NL Most Valuable Player 3[44] 2005, 2008, 2009

NL Home run champion 2 2009, 2010

Baseball Digest Player of the Year 2 2005, 2008

NL Gold Glove Award 2[57] 2006, 2010 (1B)

Hank Aaron Award 2 2003, 2009[102]

World Series champion 1 2006

TSN Player of the Decade 1 2009

Sports Illustrated Player of the Decade 1 2009

Rookie of the Year 1 2001

Hitter of the Year (This Year in Baseball Awards) 2[36] 2003, 2008

NL Batting champion 1 2003

NL RBI champion 1 2010

NLCS MVP 1 2004

Clutch Performer of the Month 1[103] April 2010

Roberto Clemente Award 1[104] 2008

Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award (Players Choice Award) 1 2006

NL Player of the Week Award 11 2001-2007 (6), 2008 (2), 2009 (2), 2011 [wk. ending June 5][65]

Career statisticsYr. Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR GS RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GIDP HBP SH SF IBB OPS+

2011 St. Louis NL 113 446 83 129 21 0 31 0 77 6 0 46 45 .289 .357 .545 0.902 243 25 4 0 5 10 149

TOTALS (11 yrs.) 1,671 6,179 1,269 2,029 447 15 439 11 1,307 81 34 960 691 .328 .421 .619 1.040 3,823 228 77 1 66 246 171

Statistics current through August 21st, 2011.[35] [a]