Albert Pujols Achieves Another Milestone
Los Angeles Angels first baseman/designated hitter Albert Pujols has hit the 646th double of his fantastic career to achieve yet another milestone. With his double in the first inning against Martin Perez of the Minnesota Twins on May 23rd, Albert Pujols joins Carl Yastrzemski as eighth on the all-time doubles leaders. This year has been the milestone year for Pujols as he notched his 2000th career RBI earlier this year.
Amateur Career
Albert Pujols was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. His family relocated to Independence, Missouri, where he went to Fort Osage High School. After graduation, Pujols attended Maple Woods Community College in Kansas City, Missouri. He batted a stellar .471 with 22 home runs as the Maple Woods CC starting shortstop. The St. Louis Cardinals drafted Pujols in the 13th round of the 1999 MLB draft.
Minor League Career
Pujols started his minor league career as a third baseman in 2000. He batted .324 with 128 hits, 32 doubles, six triples, 17 home runs and 84 RBI, in 109 games for the Class-A Peoria Chiefs of the Midwest League. This was good enough to earn him a spot on the All-Star team and the league’s Most Valuable Player award. After his performance for the Peoria Chiefs, Pujols was promoted to the Class-A-Advanced Potomac Cannons. He spent 21 games with them, batting .284 with 23 hits, eight doubles, one triple, two home runs and 10 RBI. Pujols finished his 2000 season with the AAA Memphis Redbirds, where he was a major contributor to their Pacific Coast League Championship. He was named postseason Most Valuable Player after hitting .367 in the playoffs.
Major League Career
Albert Pujols was promoted to the St. Louis Cardinals at the beginning of the 2001 season. He wasted no time dominating opposing pitchers, recording his first career hit on Opening Day. Four days later, he notched his first career home run. Pujols spent twelve years with the Cardinals and was a huge contributor to their 2006 and 2011 World Series championships — their first since 1982. In 2012, Pujols signed a 10-year, $240 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels.
Off the Field
Pujols is a breath of fresh air to sports fans. He does what he is supposed to do on the field. Off the field, he is a law-abiding citizen and commits to being charitable. He and his family have launched the Pujols Family Foundation, an organization that demonstrates a commitment to faith, family and others. The Pujols family has been a role model in St. Louis, Los Angeles, and the Dominican Republic.
Moving Forward
Pujols has been a dynamic hitter since he took the game of baseball by storm in 2001. As of now, he is a career .301 hitter with 641 career home runs, 3118 hits, and 2006 RBI. He has made opposing pitchers cringe for nearly two decades. Baseball fans have come to love and respect Pujols regardless of their favorite team. It will be hard to imagine Pujols outside of Cooperstown once his career is over. He will be a clear-cut addition to the Hall of Fame — the question will be whether he will go in as a St. Louis Cardinal or a Los Angeles Angel.
Main Photo
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