Albert Pujols was born Jose Alberto Pujols in the Dominican Republic on January 16, 1980. His father spent the majority of Albert's life coming and going here and there, thus Albert was raised primarily by his grandmother, America. In 1990, when Albert was ten, the family moved to the United States. Settling in New York, the family knew it was time to move when Pujols saw a man shot to death right in front of him. Shortly after that, his family moved to Missouri.
Albert Pujols bases so much of his life on his family. He met his wife Diedre at a Latin dance club in Kansas City at the age of 21. His strong christian faith impacts his daily life as he fathers his three kids Isabella, Albert Jr., and Sophia. Unfortunately, Isabella was born with Down Syndrome, thus providing the reason for Pujols' foundation that he and his wife have worked to establish.
Baseball was always his passion though, and while attending Fort Osage High School, in which he was a gifted student and led his high school baseball team to a state championship. Shortly after that, he ended up playing baseball at Maple Woods Community College near Kansas City, Missouri. Pujols was set for the upcoming baseball draft. The Boston Redsox had made all indications that he would be their first round choice, but they passed up on him. He ended up not being drafted until round 13. Just like his boyhood idol Julio Franco, he was now a professional.
His professional career is one for the record books. He broke in under interesting circumstances, only getting to play when starting third baseman Bobby Bonilla was injured in Spring Training. After spending only one season in the minors, he was a star. He broke in with a bang by hitting a home run in his first week of service in the MLB off of Armando Reynoso of the Arizona Diamondbacks. He shortly became the first Cardinal since Wally Moon in 1954 to homer on his home opener when he did it in 2001. He has since become the first player in MLB history to hit 30+ home runs in his first seven seasons. He became a US citizen in February 2007 after scoring a perfect score on his naturalization test.
Albert Pujols is a great baseball player and person. In a day in which kids need a positive role model, people like Albert Pujols need to be in the public eye. As a Cardinal fan, I follow him out of admiration and pride.
9 comments:
Well I dont really know anything or like anything about sports, but you made this guy sound kinda interesting. The kids now and days need a good rolemodel. That is kinda hard to come across huh?
Yes, it is. It doesn't help that kids sometimes look to the wrong people.
I know what you mean!! OMFGOSH!
ya i really dont know who that is but he dose sond interesting
Yea well I am not a big baseball fan. But I do know who he is he is my favorite though. He is really good I know that. Good job on your blog.
Oh yea. Alot of bands have already been signed due to myspace. Panic! At the disco was discovered by Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy. Myspace is like a meca for music.
What do you mean "the wrong people?" Do you consider David Draiman to be in that category? I didn't really know anything about Albert either, but now I do. Does he have anything to do with "Albert in a can?" What is that anyways?
I think that the messages left with kids ultimately decide if somebody is positive or not.
Wow...I didn't know that he had lived in Missouri once apon a time. That's cool!
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