Albert Pujols

This is the resume:

• He was the first National League rookie to hit .300 with 30 homers, 100 RBIs, and 100 runs scored.
• He was the youngest player with back-to-back 50-double seasons.
• He was the third major-leaguer to drive in 500 runs in his first four seasons.1
• He was the major-league leader in runs scored five times, including three consecutive seasons.
• He had the most career home runs of any major leaguer in the first 10 seasons of a career.
• He reached 400 homers faster than anyone in big-league history.
• He was the first player with 100-RBI seasons in each of his first 10 years.

Albert Pujols’ first 11 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals – in which he batted .328 and averaged more than 40 doubles, 40 home runs, 120 RBIs and 117 runs scored – was one of the greatest stretches by an individual player in major-league history. Slowed by injuries and age, the second half of Pujols’ 22-year career was not as productive, but he occasionally showed flashes of his prime years as he reached 3,000 career hits and two major milestones achieved by fewer than a handful of baseball greats – 700 home runs and 2,000 RBIs.

José Alberto Pujols Alcántara was born on January 16, 1980, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He was the only child of Bienvenido and his wife. At the time of his birth, the family lived in the crime-ridden neighborhood of Cristo Rey. They later moved to Villa Mella, a lower-class, but safer, area north of Santo Domingo.2 Their last stop before immigrating to the United States was the Los Trinitarios neighborhood of Santo Domingo.

When Pujols was three years old, his parents divorced and his mother left, but the couple maintained an amicable relationship.3 Pujols has not spoken publicly often of his mother, and little is known about her. Owing to economic circumstances and the chance for a better education, Pujols lived with his father but had occasional weekend visits with his mother.4

Bienvenido worked as a painter and performed other odd jobs; he was often gone from home looking for work. When Bienvenido happened to find work in the city, Pujols would accompany his father to spend time with him and help when he could.

Pujols was raised primarily by his paternal grandmother, America, with help from her 10 children. Surrounded by uncles and aunts, whom he calls his brothers and sisters, Pujols had a happy childhood, although money was tight. “We didn’t live like a rich person, but we lived pretty good,” he recalled.5

Pujols began playing baseball at the age of five when Bienvenido, an excellent softball pitcher in the Dominican Republic, introduced his son to the game. Pujols wore his father’s jersey around the neighborhood and accompanied him to his softball games, where he would beg his father to hit groundballs to him between games.6

Like most kids growing up in the Dominican Republic, as a young boy Pujols played baseball in the streets year-round with improvised equipment – he used a milk carton as a glove and limes as baseballs. He followed the major-league careers of Latino players and didn’t have a favorite team but remembered that “the [Atlanta] Braves were always on TV.”7

Though the two maintained a good relationship, Bienvenido’s alcoholism greatly shaped Albert’s life. A young Pujols would often carry his father home when he became drunk after his softball games.8 Pujols said that the experience caused him to mature early; he cited these moments as the reason that he never drank alcohol or smoked.9

Pujols was 16 when he moved with his father and grandmother to the United States. They landed in a rough neighborhood – Washington Heights in New York City – but left soon after when Pujols witnessed a murder in a bodega near where they lived.10 They settled just east of Kansas City, in Independence, Missouri, which at the time had a community of about 2,000 Dominican immigrants, including members of Pujols’ extended family.11 

Pujols enrolled as a junior at Fort Osage High School and did not speak any English. He initially struggled with the language barrier but was able to do his schoolwork. He displayed a passion to learn and with the help of his English teacher, Portia Stanke (who did not know Spanish), he quickly overcame the language obstacle.12

In October 1996, Pujols was introduced by his cousin Wilfredo Pujols to Fort Osage High School baseball coach David Fry. “When he came to us, he was a no-name. None of us knew anything about him,” Fry said. “He’s a kid that by the grace of God moved into our district. I didn’t know what I had standing in my classroom that day.”13

“The more I watched him, I felt like the baseball gods had smiled down on me,” Fry said after watching Albert Pujols during tryouts for the first time.14

Despite his stocky 6-foot-3 build, Pujols played shortstop in the spring of 1997. He hit .449 with 11 homers to lead Fort Osage to the Missouri Class 4A state championship in his first season. Because he would not have enough credits to graduate in 1998, school administrators felt that another year of high school would benefit his grasp of English and academic development. Pujols was awarded another year of eligibility and re-enrolled as a junior.

On the field he did not get many pitches to hit during the 1998 season. In what would become a recurring theme throughout his career, Pujols’ age was questioned. Opposing coaches – both out of respect for his power and believing he was older than 18 – refused to pitch to him. He was walked 55 times while hitting eight home runs in just 33 at-bats.15

Following the fall semester of his senior year, Pujols had secured the necessary credits to graduate as an English as Second Language Student.16 He left Fort Osage to accept a full scholarship at nearby Maple Woods Community College in the spring of 1999.

Pujols got off to a memorable start – in his first college game, he hit a grand slam against future major-leaguer Mark Buehrle and turned an unassisted triple play at shortstop. Pujols was named a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-American for hitting .466 with 22 home runs and 76 RBIs in 56 games while leading Maple Woods to the NJCAA Region 16 Championship.17

Although Maple Woods coach Marty Kilgore expected Pujols to be taken in the first three rounds of the 1999 MLB June amateur draft, scouts had reservations. In addition to questions about his age, there were other concerns.

“We all saw Albert the same way,” said Kansas City Royals general manager Allard Baird at the time. “We weren’t sure he had a position. He didn’t have a great baseball body. We all saw him the same way, and we were all wrong.”18

On the advice of area scout Fernando Arango, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays were the only major-league club to invite Pujols for a pre-draft workout. Despite Arango’s insistence that “someday he’ll hit 40 home runs in the big leagues,” Tampa Bay officials were concerned about Pujols’ build and the defensive position he would play.19 They passed on him in the draft and Arango quit his job in disgust.20

Pujols was finally taken in the 13th round by the St. Louis Cardinals and offered a $10,000 signing bonus. Rather than accept the offer, he chose to play in the amateur collegiate Jayhawk League that summer in Hays, Kansas. After the league ended, the Cardinals upped their offer to $60,000. Pujols signed and reported to the Arizona Fall League, where he learned to play third base.21

On January 1, 2000, Pujols married Kansas City native Deidre Corona, whom he had met at a Latin dance club when he was in high school. The young couple spent just $150 on their wedding and honeymooned in Peoria, Illinois, where Pujols would begin his minor-league career.22 On their first date, Deidre, who was three years older, told Pujols that she had an eight-week-old daughter, Isabella, with Down Syndrome.23 After their wedding, Pujols officially adopted Isabella. He and Deidre would have four children together: Albert Jr. (2001), Sophia (2005), Ezra (2010), and Esther Grace (2012).

Pujols’ accension to the major leagues was remarkably fast. The Cardinals initially sent him to their Class-A affiliate, the Peoria Chiefs of the Midwest League. After he hit .324 with 17 homers in 109 games (for which he was later named Midwest League MVP),24 he was promoted to the High-A Potomac Cannons of the Carolina League for 21 games in August. Skipping Double-A, he ended the year with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds for their final three games leading into the Pacific Coast League playoffs. In Game Four of the finals against Salt Lake City, Pujols hit a 13th-inning walk-off home run to give Memphis its first PCL title. In the four-game series, he was 8-for-17 with two homers and five RBIs and was named MVP.25 The Cardinals named Pujols their 2000 Minor League Player of the Year.26

Although they expected him to begin the season in Triple A, the Cardinals welcomed Pujols to spring training as a non-roster invitee in 2001. Despite spending time at first base, third base, shortstop, and all three outfield positions, Pujols hit from the start. Because of injuries to veterans Mark McGwire and Bobby Bonilla, Pujols received extensive playing time and batted .349 in 62 at-bats with a team-leading 34 total bases and just eight strikeouts.27

“Each week when we had our cut meetings, there we were, figuring he had to go back to the minors at some point, and each week he kept impressing us more and more,” said Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty. “It got to the final week and we just said, ‘Look, we’re really a better club with him,’ the way he was playing.”28  

Bonilla’s injury created a vacancy on manager Tony La Russa’s roster that was filled by Pujols, who debuted as the Cardinals’ left fielder in Colorado on opening day, April 2, 2001, and singled against Mike Hampton in his third at-bat.29 Four days later, he cracked his first big-league homer against Armando Reynoso in a victory at Arizona. On April 9, Pujols homered in his first trip to the plate at Busch Stadium.30 He finished April hitting .370 with 8 homers and 27 RBIs and hardly slowed down. Splitting time between third base, first base, and the outfield, he finished the season with a .329 average, 37 homers, 130 RBIs, and 112 runs scored31 while setting National League rookie records for RBIs (130), extra-base hits (88), and total bases (360).32 Pujols was unanimously voted the NL Rookie of the Year, the sixth Cardinals player to win the award.

The next season, Pujols posted similar numbers (.314, 34, 127), the second of a record 10 consecutive years with at least 30 home runs, 100 RBIs, and a batting average over .300. Though Pujols was not eligible for arbitration, St. Louis signed their young superstar to a one-year contract for $900,000 prior to the 2003 season.

After the Cardinals made the playoffs in each of Pujols’ first two seasons, they fell to third in the NL Central in 2003 – which may have been Pujols’ best season in St. Louis. Despite playing most of the season with ligament damage in his right elbow, he won his only batting title with two hits on the final day to finish with a .359 average, edging out Colorado’s Todd Helton by .0002 in the closest batting race in NL history.33  Highlighted by a career-best 30-game hitting streak34, Pujols hit 43 homers and drove in 124 runs while leading the majors in batting average, runs, doubles, and total bases and topping the NL in hits, three behind AL leader Vernon Wells. Pujols finished second in the MVP balloting behind San Francisco’s Barry Bonds (.341, 45, 90 with 148 walks).35

Before the 2004 season, St. Louis inked Pujols to a seven-year, $100 million contract, thereby avoiding an upcoming arbitration battle and delaying his free agency at least four years.36 After playing multiple positions during his first three seasons, Pujols moved exclusively to first base in 2004 after Tino Martinez was dealt to Tampa Bay in November 2003. Pujols would become an excellent defensive first baseman, winning two Gold Glove Awards and setting a major-league record with 185 assists as a first baseman in 2009.37

St. Louis won an MLB-best 105 games in 2004 and topped the Houston Astros in a thrilling seven-game NLCS. Pujols torched the Astros, going 14-for-28 with four home runs, nine RBIs, and scoring 10 runs; he was named the series MVP. In his first World Series he was 5-for-15 with two doubles but St. Louis was swept by the Boston Red Sox, who won their first title since 1918.

Shortly after the 2005 season began, Pujols and Deidre announced the formation of the Pujols Family Foundation. The organization’s goals were to help improve the lives of poor children and orphans in the Dominican Republic and support local organizations such as the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and the Ronald McDonald House.38

As the adoptive father of Isabella, another cause was even closer to Pujols’ heart—promoting awareness of Down Syndrome. In 2002 Pujols became the spokesman for the annual “Buddy Walk” game, in which children with Down Syndrome are special guests of the Cardinals and walk along the warning track and stand with Cardinals players during the national anthem. He had a knack for creating a special memory for the children, often hitting a “requested” home run; in the 2006 game he homered in his first three at-bats.39 After being nominated for the fifth time in six years, Pujols was awarded the Roberto Clemente Award in 2008 for his community service.40 

In each season from 2001 to 2004, Pujols finished in the top four in the MVP voting while Bonds won four straight times. With Bonds sidelined until September, Pujols (.330, 41, 117) broke through in 2005 to capture his first of three NL MVP Awards and lead the Cardinals to their second consecutive 100-win season.41 They lost to Houston in six games in the NLCS, but Pujols provided one of his most memorable moments with a massive three-run homer in the ninth inning against Astros closer Brad Lidge to win Game Five.

In the inaugural season of Busch Stadium III in 2006, Pujols hit the first Cardinals home run in the new park. On April 16, his third straight home run was a two-run game-winner in an 8-7 win over Cincinnati; the next night in Pittsburgh he homered in his first at-bat to tie a major-league record for consecutive home runs.42 He finished the month with a major-league record 14 homers in April43 – while hitting .346 and driving in 32 runs – and ended the year with career highs of 49 home runs and 137 RBIs despite a 15-day stay on the disabled list in June.44 The Cardinals, who claimed the NL Central crown with an 83-79 record, beat San Diego in four games in the NL Division Series before dispatching the New York Mets in a tight seven-game NLCS in which Pujols was 7 for 22. He hit just .200 in the World Series, but St. Louis topped the Detroit Tigers in five games for an unexpected title.

After finishing runner-up in the MVP balloting behind Philadelphia’s Ryan Howard, Pujols created a minor controversy when he said in an interview in the Dominican Republic that “someone who doesn’t take his team to the playoffs doesn’t deserve to win the MVP.”45 Pujols later apologized to Howard, saying his remarks were misinterpreted.46

Plagued by discomfort and tingling in his right elbow in 200747, Pujols had career lows to that point in home runs (32) and RBIs (103). He rebounded in 2008 to win his second MVP Award (.357, 37, 116) but underwent surgery to decompress and relocate the ulnar nerve in his right elbow following the season. In 2009 he led the league in homers (47) for the first time48, drove in 135 runs, and nabbed another MVP Award – and had a second surgery on his elbow after the season ended.49

Pujols led the league in homers again and RBIs (for the only time) in 2010 but finished second to Cincinnati’s Joey Votto for the MVP. Following the season, St. Louis exercised a $16 million option on Pujols’ contract for 2011.50

Statistically, the 2011 season was Pujols’ worst of his career to that point. In early June he hit extra-inning, walk-off home runs on consecutive days to beat the Chicago Cubs,51 but on June 19 he suffered a fractured wrist. He was expected to miss up to six weeks but returned two weeks later.52 On July 29 he collected his 2,000th career hit, becoming the fifth Cardinal to reach the milestone.53 He finished the season hitting .299 with 99 RBIs, ending a 10-year streak of batting over .300 and driving in 100 runs.

After defeating Milwaukee on August 2, St. Louis was only 2½ games behind the Brewers in the NL Central, but by August 24 had dropped to 10 games out and 10½ games behind the Atlanta Braves for the sole NL Wild Card berth. However, they went 23-9 to close the season and clinched the wild card spot on the last day when the Braves lost in 13 innings to Philadelphia. Advancing to the World Series with series wins over Philadelphia and Milwaukee, St. Louis split two games at home with the Texas Rangers to set up Game Three. Pujols lifted St. Louis to a 16-7 win with perhaps the greatest single-game offensive output in World Series history. After grounding out in the first inning, Pujols singled in the fourth and fifth, followed by home runs in the sixth, seventh, and ninth; he joined Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson as the only players to homer three times in a World Series game.54 His five hits and six RBIs also tied World Series records and his 14 total bases set a new standard.55 St. Louis beat Texas in seven games to win their second title in six years.

Prior to the 2011 season, the Cardinals had offered Pujols a nine-year, $198 million extension, which he rejected.56 Pujols refused to discuss his contract status during the season and became a free agent following the World Series. Despite both management and Pujols proclaiming that he should remain a Cardinal for the remainder of his career, Pujols eventually signed a 10-year, $254 million deal with the American League’s Los Angeles Angels that included a marketing deal and a personal services contract.57  

Pujols got off to a poor start in 2012 for his new team; he batted under .200 until mid-May and did not connect for his first home run until his 117th plate appearance on May 6. He rallied to finish with 30 homers, 105 RBIs and a .285 batting average, the highest average he would achieve during his time with the Angels. He smacked 50 doubles, making him the first player to reach that mark in each league.58

In 2013, a partially torn plantar fascia on his left foot limited Pujols to 99 games and ended his streak of 12 consecutive 30-homer seasons.59 Despite not being on the field, Pujols was still in the news on August 2 when former major-leaguer Jack Clark, as an employee of a sports talk show on Cleveland’s WGNU, accused Pujols of using performance-enhancing drugs during his early years in St. Louis.60

Pujols denied the accusation, saying in a statement, “I’ve said time and again that I would never take, or even consider taking, anything illegal. I’ve been tested hundreds of times throughout my career, and never once have I tested positive.”61 Pujols, whose name did not appear in the 2007 Mitchell Report which investigated illegal PED use, sued both Clark and WGNU for defamation. The lawsuit was later dropped when Clark publicly retracted his comments.62

Early in the 2014 season, Pujols reached the 500-home run club on April 22 when he belted both his 499th and 500th in a victory over the Washington Nationals.63 He finished with 28 home runs and 105 RBIs and helped the Angels win the AL West title for the first time since they won three straight from 2007 to 2009. Despite teaming up with superstar Mike Trout, the 2014 season would be the only one during Pujols’ stay with the Angels in which they made the postseason; they were swept in the Division Series by the Kansas City Royals.

Playing on achy feet for the last several years of his career, Pujols’ production dropped dramatically. He still hit the ball hard but was often the victim of opponent’s extreme defensive shifts, which – combined with his lack of speed – resulted in groundouts instead of hits. Many were turned into double plays; Pujols grounded into a major-league record 426 in his career.

But Pujols still achieved several statistical milestones while with the Angels. In 2015, he had his seventh, and last, 40-homer season but drove in just 95 runs. The final two of his record 14 100-RBI seasons64 were in 2016 and 2017. On June 3, 2017, he smashed a grand slam for his 600th career home run. He lined a single to right on May 4, 2018, against Seattle’s Mike Leake to become the 32nd player to reach 3,000 hits. Just over a year later, on May 9, his solo homer against Ryan Carpenter was his 2,000th RBI.65 On August 24, 2020, Pujols collected his 2,087th RBI, moving him past Álex Rodríguez into second place all time.66

After signing Pujols, the Angels had hosted the Cardinals in interleague series in 2013 and 2016, but did not visit St. Louis until June 2019, more than seven years since Pujols’ last home appearance during their World Series victory. Receiving a standing ovation for each plate appearance of the series, Pujols was 1-for-2 with a walk in the first game in front of a crowd of 48,423 – the second largest in Busch Stadium history. He thrilled the St. Louis fans with a seventh-inning home run against Cardinal starter Dakota Hudson the following day and collected two hits in the third game.67

In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Pujols hit .224 in 152 at-bats. He was hitting just .198 in 86 at-bats in 2021 when he was designated for assignment by the Angels on May 6, four months before the end of his contract.68 Just over a week later, he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, for whom he hit .254 with 12 home runs in 85 games (37 starts).69 In nine playoff games with the Dodgers, he had five singles in 17 at-bats.

In March 2022, Pujols signed a one-year deal for $2.5 million with St. Louis to end his storied career back where it began. Shortly before opening day, he divorced Deidre just days after her successful brain surgery.70

On the field in his final season as a player, Pujols appeared in 22 games at first base. With the recent adoption of the designated hitter in the National League, the bulk of his playing time came as the Cardinals’ DH. On May 15, he made his major-league pitching debut when he entered for the final inning of a 15-6 win over the San Francisco Giants. He allowed four runs on three hits, including a three-run homer by Luis González and a solo homer by Joey Bart.71

Pujols entered the 2022 season needing 21 homers to join Bonds, Hank Aaron, and Ruth as the only players with 700 career home runs. With just seven home runs in 171 at-bats through August 6, he seemed destined to fall short – but then blasted 17 in his final 136 at-bats to finish with a career total of 703. The 699th and 700th came at Dodger Stadium on September 23. More than 21 years after homering in his first at-bat in St. Louis, he went deep in his final regular season at-bat at Busch Stadium against Pittsburgh’s Roansy Contreras. The next day, in Pittsburgh, he connected against Mitch Keller for his final career home run. Keller was the record 458th different pitcher to allow a homer to Pujols.72

Pujols’ final appearance in the major leagues came in the Cardinals’ Wild Card Series loss to Philadelphia; he was 2-for-8 in two games.

During the first spring training following his retirement, Pujols was inevitably asked if he missed playing the game. “I don’t miss a freakin’ thing about it,” he said. “I really don’t. I’ve been playing baseball for 38 years of my life. It was fun. I had a great career. But I am burned out.”73

Did he have second thoughts about retirement following his strong second half in 2022? “People know when I make a decision, it’s a final decision. Yes, I was sure. I had enough,” he stated. “There are no perfect endings, but I think I had one. Last year was the best thing that happened to me in my career besides winning the World Series.”74

In a private ceremony in early 2023, Pujols married for the second time, to Nicole Fernández, the daughter of former Dominican Republic president Leonel Fernández.75 

In June 2023, Pujols was named a special assistant to Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred to consult on numerous topics, including player relations and issues in the Dominican Republic.76

Although the second half of his career paled in comparison to the first 11 seasons in St. Louis, Albert Pujols compiled career numbers matched by few of the immortals of the game. In his prime, he was one of the most feared hitters in baseball history. But that’s not how he wanted to be known. 

When asked in 2009, he said, “I don’t want to be remembered as the best baseball player ever. I want to be remembered as a great guy who loved the Lord, loved to serve the community and who gave back. That’s the guy I want to be remembered as when I am done wearing this uniform. That’s from the bottom of my heart.”77

Last revised: November 4, 2024

Acknowledgments

This biography was reviewed by Eric Vickrey and Rory Costello and checked for accuracy by Henry Kirn of SABR’s fact-checking team.

Photo credits: MLB.com, Trading Card Database.

Sources

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author also consulted Baseball-Reference.com.

Notes

1 Pujols had 505 RBIs in his first four seasons. The other two players are Joe DiMaggio (558) and Ted Williams (515). Matthew Leach, “Pujols Surpasses 500-RBI Plateau,” MLB.com, September 26, 2004.

2 Joe Strauss, “Pujols’ Maintains a Strong Bond with Dominican,” St. Louis Post Dispatch, November 29, 2005: D7.

3 Tom Verducci, “Albert’s Second Act;” Sports Illustrated, March 26, 2012, https://vault.si.com/vault/2012/03/26/alberts-second-act.

4 Graham Bensinger, “Albert Pujols: I’ve Never Drank Alcohol,” https://grahambensinger.com/2021/08/10/albert-pujols/.

5 Chuck Johnson, “Pujols A Card-Carrying Star,” USA Today, May 22, 2001:2C.

6 Graham Bensinger, “Albert Pujols: I’ve Never Drank Alcohol,” https://grahambensinger.com/2021/08/10/albert-pujols/.

7 Johnson.

8 Joe Posnanski, “The Power to Believe,” Sports Illustrated, March 16, 2009.

9 Graham Bensinger, “Albert Pujols: I’ve Never Drank Alcohol,” https://grahambensinger.com/2021/08/10/albert-pujols/.

10 Edward Lennon, “Los Angeles Angels: 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Albert Pujols,” September 2020, https://calltothepen.com/2020/09/19/los-angeles-angels-5-things-albert-pujols/2/

11 Johnson.

12 Graham Bensinger, “Albert Pujols: Challenges Coming to America,” https://grahambensinger.com/2021/08/10/albert-pujols/.

13 Mike Eisenbath, “Pujols is Hot Property at the Hot Corner,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, March 25, 2001: D16.

14 Johnson.

15 In the summer of 1997, Pujols played a 60-game American Legion season with Hi-Boy Drive In/Post 340 and hit 29 home runs and drove in 119 runs. The next summer he smacked 35 homers and knocked in 124. Arne Christensen, “Albert Pujols: Revisiting the Early Years,” The Hardball Times, June 15, 2010, https://tht.fangraphs.com/albert-pujols-revisiting-the-early-years/

16 Christensen.

17 “Albert Pujols,” NJCAARegion16.org, accessed October 27, 2024, https://njcaaregion16.org/Hall_of_Fame/Albert_Pujols.

18 Posnanski.

19 Jonah Keri, “The Extra 2%: Whiffing on Albert Pujols”, ESPN.com, March 7, 2011, https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=6189583.

20 Keri.

21 Christensen.

22 Posnanski.

23 Johnson.

24 Pujols was named Midwest League Most Valuable Player for the 2000 season despite spending the last month in High-A Potomac.

25 Newspaper accounts report that Pujols hit .367 while being named MVP but that appears to be for the entire playoffs. Box scores from the game accounts in the Salt Lake City Tribune show that he was 8-for-17 in the PCL Championship Series.

26  Gary Lee, “2021 Cardinals Minor League Co-Players & Pitcher of the Year,” Ozark Radio News, March 16, 2022, https://www.ozarkradionews.com/sports/2021-cardinals-minor-league-co-players-pitcher-of-the-year.

27 Steve DiMeglio, “Blazing a Shortcut to the Big Leagues,” USA Today, May 16-22, 2001: 30.

28 DiMeglio.

29 Pujols was the first player born in the 1980s to appear in major leagues. It was initially believed that Rafael Furcal, the 2000 National League Rookie of the Year, was the first but he was found to be two years older than he claimed when having to prove his age to renew his visa following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Because Pujols had been in the United States since he was a young child, he did not face the same scrutiny. Thomas Stinson, “Furcal Ages by 2 Years on Visa,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, February 15, 2002: C2.

30 Pujols was the first Cardinals rookie to homer in his home debut since Wally Moon in 1954. DiMeglio.

31 Despite below-average speed, Pujols would score 100 or more runs nine times and lead the league five times. Pujols was the first rookie since Walt Dropo in 1950 to hit .300 with 30 home runs, 100 RBIs, and 100 runs scored.

32 “Season of Accomplishments,” USA Today, October 9, 2001. Pujols struck out 93 times in his rookie season. He would match that total in 2017 when he was 37 years old. His next highest strikeout total in a season was 76 (2010 and 2012).

33 Pujols’ .359 average was the highest by a St. Louis batter since Joe Torre hit .363 in 1971. It was the first batting title by a Cardinal since 1990 when Willie McGee hit .335 and accumulated enough at-bats to qualify in the NL before a late-season trade to Oakland in the AL. McGee’s overall average ended at .324. Interestingly, Los Angeles Dodgers’ Eddie Murray led the majors with a .330 average but didn’t lead either league.

34 Pujols fell short of the St. Louis record set by Rogers Hornsby, who hit in 33 straight games in 1922.

35 This was the second consecutive year that Pujols had finished second to Bonds in the National League MVP voting.

36 Joe Strauss, “Pujol$, Cards Buck Up by Giving Slugger $100 Million Deal,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 20, 2004: D1.

37 Pujols recorded his final assist in the last game of the season to break a tie with Bill Buckner, who had 184 for the 1985 Boston Red Sox.

38 Associated Press, “MLB Honours Pujols,” October 26, 2008.

39 In “Buddy Walk” games from 2002 to 2008, Pujols batted 10-for-24 with six homers and 11 RBIs, and the Cardinals had a 5-1 record. His record-tying 184th assist as a first baseman came in the 2009 game. Associated Press, “Another Memorable Day for Pujols and Buddies,” Columbia (Missouri) Daily Tribune, September 9, 2008: 3B.

40 Associated Press, “MLB Honours Pujols.”

41 Bonds was denied the opportunity to win a fifth consecutive time due to a knee injury. He made his season debut on September 12 and hit .286 with five home runs and 10 RBIs in 14 games.

42 Reuters, “Pujols Ties Record,” Eurosports.com, April 18, 2006, https://www.eurosport.com/baseball-softball/mlb/2006/pujols-ties-record_sto869613/story.shtml.

43 https://www.statmuse.com/mlb/ask/who-has-the-most-hr-in-a-season-in-the-month-of-april.

44 United Press International, “Albert Pujols Goes to the DL,” June 4, 2006, https://www.upi.com/Sports_News/2006/06/04/Albert-Pujols-goes-to-the-DL/16161149458267/.

45 Phillies won 85 games, two more than St. Louis, but finished second in the NL East behind the New York Mets, who won 97 games.  “Pujols Apologizes Over MVP Remarks,” USA Today, December 4, 2006.

46 “Pujols feels his MVP message was lost in translation,” ESPN.com, December 4, 2006, https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=2685770.

47 Ben Reiter, “Risky Business?”, Sports Illustrated, April 14, 2008, https://vault.si.com/vault/2008/04/14/baseball.

48 Pujols hit his 47th homer of the season on September 9 and did not homer in his final 79 at-bats but still edged Prince Fielder (46) and Howard (45).

49 ESPN.com, “Pujols to Have Elbow Procedure,” October 20, 2009, https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=4581000.

50  Ben Nicholson-Smith, “Cardinals Exercise Pujols’ 2011 Option,” MLB Trade Rumors, October 6, 2010, https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2010/10/cardinals-exercise-pujols-2011-option.html.

51 The second one came against Rodrigo López, against whom Pujols was 0-for-12 before the home run.

52  Grant Brisbee, “Albert Pujols to Be Activated From Disabled List,” SBNation.com, July 5, 2011, https://www.sbnation.com/2011/7/5/2259878/albert-pujols-injury-st-louis-cardinals-news.

53 Associated Press, “Albert Pujols Gets 2,000th Career Hit,” ESPN.com, July 29, 2011, https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/6817681/cardinals-albert-pujols-doubles-2000th-career-hit.

54 Ruth did it twice (1926 and 1928). San Francisco’s Pablo Sandoval later hit three in Game One against Detroit in 2012. https://www.baseball-almanac.com/rb_ws2.shtml.

55 https://www.baseball-almanac.com/rb_ws2.shtml.

56 Tyler Kepner, “Pujols Leaves Behind Fractured Legacy in St. Louis,” New York Times, December 8, 2011, https://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/09/sports/baseball/in-st-louis-pujols-leaves-behind-a-statue-and-a-fractured-legacy.html.

57 “Deidre Pujols explains decision,” ESPN.com, December 12, 2011, https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/7346376/albert-pujols-wife-deidre-explains-why-los-angeles-angels-slugger-left-st-louis-cardinals.

58 Pujols had 51 doubles with the Cardinals in both 2003 and 2004. Miguel Cabrera later accomplished this feat with Florida (2006) and Detroit (2014).

59 David Leon Moore, “Plantar fasciitis knocking top athletes off their feet,” USA Today; August 20, 2013; https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2013/08/20/albert-pujols-plantar-fascitis/2679445/.

60 Dan Caesar, “Clark Accuses Pujols of Steroid Abuse,” Stltoday.com, August 9, 2013, https://www.stltoday.com/sports/professional/mlb/cardinals/media-views-clark-says-pujols-used-performance-enhancing-drug/article_9afc6d86-6a7f-5e49-b636-2f893df579a1.html.

61 Mike DiGiovanna, “Angels’ Albert Pujols Denies Taking PEDs, Says He Will Sue Jack Clark,” Los Angeles Times, August 9, 2013, https://www.latimes.com/sports/angels/la-sp-0810-angels-pujols-20130810-story.html.

62 Tim Daniels, “Albert Pujols Drops Lawsuit Against Jack Clark over PED Accusations,” Bleacherreport.com, October 4, 2013, https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1798501-albert-pujols-suing-jack-clark-over-ped-accusations.

63 Pujols was the first player to hit his 499th and 500th career homer in the same game.

64 Tied with Álex Rodríguez.

65 Pujols joined Aaron and Rodríguez as the only three players with 2,000 RBIs. RBIs became an official statistic in 1920; therefore, Ruth and Cap Anson, whose careers began before 1920 and had over 2,000 each, are not officially recognized as having over 2,000.

66 Ruth had 2,214 RBIs but is not officially on the career list because RBI was not an official stat until 1920, five years after his major-league debut.

67 Jenifer Langosch, “Pujols Receives Standing Ovation in Busch Return,” MLB.com; June 22, 2019, https://www.mlb.com/news/albert-pujols-makes-return-to-busch-stadium.

68 Mark Feinsand, “’Never a right time’ as Angels DFA Pujols,” MLB.com, May 6, 2021, https://www.mlb.com/news/albert-pujols-released-by-angels.

69  R.J. Anderson, “Albert Pujols, Los Angeles Dodgers Reach Agreement on Big-League Contract,” CBSSports.com, May 16, 2021, https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/albert-pujols-los-angeles-dodgers-reach-agreement-on-big-league-contract/. Pujols joined Tim Wallach (1996) and Shea Hillenbrand (2007) as the only players to homer for both the Angels and Dodgers in the same season.

70 Ryan Glasspiegel, “Albert Pujols Cites ‘Irreconcilable Differences’ in Divorce Filing,” New York Post, April 5, 2022, https://nypost.com/2022/04/05/albert-pujols-irreconcilable-differences-in-divorce-from-wife/.

71 Adam Wainwright was the winning pitcher in this game. It was his 203rd victory with Yadier Molina as his catcher, making them the winningest battery in major-league history. John Denton, “Waino, Yadi Set Wins Record as Cards Erupt,” May 15, 2022, https://www.mlb.com/news/adam-wainwright-yadier-molina-set-battery-wins-record.

72 Jim Sergent and Gabe Lacques, “22 Historic Moments of the 2022 Baseball Season,” USA Today, October 6, 2022, https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/graphics/2022/10/06/2022-mlb-records-judge-pujols-top-list/8122641001/.

73 Bob Nightengale, “Pujols Enjoying Retirement After 22-Year Career,” USA Today, February 23, 2023: 3C.

74 Nightengale.

75 Aashna, “MLB All-Star Albert Pujols and Nicole Fernandez Exchange Vows in a Fairytale Wedding,” Sportskeeda.com, February 3, 2023, https://www.sportskeeda.com/baseball/news-albert-pujols-ties-knot-nicole-fernandez-took-instagram-celebrate-big-day.

76 Reuters, “Albert Pujols Named Special Assistant to MLB Commissioner,” June 5, 2023, https://www.espn.com/mlb/story?id=37800354&_slug_=albert-pujols-named-special-assistant-mlb-commissioner.

77 Posnanski.