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Albert Pujols

St. Louis Cardinals — No. 5
First baseman
Born: January 16, 1980 (1980-01-16) (age 28)
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Bats: Right Throws: Right 
Major League Baseball debut
April 2, 2001 for the St. First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a Baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run Events 27 BC - The title Augustus is bestowed upon Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian by the Roman Senate. Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Santo Domingo de Guzmán (known as Santo Domingo population 2084852 (Metro (2003 estimated 2253437 (Metro in 2006 is the Capital and largest city in the The Dominican Republic ( Spanish: República Dominicana;) is a nation located in the Caribbean region and shares the island of Hispaniola with Events 68 - Galba, Governor of Hispania, names himself legatus senatus populique Romani, breaking the line of Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Louis Cardinals
Selected MLB statistics
(through June 14, 2008)
Batting average     . Batting average is a Statistic in both Cricket and Baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively 332
Hits     1,421
Doubles     313
Home runs     298
Runs batted in     903
Slugging percentage     . In Baseball statistics, a hit (denoted by H) sometimes called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches In Baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching Second base without being called out by the Umpire In Baseball statistics, slugging percentage (abbreviated SLG) is a popular measure of the power of a hitter. 621
Teams
Highlights and awards
"Pujols" redirects here. The St Louis Cardinals (also referred to as "the Cards " or "the Redbirds " are a professional Baseball team based in St Champions Major League Baseball Regular Season Champions Other champions Caribbean World Series: The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the "Midsummer Classic" is an annual Baseball game between players from the National League For other events named "World Series" see World Series (disambiguation. For the award given to amateur boxers see Golden Gloves. In American Baseball, the Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to The Most Valuable Player Award (commonly known as the MVP award is an annual award given to one outstanding player in each league of Major League Baseball. The In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is given annually to one player from each league as voted upon by the Baseball Writers Association of America For other uses, see Pujols (disambiguation).

José Alberto Pujols Alcántara (IPA: /ˡpuˌhoʊlz/), (born January 16, 1980 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic), (nicknamed Prince Albert (Sir Albert), Phat Albert, The Machine, or El Hombre[1]) is a Major League Baseball first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals. Events 27 BC - The title Augustus is bestowed upon Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian by the Roman Senate. Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Santo Domingo de Guzmán (known as Santo Domingo population 2084852 (Metro (2003 estimated 2253437 (Metro in 2006 is the Capital and largest city in the The Dominican Republic ( Spanish: República Dominicana;) is a nation located in the Caribbean region and shares the island of Hispaniola with First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a Baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run The St Louis Cardinals (also referred to as "the Cards " or "the Redbirds " are a professional Baseball team based in St He is widely regarded as one of the best players in the game today. [2][3] With Barry Bonds unsigned as of the beginning of the 2008 season, Pujols was voted the runaway winner as the Most Feared Hitter in baseball in a poll of all 30 big-league managers. Barry Lamar Bonds (born July 24 1964 is a Major League Baseball Outfielder who is currently a Free agent. [4] He already ranks 118th on the List of the Top 500 home run hitters in the history of the game. See also List of lifetime home run leaders through history This is a list of the top 500 Major League Baseball home run hitters.

With the sudden decline of Ichiro Suzuki hitting only . often known simply as, (born October 22 1973 in Toyoyama, Nishikasugai, Aichi Prefecture, Japan) is an Outfielder for the Seattle Mariners 252 for the month of April 2008, Pujols (. 365; 35-for-96) has now wrested the active career batting average leader from Suzuki by a point at . Batting average is a Statistic in both Cricket and Baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively 332 (. 3323), with Suzuki at . 331 (. 33149), and Todd Helton (. Todd Lynn Helton (born August 20, 1973 in Knoxville Tennessee) is the starting First baseman for the Colorado Rockies of 278 in April 2008) a close third at . 331 (. 3306).

From 2001 (his debut) through the 2007 seasons, Pujols has led the major leagues in total bases (2,514) and extra-base hits (593). Champions Major League Baseball Regular Season Champions Other champions Caribbean World Series: Champions Major League Baseball Regular Season Champions Other champions Minor League Baseball He was second in home runs (282) to Alex Rodriguez (329); second in RBI (861) to Rodriguez's 908; second in runs (847) to Rodriguez's 874; second in doubles (298) to Todd Helton's 318; fourth in hits (1,344) to Ichiro Suzuki's (1,592), Juan Pierre (1,378), Derek Jeter (1,348); and second in batting average (. Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez (born July 27 1975 in New York New York) commonly nicknamed A-Rod, is an American Third baseman for the In Baseball, a run is scored when a player advances safely around first second and third base and returns safely to Home plate, touching In Baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching Second base without being called out by the Umpire Todd Lynn Helton (born August 20, 1973 in Knoxville Tennessee) is the starting First baseman for the Colorado Rockies of In Baseball statistics, a hit (denoted by H) sometimes called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches often known simply as, (born October 22 1973 in Toyoyama, Nishikasugai, Aichi Prefecture, Japan) is an Outfielder for the Seattle Mariners Juan D'Vaughn Pierre (born August 14 1977 in Mobile Alabama) is an Outfielder in Major League Baseball who plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers Derek Sanderson Jeter (ˈʤitɚ born June 26 1974 is an American Major League Baseball player Batting average is a Statistic in both Cricket and Baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively 3315) to Suzuki (. 3335). He also won the rookie of the year award in 2001. This article is about the sports award For other uses please see Rookie of the Year (disambiguation.

In recent years, Pujols has become an excellent defensive player at first base, winning his first Gold Glove award in 2006. For the award given to amateur boxers see Golden Gloves. In American Baseball, the Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to 2006 Major League Baseball season|2006 Nippon Professional Baseball season Headline Event of the Year The 2006 World Baseball Classic is a surprise success

During the 2006 season, he became the first Major League player to hit 30 or more home runs in each of his first six seasons, and the youngest to hit 250 home runs. See also List of lifetime home run leaders through history This is a list of the top 500 Major League Baseball home run hitters. He extended his 30-HR streak to seven consecutive years in 2007 on August 22 against the Florida Marlins, with a 2-run blast (#280 of his career) at Busch Stadium in the first inning. Events 392 - Arbogast has Eugenius elected Western Roman Emperor. The Florida Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami Gardens Florida. Busch Stadium (also referred to informally as " New Busch Stadium " or " Busch Stadium III " is the home of the St Pujols is also the first player since Ted Williams (8 yrs. Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams ( August 30, 1918 – July 5, 2002) also nicknamed The Kid, the Splendid Splinter ; 1939-1942 and 1946-1949) to begin his career with seven straight 100-RBI seasons, after hitting his 32nd home run (#282 of his career) on September 26, 2007, against the Milwaukee Brewers in Milwaukee. Headline Event of the Year On May 17, 1939, Princeton University and Columbia University played the first televised baseball Champions Major League Baseball World Series: St Louis Cardinals over New York Yankees (4-1 All-Star Game Champions Major League Baseball World Series: St Louis Cardinals over Boston Red Sox (4-3 All-Star Game Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers (4-1 All-Star Game Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar dedicates a The Milwaukee Brewers are a Major League Baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which plays in the Central Division of the National League

Contents

Early life and career

Pujols was born in the Dominican Republic . His grandmother, America, assumed many of the responsibilities of raising him.

Pujols and his family immigrated to the United States in the early 1990s, first to New York City and then later to Independence, Missouri. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The City of New York Independence is a city in Jackson County in the US state of Missouri, and the fourth largest city in the state In the U. S. , Pujols displayed his love for baseball, batting over . Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each 500 in his first season of baseball at Fort Osage High School. Fort Osage Senior High School is located at 2101 N Twyman Rd in Independence Missouri. He quickly became the most feared hitter in the Kansas City area, leading to multiple intentional walks a game in some stretches. However, he still managed to hit . 660 with 8 home runs his final year of high school, with limited official at bats. After starring for both Fort Osage and the Post 340 American Legion summer team out of Independence, Pujols graduated from high school in December of 1998. He went on to attend Maple Woods Community College in the Kansas City area during the spring of 1999. Metropolitan Community College ( MCC) is a Community college located in Kansas City, Missouri that consists of five separate campuses Kansas City Missouri only Items for the metro area Kansas City Kansas or North Kansas City MO should go on their respective pages Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Atlanta Braves (4-0 Mariano Rivera, MVP In his only season with the community college, Pujols showed off his talent, hitting a grand slam and turning an unassisted triple play in his first game. In the Sport of Baseball, a grand slam (or just slam for short is a Home run hit with all the bases occupied by baserunners, thereby In Baseball, an unassisted triple play occurs when a defensive player makes all three putouts by himself in one continuous play without any teammates touching the ball He batted . 461 for the year.

Few big league teams were very interested in Pujols. A Colorado Rockies scout reported favorably about the young hitter, but the club took no action. The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays arranged a tryout for Pujols, but it went poorly (after the team did not draft him, the scout who'd found Pujols resigned). The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball franchise based in St [5] The St. Louis Cardinals drafted Pujols in the 13th round of the 1999 draft, the 402nd overall pick. The St Louis Cardinals (also referred to as "the Cards " or "the Redbirds " are a professional Baseball team based in St However, Pujols initially turned down a USD $10,000 bonus and opted to play in the Jayhawk League in Kansas instead. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been The Jayhawk Collegiate League is a summer baseball league consisting of six teams from four Kansas and two Missouri towns Kansas ( is a Midwestern state in the central region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the American " By the end of the summer of 1999, the Cardinals increased their bonus offer to $70,000, and Pujols signed with the team. He was assigned to the minor leagues.

In 1999, Pujols played for the Peoria Chiefs of the single-A Midwest League, where he was voted league MVP. The Peoria Chiefs are a Class A Minor league baseball team affiliated with the Chicago Cubs, from Peoria Illinois. The Midwest League is a Class A Minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States. 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. The Potomac Nationals are a Minor League Baseball team located in Woodbridge Virginia. The Carolina League is a Minor league baseball affiliation which operates in the South Atlantic region of the United States. The Memphis Redbirds are the Triple-A Minor league baseball affiliate of the St The Pacific Coast League (PCL is a Minor league baseball league operating in the West and Midwest of the United States.

Major leagues

2001: Rookie of the Year

During spring training in 2001 , the Cardinals were preparing for Pujols to join the Major League ranks, but the Cardinals' roster was already full of talented players, including Mark McGwire, Fernando Viña, Edgar Rentería, Ray Lankford, Jim Edmonds and J. D. Drew. In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the Regular season. Mark David McGwire (born October 1 1963 in Pomona California) is a former professional baseball player who played the majority of his Major League career with the Fernando Viña (pronounced VEEN-ya (born April 16, 1969 in Sacramento California) is a retired Cuban - American Major League Edgar Enrique Rentería (pronounced as ˌɾenteˈɾia (born August 7 1975 in Barranquilla, Colombia) is a Shortstop in Major League Baseball Raymond Lewis Lankford (born June 5 1967 in Los Angeles California) is a former Center fielder in Major League Baseball who played James Patrick "Jim" Edmonds (born June 27, 1970 in Fullerton, California) is a left-handed Center fielder for David Jonathan "J D" Drew (born November 20 1975 in Valdosta Georgia) is a Major League Baseball Right fielder for the Boston Red Sox While it's widely believed that an injury to bench player Bobby Bonilla freed up a roster spot, Pujols actually played extremely well in spring and won a spot on the Opening Day roster before Bonilla went on the DL. Roberto Martin Antonio "Bobby" Bonilla (boʊˈniːjə born February 23, 1963 in The Bronx, New York) is a former player in Major

In the season's second series, playing against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Pujols hit a home run, three doubles and eight RBI, securing his spot on the team. The Arizona Diamondbacks (also referred to as the D-backs) are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix Arizona. In May, he was named National League Rookie of the Month. The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball In June, he was named to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game by NL manager Bobby Valentine, the first Cardinal rookie selected since 1955. The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the "Midsummer Classic" is an annual Baseball game between players from the National League Robert John Valentine (born May 13 1950 in Stamford, Connecticut) nicknamed Bobby V, is a former player and manager in Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Brooklyn Dodgers over New York Yankees (4-3 Johnny Podres, MVP Pujols' phenomenal rookie season helped the Cardinals tie for the National League Central Division title. For the season, Pujols batted . 329/. 403/. 610 (batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage) with 37 home runs and 130 RBI, and was unanimously named the National League Rookie of the Year. In Baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP (sometimes referred to as on-base average ', as the statistic is rarely presented as a true Percentage) In Baseball statistics, slugging percentage (abbreviated SLG) is a popular measure of the power of a hitter. The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is given annually to one player from each league as voted upon by the Baseball Writers Association of America His 37 home runs were one short of the National League rookie record of 38, held by Wally Berger of the 1930 Boston Braves and Frank Robinson of the 1956 Cincinnati Redlegs. Walter Anton Berger ( October 10 1905 &ndash November 30 1988) was an American Center fielder in Major League Baseball Champions World Series: Philadelphia Athletics over St Louis Cardinals (4-2 Awards and honors Frank Robinson (born August 31, 1935 in Beaumont Texas) is a Hall of Fame former Major League Baseball player Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers (4-3 Don Larsen, MVP The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati Ohio, USA His 130 RBI set an NL rookie record.

2002: No Sophomore Slump

Pujols wearing the 1982 St. Louis Cardinals retro jersey.
Pujols wearing the 1982 St. Louis Cardinals retro jersey. The 1982 World Series matched the St Louis Cardinals against the Milwaukee Brewers, with the Cardinals winning in seven games

In 2002, Pujols struggled early on as pitchers learned how to pitch to him, but he continued to bat extremely well throughout the season, hitting . Champions Major League Baseball Regular Season Champions Other champions Caribbean World Series: 314/. 394/. 561 with 34 homers and 127 RBI. The Cardinals finished first in the NL Central during a difficult campaign that saw the death of team announcer Jack Buck and the sudden death of pitcher Darryl Kile. John Francis "Jack" Buck ( August 21, 1924 &ndash June 18, 2002) was an American Sportscaster, best known Darryl Andrew Kile ( December 2 1968 – June 22 2002) born in Garden Grove California, was an American right-handed The Cardinals defeated the Diamondbacks in the first round of the playoffs, but lost to the San Francisco Giants in the National League Championship series. The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in, that currently play in the National League West Division. Albert would ultimately finish second in the MVP voting behind Barry Bonds. Barry Lamar Bonds (born July 24 1964 is a Major League Baseball Outfielder who is currently a Free agent.

2003: Batting Champion

In the 2003 season, Pujols had one of the best individual seasons in Cardinals history batting . Headline event of the year The Florida Marlins become World Series champions holding off a dynastic New York Yankees team 4 games to 359/. 439/. 667 with 43 home runs and 124 RBI, winning the National League batting title, while also leading the league in runs, hits, doubles, extra base hits and total bases. At 23, Albert became the youngest NL batting champion since 1962 and joined Rogers Hornsby as the only players in Cardinals history to record 40+ homers and 200+ hits in the same season. Rogers Hornsby ( April 27, 1896 in Winters Texas - January 5, 1963 in Chicago Illinois) nicknamed "The Rajah" The Cardinals, however, failed to make the playoffs, faltering in the stretch to the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central. The Chicago Cubs are a Professional Baseball franchise based in Chicago, Illinois. Pujols also finished second in the MVP voting to Barry Bonds and had a 30-game hitting streak.

2004: Full-time First Base

Defensively, Pujols started his major league career primarily as a third baseman. It can also be noted that during Pujols' rookie season, he started at four different positions (1B, 3B, LF and RF), during the course of the season, and has also appeared at 2B (late in the 2001 All-Star game as well as a regular season game in April 2008) and SS (late in one 2002 regular season game). When Scott Rolen joined the team in 2002, Pujols was moved to left field. Scott Bruce Rolen (born April 4, 1975 in Jasper Indiana) is a Major League Baseball Third baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays Following an injury scare in 2003, Pujols was moved to his current position, first base.

Pujols signed a seven-year, $100 million contract extension with a $16 million club option for 2011 on February 20, 2004. Events 1472 - Orkney and Shetland are left by Norway to Scotland, due to a Dowry payment Headline events of the year The Boston Red Sox win their first World Series since, ending the Curse of the Bambino. Pujols received a full no-trade clause for 2004-2006, and a limited no-trade clause for the remainder of the deal. $12 million will be deferred ($3 million per-year from 2007-2010 at 0% interest to be paid in 10 installments of $1. 2 million from 2020 to 2029). He receives a $200,000 bonus for winning an MVP, $100,000 for finishing second in MVP balloting, and $50,000 for being selected to an All-Star game and winning a Gold Glove. [6] Throughout the year, Pujols was nagged by plantar fasciitis, but he was still a powerful hitter, hitting . Plantar fasciitis is a painful inflammatory condition of the Foot caused by excessive wear to the Plantar fascia that supports the Arch 331/. 415/. 657 with 46 home runs and 123 RBI. Pujols, along with Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen earned the nickname MV3 for their phenomenal 2004 seasons. In addition, Pujols was chosen to appear on the cover of EA Sports' video game, MVP Baseball 2004. EA Sports is a brand name used by Electronic Arts since 1993 to distribute games based on Sports Formerly a gimmick inside Electronic Arts sports A video game is a Game that involves interaction with a User interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. MVP Baseball is a Baseball game series published by EA Sports. He was also the MVP of the 2004 National League Championship Series, helping his team reach the World Series, where they were swept by the Boston Red Sox. The National League Championship Series was a Major League Baseball playoff series played from October 13 to 21 to determine the champion of the National For other events named "World Series" see World Series (disambiguation. The Boston Red Sox are a Professional baseball team based in Boston Massachusetts, and are the reigning (2007 World Series Champions.

2005: Most Valuable Player

The 2005 season saw Pujols establish career highs in walks and stolen bases, while leading his team in almost every offensive category. 2005 Major League Baseball season Headline events of the year Chicago White Sox swept the Houston Astros to win the World Series A base on balls ( BB) is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in Baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire In Baseball, a stolen base occurs when a Baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the Pitcher is delivering the ball to Home plate He finished batting . 330/. 430/. 609, with 41 home runs (including his 200th career homer), a grand slam, 117 RBI, 97 walks, and 16 stolen bases (leading all major league first basemen). In the Sport of Baseball, a grand slam (or just slam for short is a Home run hit with all the bases occupied by baserunners, thereby However, due to continually nagging leg injuries, he finished with a career-low 38 doubles. His performance in 2005 earned him the National League Most Valuable Player award.

The Cardinals were eliminated by the Houston Astros 4 games to 2 in the National League Championship Series, but Pujols hit one of the most memorable home runs in modern day baseball history in game 5 of that series as the Cardinals were only one out from elimination. The Houston Astros are a Professional baseball team based in Houston Texas. The National League Championship Series ( NLCS) the second round of the 2005 National League playoffs matched the Central Division champion and defending With the Astros leading 4-2 with two outs in the ninth inning, David Eckstein singled. David Mark Eckstein (born January 20, 1975 in Sanford Florida) nicknamed " X Factor " is a Major League Baseball The next batter, Jim Edmonds, was walked. Pujols then hit a home run off of Brad Lidge that landed on the landmark train tracks in the back of Minute Maid Park. Bradley Thomas Lidge (born December 23, 1976 in Sacramento California) is a Relief pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies of Minute Maid Park (formerly The Ballpark at Union Station, Enron Field, and Astros Field) is a ballpark in Houston, Texas Those three runs were the deciding factor in the game, as the Cardinals ended up winning the game 5-4, sending the series back to St. Louis. [7]

In 2005, John Dewan noted in The Fielding Bible that no first baseman was better at digging balls out of the dirt than Pujols. Pujols saved 42 bad throws by his fielders in 2005. Derrek Lee was second with 23. Derrek Leon Lee (born September 6 1975 in Sacramento California) is a First baseman in Major League Baseball who has played for the Chicago At the same time, Pujols shared the major league lead in errors for a first baseman, with 14.

2006: World Series Champion Cardinals

Pujols set the record for the most home runs hit in the first month of the season, at 14, on April 29, 2006. Events 1429 - Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orleans. The record was tied by Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees in 2007. Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez (born July 27 1975 in New York New York) commonly nicknamed A-Rod, is an American Third baseman for the The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. On June 3, 2006, Pujols suffered an oblique strain chasing a foul pop fly off the bat of Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, proclaims himself Roman Emperor, entering Aramis Nin Ramírez (ʌrˈɑːmɪs or /ərˈɑːmɪs/ born June 25, 1978 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) is an all-star Major League He was later placed on the 15-day disabled list for the first time in his career. In Major League Baseball, the disabled list (DL is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players Pujols, at the time of his injury, had 25 home runs and 65 RBI and was on pace to break the single-season records held by Barry Bonds (73 HRs) and Hack Wilson (191 RBI). Lewis Robert "Hack" Wilson ( April 26, 1900 – November 23, 1948) was an American Center fielder in Major Pujols returned in time to help the Cardinals win the NL Central. He started at first base for the 2006 National League All-Star team at the All-Star game in Pittsburgh. Pujols finished the season with a . 331/. 431/. 671 line, establishing new career-highs in slugging percentage (in which he led the majors), home runs (49)(second) and RBIs (137)(second). In the 2006 National League MVP voting, he came in a close second to eventual winner Ryan Howard, garnering 12 of 32 first-place votes. Ryan James Howard (born November 19, 1979, in St Louis Missouri) is a baseball player who plays First base for the Philadelphia Phillies

After appearing in the playoffs with the Cardinals in four of his first five years in the big leagues but falling short each time, Pujols won his first championship ring when the Cardinals won the 2006 World Series, defeating the Detroit Tigers four games to one. The 2006 World Series, the 102nd edition of Major League Baseball 's championship series, began on October 21 and ended on October 27, and The Detroit Tigers are a professional baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan, USA

Pujols' fielding percentage was close to the bottom amongst qualified National League first basemen in his first two full seasons at the position, but in 2006 it was impressive. After the season Pujols' improvements were recognized as he was given his first Gold Glove award. For the award given to amateur boxers see Golden Gloves. In American Baseball, the Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to He has had the highest range factor amongst first basemen in his two full seasons, and led the National League in that category in 2006; emblematic was the sprawling, flip-from-his-back playPujols made to rob Plácido Polanco of a hit in the 7th inning of Game 5 of the World Series. Range Factor (commonly abbreviated RF) is a baseball statistic developed by Bill James. The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball Plácido Enrique Polanco (pronounced ˈplɑsiːdoː ɛnˈriːke poːˈlɑŋkoː (born October 10 1975 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) is a Major The 2006 World Series, the 102nd edition of Major League Baseball 's championship series, began on October 21 and ended on October 27, and

2007: Slow Start, Great Finish

Pujols had a slower start in the spring than in previous years due to several injuries all in his right elbow. In 2006, he had set a Major League record with 14 home runs in April,[8] though in 2007 he only accumulated 6 home runs and 15 RBI. His batting average was a mere . 250 while slugging only . 489. [9]

May was better, zooming to . 340 for the month, but with only 3 home runs and 13 RBI while his slugging average was only marginally better at . 495. His batting average started to climb back to normal career levels, and he ended the month with a . 296 batting average and a . 492 slugging percentage.

He hit 7 home runs with 20 RBI in June. He raised his batting average to a composite . 306 with a . 534 slugging percentage and 48 RBI after the month was over. [10]

Following the All-Star Break, he hit 4 home runs in his first 3 games back against the Philadelphia Phillies. Pujols was also awarded the Player of the Week honors from July 9 to the 15th after going 9-for-15 with a 1. Events 455 - Roman military commander Avitus is proclaimed Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. 357 slugging percentage and 19 total bases, all while batting . 429.

He also hit his 25th home run on August 15, making him just the fifth player all-time to hit 25 home runs in his first 7 seasons in the major leagues, and the first since Darryl Strawberry. Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed Darryl Eugene Strawberry (born March 12, 1962) is a former Baseball player who is well-known both for his play on the baseball field and for his controversial On August 22, Pujols slugged 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. Events 392 - Arbogast has Eugenius elected Western Roman Emperor. He then had hit home runs in five consecutive games, tying a Cardinals' single-season record. His next game on August 23 ended his 5-game home run streak, his 7-game RBI streak, and his 9-game hitting streak. Events 79 - Mount Vesuvius begins stirring on the feast day of Vulcan the Roman god of fire He finished August batting a composite . 317, slugging . 558 with 30 home runs and 84 runs batted in, while still sporting an excellent . 416 on-base percentage despite his slower-than-usual start in April. In Baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP (sometimes referred to as on-base average ', as the statistic is rarely presented as a true Percentage)

In a pre-game warmup on the field before a September 18 game at home, he suffered a strained calf muscle in his left leg and was not able to start or appear later in the game. Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated For September, he hit two home runs for a total of 32, the last one giving him 16 RBI for the month, and 100 RBI for the seventh consecutive year to become only the third player to accomplish that level of consistency at the start of his career.

He is the only player in baseball history to start his career with seven consecutive seasons with a . 300 batting average, 30 HRs, 100 RBI, and 99 runs. (Ted Williams 23 HRs in 1940, Joe DiMaggio 29 HRs in 1936)

He won (as did fellow Cardinal, catcher Yadier Molina) the prestigious Fielding Bible Award for his defensive excellence at first base, which is given to only one player per position in the major leagues. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Cincinnati Reds over Detroit Tigers (4-3 All-Star Game Joseph Paul DiMaggio, born Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio Jr ( November 25, 1914 &ndash March 8, 1999) nicknamed Joltin' Joe Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over New York Giants (4-2 All-Star Game Yadier B Molina (born July 13, 1982 in Bayamon, Puerto Rico) is a Major League Baseball Catcher who plays for the [11]

2008: 42-game on-base streak, and on disabled list

He reached another milestone early in the season when he hit his 300th career double in only his 4,066th official at-bat in his 1,095th game (4,755th plate appearance), against Odalis Perez of the Washington Nationals on April 4. In Baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching Second base without being called out by the Umpire Odalis Amadol Pérez (born June 11, 1977 in Las Matas de Farfán, Dominican Republic) is a Major League Baseball Starting pitcher The Washington Nationals is an American professional baseball team based in Washington D Events 1581 - Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I. [12]

For the month of April, he reached base safely (via hit, walk, or hit-by-pitch) in all 29 team games played starting on April 1. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne His best consecutive games start in reaching base was 33 games in 2005. 2005 Major League Baseball season Headline events of the year Chicago White Sox swept the Houston Astros to win the World Series That was the best start by any Cardinal player in reaching base since 1956.

In early May, his . 518 on-base percentage is the best in the major leagues, as is his 33 walks and his 9 intentional walks. In Baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP (sometimes referred to as on-base average ', as the statistic is rarely presented as a true Percentage) A base on balls ( BB) is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in Baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire A base on balls ( BB) is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in Baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire He is third in batting average with his . Batting average is a Statistic in both Cricket and Baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively 358 (38-for-106).

On May 5, Pujols scored the game-winning run in the top of the ninth inning at Colorado in memorable fashion. Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John After lining a double to the opposite field in right with the score tied at 5, Pujols took off for third with Rick Ankiel batting. As Ankiel grounded to second, Pujols did not hesitate around third, scoring from second on the groundout to give the Cardinals an eventual 6-5 win. Earlier in the game he extended his on-base games streak to 33, tying his best start in 2005.

On May 6, Pujols doubled--extending his beginning-of-season on-base game streak to 34, and passing his previous 2005 high of 33-games at the start of a season; second-longest of his career to the 48-game streak since his rookie year (2001) from July 28 - September 22. Events 1527 - Spanish and German troops sack Rome; some consider this the end of the Renaissance.

His 42-game streak ended on May 16, when he failed to reach base in four at-bats. Events 1204 - Baldwin IX Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire.

Ted Williams had a 65-game on-base streak starting out the 1948 season, and Pujols' streak is the best in Cardinals' history at the beginning of a season in research since 1956, and the longest in baseball since Derek Jeter had a 53-game streak in 1999. Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams ( August 30, 1918 – July 5, 2002) also nicknamed The Kid, the Splendid Splinter Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Cleveland Indians over Boston Braves (4-2 All-Star Game Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers (4-3 Don Larsen, MVP Derek Sanderson Jeter (ˈʤitɚ born June 26 1974 is an American Major League Baseball player Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Atlanta Braves (4-0 Mariano Rivera, MVP [13]

On June 10, he strained his left-calf muscle running from home after hitting a grounder to the first baseman, and is headed for the 15-day disabled list for only the second time in his eight-year career, casting a pall over rookie Mitchell Boggs winning his first start, against the Cincinnati Reds at Cincinnati. Events 1190 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem In Major League Baseball, the disabled list (DL is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players Mitchell Thomas Boggs (born February 15, 1984 in) is a Major League Baseball Pitcher for the St The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati Ohio, USA [14] [15]

Personal

At age 16, Pujols immigrated to the United States with his family which lived briefly in New York City before settling in Independence, Missouri. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The City of New York Independence is a city in Jackson County in the US state of Missouri, and the fourth largest city in the state He graduated from Fort Osage High School in Independence, Missouri in 1998, and attended Maple Woods Community College on a baseball scholarship. He later graduated and entered the MLB, getting drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 13th round draft, 402nd overal. Pujols married his wife, Deidre, on January 1, 2000. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. They have three children, Isabella (Deidre's daughter, adopted by Albert), Albert Jr. , and Sophia. Albert and his wife are active in the cause of people with Down syndrome, as Isabella was born with this condition. Down syndrome, Down's syndrome, or trisomy 21 is a Chromosomal disorder caused by the presence of all or part of an extra 21st chromosome. In 2005 (appropriately on May 5, which is written as 5/5/05, '5' being Albert's uniform number), they launched the Pujols Family Foundation, which is dedicated to "the love, care and development of people with Down syndrome and their families", as well as helping the poor in the Dominican Republic. Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John The Dominican Republic ( Spanish: República Dominicana;) is a nation located in the Caribbean region and shares the island of Hispaniola with [16] Pujols and his wife are very active Christians; as the foundation's website says, "In the Pujols family, God is first. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Everything else is a distant second. "[17] More information on the foundation can be found at its website: www.pujolsfamilyfoundation.org. He has taken part ownership in Patrick's restaurant at Westport Plaza in Maryland Heights, Missouri. Maryland Heights is a city in St Louis County, Missouri, United States. The remodeled restaurant was reopened as Pujols 5 on August 30, 2006. [18]

Pujols is close friends with second baseman Plácido Polanco, a former teammate with the St. Louis Cardinals. Plácido Enrique Polanco (pronounced ˈplɑsiːdoː ɛnˈriːke poːˈlɑŋkoː (born October 10 1975 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) is a Major The St Louis Cardinals (also referred to as "the Cards " or "the Redbirds " are a professional Baseball team based in St Pujols is godfather to Polanco's 3-year-old son, Ismael. [19] Placido was a second baseman on the 2006 Detroit Tigers team which lost to the Cardinals in the 2006 World Series.

On February 7, 2007, Pujols became a U. Events 457 - Leo I becomes emperor of the Byzantine Empire. 1074 - Battle of Montesarchio in which the Prince Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. S. citizen,[20] scoring a perfect 100 on his citizenship test. [21] On April 24, 2007, Upper Deck Authenticated announced it had signed Pujols to an exclusive autographed memorabilia agreement. Events 1479 BC - Thutmose III ascends to the throne of Egypt, although power effectively shifts to Hatshepsut (according to The Upper Deck Company LLC (colloquially as Upper Deck and Upper Deck Authenticated Ltd

Accomplishments

Awards

Miscellaneous statistics and facts

Salary history

(The Baseball Cube)

Career Statistics

(through June 13, 2008, on disabled list after June 10)

bold statistic = led NL
bold year = elected as starter in All-Star Game

SEASON AGE TM LG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB SF SH HBP IW GIDP AVG OBP SLG OPS
2001 (ROY) 21 StL NL 161 590 112 194 47 4 37 130 360 69 93 1 7 1 9 6 21 . Events 1525 - Martin Luther marries Katharina von Bora, against the Celibacy rule decreed by the Roman Catholic Church for 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common In Major League Baseball, the disabled list (DL is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players Events 1190 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem 329 . 403 . 610 1. 013
2002 22 StL NL 157 590 118 185 40 2 34 127 331 72 69 2 4 0 9 13 20 . 314 . 394 . 561 . 955
2003 23 StL NL 157 591 137 212 51 1 43 124 394 79 65 5 5 0 10 12 13 . 359 . 439 . 667 1. 106
2004 24 StL NL 154 592 133 196 51 2 46 123 389 84 52 5 9 0 7 12 21 . 331 . 415 . 657 1. 072
2005 (MVP) 25 StL NL 161 591 129 195 38 2 41 117 360 97 65 16 3 0 9 27 19 . 330 . 430 . 609 1. 039
2006 (GG) 26 StL NL 143 535 119 177 33 1 49 137 359 92 50 7 3 0 4 28 20 . 331 . 431 . 671 1. 102
2007 27 StL NL 158 565 99 185 38 1 32 103 321 99 58 2 8 0 7 22 27 . 327 . 429 . 568 . 997
2008 28 StL NL 65 222 41 77 15 0 16 42 140 52 23 2 1 0 3 18 4 . 347 . 475 . 631 1. 105
TOTALS
7. 43 Seasons		 28 StL NL 1,156 4,276 888 1,421 313 13 298 903 2,654 644 475 40 40 1 58 138 145 . 332 . 423 . 621 1. 044

ROY = Rookie Of the Year   MVP = Most Valuable Player   GG = Gold Glove

Yearly Averages for Career

(2001-2007 + 2008 pro-rated, thru June 14)

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO
156 575 119 191 42 2 40 122 87 64

See also

References

  1. ^ Albert Pujols Statistics (2008). In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is given annually to one player from each league as voted upon by the Baseball Writers Association of America For the award given to amateur boxers see Golden Gloves. In American Baseball, the Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to Games played (most often abbreviated as G or GP) is a Statistic used in Team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has In Baseball, an at bat ( AB) or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including Batting average, On base In Baseball, a run is scored when a player advances safely around first second and third base and returns safely to Home plate, touching In Baseball statistics, a hit (denoted by H) sometimes called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches In Baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching Second base without being called out by the Umpire In Baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching Third base after hitting the ball with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay (see A base on balls ( BB) is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in Baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire In Baseball or Softball, a strikeout or strike out (denoted by SO or K) occurs when a batter receives three strikes See also List of lifetime home run leaders through history This is a list of the top 500 Major League Baseball home run hitters. The batting championship is awarded to the Major League Baseball player in each of the American League and the National League who has the highest Batting average Major League Baseball recognizes runs scored champions in the American League and National League each season Players denoted in boldface are still actively contributing to the record noted Major League Baseball recognizes doubles champions in the American League and National League each season Listed below are the occurrences of Major League Baseball players who have hit three Home runs in a single game Retrieved on 2008-05-09. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of
  2. ^ Nate Silver (2006). Nathaniel Read Silver (b 1978, East Lansing, Michigan; now residing in Chicago Illinois) is Managing Partner of Baseball Prospectus Baseball's most valuable players. ESPN.com. ESPNcom is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc
  3. ^ Hal Bodley (2006-10-31). Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Cardinals slugger Pujols earns perfect score in annual Elias player rankings. USA Today. USA TODAY is a national American daily Newspaper published by the Gannett Company.
  4. ^ Stark, Jayson (April 24, 2008). Identifying the most feared hitter in the bigs. ESPN. com.
  5. ^ SignOnSanDiego.com > Sports - 401 players taken before Pujols in '99
  6. ^ Scout.com
  7. ^ Leach, Matthew (October 15, 2005). Events 533 - Byzantine General Belisarius makes his formal entry into Carthage, having conquered it from the Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Pujols keeps Cards' season alive. MLB. Retrieved on 2007-07-08. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 939 - The Major Occultation or Ghaybat el-Kubra of Muhammad al-Mahdi 1099 - First Crusade: 15000
  8. ^ SignOnSanDiego.com > Sports - Pujols sets home run record for April with No. 14
  9. ^ The Official Site of Major League Baseball: Stats: Individual Player Game by Game Log
  10. ^ Albert Pujols - St. Louis Cardinals - Game Log - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
  11. ^ The Official Site of The St. Louis Cardinals: News: St. Louis Cardinals News
  12. ^ St. Louis Cardinals GAME NOTES. St. Louis Cardinals (2008-03-05). The St Louis Cardinals (also referred to as "the Cards " or "the Redbirds " are a professional Baseball team based in St 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian moves from Antioch with an army of 90000 to attack the Sassanid Empire, in a Retrieved on 2008-03-06. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1079 - Omar Khayyám completes the Iranian calendar. 1454 - Thirteen Years' War: Delegates of
  13. ^ St. Louis Cardinals GAME NOTES (PDF). MLB. com (2008-05-11). 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople
  14. ^ Pujols suffers strained left calf: Cards slugger to be examined Wednesday, likely headed to DL. MLB. com (2008-06-11). 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1184 BC - Trojan War: Troy is sacked and burned according to the calculations of Eratosthenes.
  15. ^ Pujols to miss at least three weeks: With slugger sidelined due to calf strain, Cards recall Duncan. MLB. com (2008-06-11). 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1184 BC - Trojan War: Troy is sacked and burned according to the calculations of Eratosthenes.
  16. ^ Mission Statement. Pujols Family Foundation. Retrieved on 2006-08-10. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 612 BC - Killing of Sinsharishkun, King of Assyrian Empire
  17. ^ About Our Faith. Pujols Family Foundation. Retrieved on 2006-08-10. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 612 BC - Killing of Sinsharishkun, King of Assyrian Empire
  18. ^ Pujols Swings, and it's a grand...opening. St. Louis Post Dispatch. Retrieved on 2006-09-02. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 44 BC - Pharaoh Cleopatra VII of Egypt declares her son co-ruler as Ptolemy XV Caesarion.
  19. ^ Enrique Rojas (2006-10-23). Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 4004 BC - Creation of the world begins according to the calculations of Archbishop James Ussher 42 BC - Pujols is godfather to Polanco's son. ESPN.com. ESPNcom is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc
  20. ^ Leach, Matthew (February 8, 2007). Pujols officially becomes U.S. citizen. MLB. com.
  21. ^ AP (2007). The Associated Press ( AP) is an American News agency. The AP is a Cooperative owned by its contributing Newspapers radio Pujols officially becomes U.S. citizen. Daily Vidette online.
  22. ^ Recap of first game at New Busch (Apr. 10, 2006).
  23. ^ AP (2006-9-27). The Associated Press ( AP) is an American News agency. The AP is a Cooperative owned by its contributing Newspapers radio Three-run Pujols blast helps Cards snap 7-game skid. ESPN.com. ESPNcom is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc
  24. ^ AP (2006-9-29). The Associated Press ( AP) is an American News agency. The AP is a Cooperative owned by its contributing Newspapers radio Cards power past Brewers, extend narrow division lead. ESPN.com. ESPNcom is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc

External links

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