Albert Pujols

Full Name: Jose Alberto Pujols	Primary Position: 1B
Height/Weight: 6'3"/210	First Game: April 2, 2001
Birthdate: January 16, 1980	MLB Experience: 7 years
Birthplace: Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional (Dominican Republic)
Bat/Throw: Right/Right

Rate this Player

4.17

(124 votes)

1 Biography
2 Scouting Report
- 2.1 Batting
- 2.2 Defense
3 Statistics
- 3.1 Batting Stats
- 3.2 Fielding Stats
4 Transactions
5 Trivia
6 Video Gallery
7 Picture Gallery
8 See Also
9 Categories

[edit] Biography

José Alberto Pujols (born January 16, 1980 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) is a Major League Baseball player with the St. Louis Cardinals. He is widely regarded as one of the best offensive players in the game and hits consistently for average and power. In recent years he has also become an above-average defensive player at first base. On August 5th, 2005, Pujols became the first player in Major League history to hit 30 or more home runs in each of his first five seasons. On August 31st of that year, he became the first Major League player since Ted Williams to reach the 100 RBI mark in each of his first five seasons.

[edit] Early career

Born into poverty in the Dominican Republic, Pujols's family emigrated to the United States in the early 1990s, first to New York City and then later to Independence, Missouri. In the U.S., Pujols gained his love for baseball, batting over .500 in his first season of high school baseball. After high school, Pujols attended Maple Woods Community College in the Kansas City area. In his first season with the community college, Pujols showed off his talent, hitting a grand slam and turning an unassisted triple play in his first game and batting .461 for the year.

The St. Louis Cardinals became interested in Pujols, eventually drafting him in the 13th round of the 1999 draft. However, Pujols initially turned down a mere $10,000 bonus and opted to play in the Jayhawk League in Kansas instead. However, by the end of the summer of 1999, the Cardinals had increased their bonus offer to $60,000 and Pujols signed with the Cardinals and was assigned to the developmental leagues.

By 2000, Pujols was assigned to the Peoria Chiefs of the single-A Midwest League, where he was voted league MVP. Pujols quickly progressed through the ranks of the St. Louis farm clubs, first at the Potomac Cannons in the high-A Carolina League and then with the Memphis Redbirds in the Class AAA Pacific Coast League. In just seven games with the Redbirds in 2000, Pujols hit .367 with two home runs.

[edit] Major leagues

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 Vina, Edgar Renteria, Ray Lankford, Jim Edmonds and J.D. Drew. However, an injury to bench player Bobby Bonilla freed up a roster spot, and Pujols played on Opening Day against the Colorado Rockies in Denver.

In the season's second series, playing against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Pujols hit a home run, three doubles and eight runs batted in, securing his spot on the team. By May, he was named National League Rookie of the Month. By June, he was named to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game by NL manager Bobby Cox, the first Cardinal rookie named to the team since 1955. Pujols continued with his phenomenal rookie season, helping the Cardinals earn a tie for the National League Central Division title. For the season, Pujols batted .329 with 37 home runs and 130 runs batted in and was unanimously named the National League Rookie of the Year.

In 2002, Pujols struggled early as pitchers learned to pitch to him, but he continued to bat well throughout the season, hitting .314 with 34 homers and 127 RBIs. 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. The Cardinals defeated the Diamondbacks in the first round of the playoffs, but lost to the San Francisco Giants in the NL Championship series.

In the 2003 season, Pujols had his best season yet, batting .359 with 43 home runs and 124 RBIs, winning the National League batting title, but the Cardinals failed to make the playoffs, faltering in the stretch to the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central. Pujols also finished second in the MVP voting, losing the award to Barry Bonds.

For 2004, Pujols was nagged by hamstring problems, but was still a powerful hitter, hitting .331 with 46 home runs and 123 RBI. In addition, Pujols was chosen to appear on the cover of EA Sports' video game, MVP Baseball 2004. 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 2005 season saw Pujols establish career highs in walks and stolen bases, while leading his team in almost every offensive category. He finished with a .330 batting average, a .430 on-base percentage, a .609 slugging percentage, 41 home runs (including his 200th career homer), a grand slam, 117 RBIs, 97 walks, and 16 stolen bases. However, due to continually nagging leg injuries, he finished with a career-low 38 doubles. The Cardinals were eliminated 4 games to 2 in the National League Championship Series, but Pujols hit a memorable home run in game 5—a 2-out, 3-run blast in the top of the 9th inning, off of Houston Astros closer Brad Lidge to stave off elimination. After the season, Pujols received his first National League MVP award, underscoring his critical role in keeping the injury-plagued Cardinals on track throughout the season.

[edit] Personal

Pujols is married with three children, Isabella (step-daughter), Albert, Jr. and Sophia. Albert and his wife, Deidre, are active in finding a cure for Down syndrome, as Isabella is afflicted by this condition. In 2005, they launched the Pujols Family Foundation which is dedicated to finding a cure for Down Syndrome and helping the poor in the Dominican Republic. Pujols is very religious which is why the PFF is bedrocked on the quote, "In the Pujols family, God is first. Everything else is a distant second."

[edit] Accomplishments

Rookie of the Year, 2001
Hank Aaron Award, 2003
The Sporting News Player of the Year Award|TSN Player of the Year, 2003
NLCS MVP, 2004
4-time All-Star 2001,2003-2005
3-time Silver Slugger 2001, 2003-2004
Pujols has finished in the top four in MVP voting every year of his career, winning once and coming in second twice (each time to Barry Bonds.
Became first player in MLB history to hit 30 home runs in each of his first five seasons, 2005
Only Ralph Kiner hit more home runs (215) in his first five seasons than Albert (201).
Named to Major League Baseball's Latino Legends Team in 2005 as the starting first baseman.
National League MVP, 2005

[edit] Scouting Report

[edit] Batting

Simply put: the best hitter in the game today.

Practically no weakness in the box. Perhaps the quickest hands in the majors which allow him to sit on one pitch and adjust to another with power. Can hit low/high, inside/oustside--anywhere--for contact and power. Ability to hit the ball out of the ball park to all fields. Does not miss mistakes.

There is no sure way to get him out and if you manage to do it once with a pitch, he adjusts the next at-bat to drive that same pitch. Can hit your best pitch out of the park and has the extension and bat speed to hit balls off the plate in or out and even above his hands. Keeps a level swing at all times hitting line drives with his mounting homerun totals coming almost by accident. Can get fooled and still adjust to hit a line drive.

A rare combination of patience with incredible contact skills that allow him to walk without taking any significant number of strikeouts. The only reason he doesn't walk more is because when he swings, he hits the ball.

Constantly adjusting: mid-at bat, mid-game, mid-season, off-season--all the time. He finds a way to get better after every swing. Consequently, he is relentlessly consistent with a slump being hitting .300 with power.

Below average speed but a sixth sense on the basepaths, always taking the extra base and rarely getting thrown out. Hustles almost every play when not ailing from any nagging injury.

[edit] Defense

A now gold-glove caliber first-baseman. Quick first step with great reaction times that allow him to reach balls other first-baseman don't get. Strong arm for a first-baseman that lets him turn double plays smoothly and attack runners on bunts. Scoops balls as well as any first-baseman in the league.

[edit] Statistics

[edit] Batting Stats

Year	Team		G	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	AVG	OBP	SLG	2B	3B	BB	SO	HBP	SH	SB	IBB	GDP
2001	STL	N	161	590	112	194	37	130	.329	.403	.610	47	4	69	93	9	1	1	6	21
2002	STL	N	157	590	118	185	34	127	.314	.394	.561	40	2	72	69	9	0	2	13	20
2003	STL	N	157	591	137	212	43	124	.359	.439	.667	51	1	79	65	10	0	5	12	13
2004	STL	N	154	592	133	196	46	123	.331	.415	.657	51	2	84	52	7	0	5	12	21
2005	STL	N	161	591	129	195	41	117	.330	.430	.609	38	2	97	65	9	0	16	27	19
2006	STL	N	143	535	119	177	49	137	.331	.431	.671	33	1	92	50	4	0	7	28	20
2007	STL	N	158	565	99	185	32	103	.327	.429	.568	38	1	99	58	7	0	2	22	27
Total			1091	4054	847	1344	282	861	.332	.420	.620	298	13	592	452	55	1	38	120	141

[edit] Fielding Stats

Year	Team		POS	G	GS	INN	PO	A	ERR	DP	TP	AVG
2001	STL	N	3B	55	52	431.2	40	111	10	17	0	.938
2001	STL	N	LF	39	37	309	72	3	1	0	0	.987
2001	STL	N	1B	42	31	287	283	19	5	27	0	.984
2001	STL	N	DH	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
2001	STL	N	OF	78	70	611.2	128	6	5	0	0	.964
2001	STL	N	RF	39	33	302.2	56	3	4	0	0	.937
2002	STL	N	RF	1	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	.000
2002	STL	N	LF	117	101	870.2	172	4	4	0	0	.978
2002	STL	N	DH	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
2002	STL	N	3B	41	37	293	25	66	6	6	0	.938
2002	STL	N	SS	1	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	.000
2002	STL	N	OF	118	101	873.2	172	4	4	0	0	.978
2002	STL	N	1B	21	16	144	140	13	1	24	0	.994
2003	STL	N	1B	62	36	369.2	340	33	1	34	0	.997
2003	STL	N	OF	113	113	904.1	198	7	3	0	0	.986
2003	STL	N	DH	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
2003	STL	N	LF	113	113	904.1	198	7	3	0	0	.986
2004	STL	N	DH	3	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
2004	STL	N	1B	150	150	1338.2	1458	114	10	136	0	.994
2005	STL	N	1B	157	154	1358.2	1597	97	14	175	1	.992
2006	STL	N	1B	143	142	1244.1	1348	110	6	145	0	.996
Total			1B	575	529	4742.1	5166	386	37	541	1	.993
Total			LF	269	251	2084	442	14	8	0	0	.983
Total			SS	1	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Total			3B	96	89	724.2	65	177	16	23	0	.938
Total			OF	309	284	2389.2	498	17	12	0	0	.977
Total			DH	8	8	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Total			RF	40	33	305.2	56	3	4	0	0	.937

[edit] Transactions

Selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 13th round of the free-agent draft on June 2, 1999 - signed on August 17, 1999.

[edit] Trivia

[edit] Video Gallery

Add Videos

Albert Pujols-1194885802-618	Albert Pujols-1194885803-891	Albert Pujols-1194885803-901
Albert Pujols-1194885803-83	Albert Pujols-1194885803-676	Albert Pujols-1194885803-225
Albert Pujols-1194885803-193	Albert Pujols-1194885803-501	Albert Pujols-1194885803-372
Albert Pujols-1194885803-627	Albert Pujols-1194885803-266	Albert Pujols-1194885803-184