[...]... injury, Pujols would be a major baseball star for years to come As former St Louis Cardinal and current broadcaster Mike Shannon said, quoted in Albert the Great: The Albert Pujols Story, “If he stays healthy and keeps performing like he’s performing, which you expect, he’s going to keep breaking records   albert pujols Barry Bonds If Albert Pujols has been compared to just one still-active baseball. .. and religion? How does he try to make a difference in the world? What is it that makes Albert Pujols the man that he is?  2 Dominican Beginnings A lbert Pujols was born José Alberto Pujols on January 16, 1980, in Santo Domingo, the capital city of the Dominican Republic In many ways, Albert was destined to play baseball His father, Bienvenido, had been a star pitcher in the Dominican Republic and... ways to play baseball with poor or nonexistent equipment Kids use milk cartons for gloves They use a wadded-up cloth for a ball They play using nothing more than a stick and a plastic cap from a large water bottle They play baseball in the street, dodging traffic They play baseball in a cleared sugarcane field They play baseball on the beach Albert Pujols was one of those kids GROWING UP POOR Albert s... age that he wanted to follow in his footsteps and have a career in baseball Indeed, from the time Albert could walk, he had his father’s passion for baseball As he once said, quoted in Albert Pujols by Jeff Savage, “I used to wear his uniform whenever I could I wanted to be like him.” By the time he was six years old, Albert was playing baseball every day on the dusty fields outside his home in Santo... offered the Pujols family new opportunities As Albert later said, quoted in Jeff Savage’s Albert Pujols, “We come from a poor, poor country When we came to the United States, it was like, ‘Oh man, we’re in heaven!’” The family did not remain in New York City for long The city was more expensive than the family had ever imagined Also, Albert s grandmother, America, was concerned that New 17 18 albert pujols. .. first year,” Albert said, quoted in Jeff Savage’s Albert Pujols “I was shy I knew that I needed English to communicate So I worked hard at it, like baseball. ” Albert knew that his success in school and as a baseball player depended on his ability to learn English Although he was frustrated at times by the difficulties of learning the language, he worked hard, and his English gradually improved Baseball, ... Dominican Republic If they could make it, Albert was certain, so he could he Albert s passion for all things baseball showed in his fascination with the sport’s past He was interested in learning all he could about baseball history and in learning about earlier Latin American baseball stars, like Roberto Clemente, Tony Pérez, and Juan Marichal They became role models for Albert, proving to him that Latin American... that number, only a tiny handful will thrive and become baseball stars, their names known and their achievements praised and argued about by baseball fans nationwide Albert Pujols is one of those select few What is it that makes him so special? How did he prepare himself for a career in baseball? How does he balance the demands of professional baseball with those of family and religion? How does he... albert pujols Then again, players like Albert Pujols do not come along that often, either In just seven seasons of Major League Baseball, he has proven himself to be one of the finest players currently in the game, and he is on track to establish himself as one of baseball s all-time greatest players Consider the following numbers... our fence.” Albert played shortstop in high school, but his main role was as a hitter In his first season, he hit 471 with 11 home runs and 32 RBIs, leading Fort Osage to the Missouri Class 4A state championship in 1997 His English tutor, Portia Stanke, remembers the pride that Albert felt playing on the Fort Osage varsity team She 21 22 albert pujols recalled, quoted in Albert the Great, Albert was . Puckett Albert Pujols Mariano Rivera Jackie Robinson Babe Ruth Curt Schilling Ichiro Suzuki Bernie Williams Ted Williams Albert Pujols Albert Pujols Dennis Abrams BaseBall superstars ALBERT PUJOLS Copyright. 1960– Albert Pujols / Dennis Abrams. p. cm. — (Baseball superstars) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-7910-9600-0 (hardcover) 1. Pujols, Albert, 1980- 2. Baseball. They play baseball in the street, dodging traffic. They play baseball in a cleared sugarcane field. They play baseball on the beach. Albert Pujols was one of those kids. GROWING UP POOR Albert s