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Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
January 16, 1980
His grandmother became one of the primary caretakers of young Albert.
Moved to the United States
January 1, 1991
The Pujols family had migrated to the United States in the early 1990s. They had first settled in New York, New York, but had later moved to Independence, Missouri.
Fort Osage High School
September 1, 1994 - December 1, 1998
Pujols developed his love of baseball while attending Fort Osage High School, where he batted well over .500 in his first season. He became one of the most feared hitters in the Kansas City area.
Maple Woods Community College
March 1, 1999 - June 15, 1999
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. He batted .461 for the year.
Drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals
June 5, 1999
The St. Louis Cardinals drafted Pujols in the 13th round of the 1999 draft, the 402nd overall pick. However, Pujols initially turned down a USD $10,000 bonus and opted to play in the Jayhawk League in Kansas instead. 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.
Minor Leagues
June 30, 1999 - September 30, 2000
In 1999, Pujols played for 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.
Married to Wife Deidre
January 1, 2000
Pujols married his wife, Deidre, on January 1, 2000. They have three children, Isabella (Deidre's daughter, adopted by Albert), Albert Jr., and Sophia.
St. Louis Cardinals
April 1, 2001 - Now
He immediately made an impact in the Major Leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals where he hit at least 30 home runs and batted well above .300 each season.
Phenomenal Rookie Season
April 1, 2001 - September 30, 2001
For the season, Pujols batted .329/.403/.610 (batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage) with 37 home runs and 130 RBI, and was selected to the All-Star game as a rookie. He was unanimously named the National League Rookie of the Year after the season was completed.
2003 Batting Title Champion
April 1, 2003 - September 30, 2003
During the 2003 season, Pujols finished with a .359 batting average and finished 2nd in Most Valuable Player voting behind Barry Bonds.
Featured Player of EA's 2004 MVP Baseball
January 1, 2004
Pujols was the featured athlete on EA's 2004 MVP Baseball.
Became Permanent First Baseman
April 1, 2004 - September 30, 2004
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. Following an injury scare in 2003, Pujols was moved to his current position, first base.
National League's Most Valuable Player
April 1, 2005 - September 30, 2005
The 2005 season saw Pujols establish career highs in walks and stolen bases, while leading his team in almost every offensive category. 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). 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.
Pujols Family Foundation
May 5, 2005
Albert and his wife are active in the cause of people with Down syndrome, as Isabella was born with this condition. 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.
Pujol's Most Memorable Home Run
October 14, 2005
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. With the Astros leading 4-2 with two outs in the ninth inning, David Eckstein singled. 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. 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.
Most Home Runs in the Month of April
April 29, 2006
Pujols set the record for the most home runs hit in the first month of the season, at 14. The record was tied by Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees in 2007.
Pujols 5 Restaurant
August 30, 2006
He has taken part ownership in Patrick's restaurant at Westport Plaza in Maryland Heights, Missouri. The remodeled restaurant was reopened as Pujols 5.
World Series Champion
October 23, 2006
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.
First Gold Glove at First Base
October 30, 2006
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.
Became a United States Citizen
Feburary 7, 2007
Pujols became a U.S. citizen, scoring a perfect 100 on his citizenship test. He was quoted in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch as saying, "This is a dream come true. I was born in an igloo hoping one day to live in an American townhouse as a citizen. Today is that day."
