Joanne Mattern - Albert Pujols: Baseball Superstar

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On April 29, 2006, Albert Pujols was chasing a record. His St. Louis Cardinals andthe Washington Nationals were locked in a 1-1 tie. In the bottom of the eighth inning,Pujols stepped up to bat. He quickly got ahead in the pitch count with two ballsand one strike.

Pujols swung hard at the fourth pitch. Crack! The ball leaped off his bat. Pujols14th home run of the season sailed into the rightfield bullpen .

bullpen a place where pitchers warm up before pitching in a game

Pujols became the first player ever to hit 14 home runs during April. It was a goodstart to a great season. By the end of the season, he had 49 home runs and a WorldSeries ring.

Albert Pujols was born January 16, 1980, in the Dominican Republic. Pujols livedin Santo Domingo. He grew up playing baseball. When he was 16, he moved to the UnitedStates with his father. They settled in Missouri. Pujols played baseball at FortOsage High School. His batting average rose above .500 in his first season.

batting average a measure of how often a batter gets a hit

Young baseball players in the Dominican Republic

DOMINICAN BASEBALL

Baseball is very popular in the Dominican Republic. Almost every boy plays baseball.Major league teams send scouts to the Dominican Republic to find great players. Morethan 500 Dominicans have played in the major leagues.

After high school, Pujols went to Maple Woods Community College. He was a star rightaway. Pujols had a .461 batting average his first year. He hit 22 home runs and had80 runs batted in (RBIs). After just one year, Pujols entered the Major League Baseball(MLB) draft .

draft the process of choosing a person to join a sports team

You know if you work hard, your hard work is going to pay off someday. AlbertPujols

CHAPTER 3

CARDINAL STAR

In June 1999, the St. Louis Cardinals drafted Pujols in the 13th round. In Septemberhe joined a Cardinals minor league team. In 2000 Pujols batting average climbedto .324. He also hit 17 home runs. He was named the minor league Most Valuable Player(MVP).

minor league a league of teams where players improve their playing skills beforejoining a major league team

Pujols joined the Cardinals as an infielder in 2001. He wasted no time wowing fans.In each of his first two seasons, he had more than 30 home runs and 100 RBIs. In2003 Pujols brought even more power to the plate. He racked up 212 hits and smashed43 home runs. He was the National League batting champion with a .359 average.

Sometimes youre going to get hits. Sometimes youre going to make outs. Thatsthe way this game is. Youre not going to be perfect every time. Albert Pujols

Pujols playing skills improved over the next few seasons. He hit 46 home runs in2004. In 2005 he had a .330 batting average and 117 RBIs. He was also named the NationalLeague MVP.

In 2006 Pujols shined in the field too. He won the Gold Glove Award at first base.He also helped the Cardinals win the World Series.

AMAZING RECORD

In 2010 Pujols hit more than 30 home runs for the 10th straight season in a row.No other player has ever achieved this record.

In 2008 Pujols had a .357 batting average and 37 home runs. In 2009 he hit 47 homers.He repeated as the National League MVP in both seasons. In 2011 he led the Cardinalsto another championship. The slugger switched leagues in 2012, signing with the LosAngeles Angels of Anaheim.

There is no pressure. I just concentrate and do the best I can. I try to do my bestevery day and help the team win any way I can. Albert Pujols