From being born in alley 22 of the Cristo Rey sector, to becoming the fourth player in all of baseball to reach the most exclusive of circles, hitting 700 home runs in Major League history.
Albert Pujols, who was born on January 16, 1980, grew up with his grandmother, lived until his early years in this popular neighborhood, until later moving to Villa Mella, where he continued his childhood life.
Both in Cristo Rey and in Villa Mella he led the daily life of a normal child, until, like most infants, little by little he became interested in baseball.
In Cristo Rey, many remember them as a diligent child, who was always on the arm of his grandmother. His parents were Benjamín Pujols and María Martínez.
When he was 12 years old, he arrived in the Trinitarios sector as a member of a Cristo Rey Baseball league and there he was amazed at the existing structure in the entity and in the neighborhood.
There he meets new friends like Rene Rojas, Fausto, Víctor and Amaury De Jesús Reynoso, Alberto Arias, Erico Rosario, Summer Guzmán, all members of the Los Trinitarios League and by coincidence, today a member of the 700 home run club, he would have to spend a season at the house of some cousins in Barrio Duarte, which is right next to the Trinitarios.
With the aforementioned group he forms a great friendship and joins the league of the same name. This is where he really begins to fall in love with the game of baseball.
A relationship of brothers began, which only separated when the future immortal from Cooperstown had to emigrate in 1996 with his family to the United States.
The beginning
It was the year 1993, Pujols began to train as a baseball player, aboard a 1979 Datsun 140I car that Erico had inherited from his father, he would go with Pujols and Rojas to run for the sand in San Souci, near the Marina pier. of war.
It was a daily meeting at six in the morning at Club Los Trinitarios as three brothers, hungry to develop in baseball and who constantly told each other. “One of us has to sign and be a Major Leaguer.”
Erico was close to agreeing with the Marlins, Rene almost did with the Cincinnati Reds and Pujols, after receiving his North American residency, later entered the draft and was recruited by the Cardinals.
Although Pujols was the only one who finally agreed, all three are major leaguers in various areas, as Erico has been a player’s agent for years and Rene has worked as scouts for several franchises that include the Cardinals themselves, Anaheim, Houston Astros among others.
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After settling with his family in New York City, Pujols showed his skill batting over 500 in his first season at Fort Osage High School in Independence, Missouri, twice earning full state honors. he graduated from high school in December 1998. He attended Metropolitan Community College in the Kansas City area in the spring of 1999. In his only season in college, Pujols hit a grand slam and hit an unassisted triple play in his first match.
In the 1999 draft, he was selected in the 13th round and as the 402nd, few scouts showed interest in his talent.
On Friday, the Dominican joined the most exclusive group in baseball, the group of 700-homer hitters.
Quite an achievement for someone who came from a neighborhood as poor and humble as Cristo Rey and who triumphs with the level that he has achieved in the Major Leagues.
