Albert Pujols was born Jose Alberto Pujols on January 16, 1980 in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. In 1996, at the age of 16, Albert Pujols moved to the United States, and lived in Kansas City. He graduated from Fort Osage High School in Independence, Missouri, after twice earning all-state honors in baseball. He made a name for himself at Maple Woods Community Collegewhere he earned a baseball scholarship, and was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 13th round of the 1999 free agent draft. Leading Baseball Scout, Dave Karaff signed Pujols. After only one year in the minors, Pujols was invited to spring training with the St. Louis Cardinals. He played so well that he never got sent back down to the AAA team.
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In 2001, Pujols earned the NL Rookie of the Year award. In both 2002 and 2003, Pujols finished second to Barry Bonds in National League MVP voting. Albert’s .359 batting average at the end of the 2003 season earned him his first NL Batting Title, as well as a 7 year, $100 Million Dollar Contract to play baseball in St. Louis through the end of the 2010 season.
The Cardinals won 105 games in 2004 to win the NL Central Division. The St. Louis Cardinals won the National League Championship by defeating the Houston Astros 5-2 in Game 7 of the NLCS. Albert Pujols was named the NLCS MVP. Pujols hit .500, going 14-for-28 in the NLCS with 4 homers and 9 RBIs. Unfortunately, the Boston Red Sox swept the 2004 World Series in 4 games. Pujols’ biggest game of his big league career to date when on July 20th, 2004 against the Chicago Cubs, Pujols went 5 for 5, 3 home runs, a double, 4 Runs Scored, and 5 to lead a dramatic come from behind win 11-8 over the Cubs in the Cardinals’ final game of the year at Wrigley Field. The Cardinals went on to win 105 games to win the NL Central Division. Albert Pujols ended the 2004 regular season batting .331 with a career high 46 home runs (tied for 2nd). Pujols had 123 RBI (3rd), a .657 slugging percentage (2nd) and ranked #1 in NL runs scored with 133. His 51 doubles also tied his career high. After beating the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS, the St. Louis Cardinals won the National League Championship by defeating the Houston Astros 5-2 in Game 7 of the NLCS. Albert Pujols was named the MVP of 2004. Pujols hit .500, going 14-for-28 in the NLCS with 4 homers and 9 RBIs.
As popular as Albert Pujols has become collectors cannot get enough of his sports cards and collectibles. Some of the best Albert Pujols rookie cards are those that autographed and or signed. Make sure you check the rest of the site for other information about some of the best Albert Pujols baseball cards and autographs that are worth buying.
