Pujols means the world to Latin American peers

For generations of Major Leaguers from Latin America, there have been stars from their countries to look up to and try to emulate, especially at the beginning of their professional careers.

For young players from Puerto Rico, Roberto Clemente was the standard, on and off the field, followed by Orlando Cepeda, Iván Rodríguez, Yadier Molina and others. In Venezuela, the icons were Alfonso “Chico” Carrasquel and Luis Aparicio, followed by David Concepción and later Miguel Cabrera. For aspiring Major Leaguers from Mexico, Roberto “Bobby” Ávila and, of course, Fernando Valenzuela were the figures to look up to. And Cuba brought us Atanasio “Tany” (or Tony) Pérez, who along with Tony Oliva and Luis Tiant set the bar for their countrymen in the last 60 years.

In the Dominican Republic -- birthplace of four Hall of Famers and the perennial leader in participating players in MLB born outside the U.S. and Puerto Rico -- Juan Marichal was for decades the undisputed king of baseball, the first of his countrymen in Cooperstown and the standard by which other Dominican players were measured. In just under six years, Pedro Martínez, Vladimir Guerrero and David Ortiz -- who in the last decade have followed Marichal’s footsteps with Hall of Fame enshrinement -- will almost assuredly be joined in Cooperstown by Albert Pujols, who homered twice Friday night to join the elite 700-HR club.

As he winds down a historic 22-year Major League career, Pujols -- who announced he will retire after the 2022 season -- is that standard for generations of players, not only from the Dominican Republic, but from Latin America at large.

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“Everybody knows Albert is like a dad for us,” said Padres slugger and fellow Dominican Juan Soto. “You look back at his numbers -- all those numbers are MVP numbers every year. It’s amazing what he has done, how many doors have been opened for Latin players, Dominican players and everybody else.”

Of course, as one of only four players to reach 700 home runs, in addition to cracking the career top 10 in RBIs, hits, doubles and games played -- among countless other accolades -- Pujols is one of the best players in Major League history. But for his Latin American counterparts, past and present, he has represented some of the very best the region has to offer.

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And his willingness to take time to talk to and mentor younger players, coupled with his charitable work in the Dominican Republic, St. Louis and elsewhere with the Pujols Family Foundation, have cemented his legacy

“Not only the work and the numbers that he put on the field; all the great work he put in outside the field through his foundation, the way he carries himself,” said Nationals veteran slugger Nelson Cruz, who is the GM of the Dominican team preparing for the 2023 World Baseball Classic. “He has an been an ambassador for the game for many years. He represents us well. As Latins, especially Dominicans, we’re definitely really proud of him. He’s an example to follow, a mentor for most of us and just a great human being. If you know him, he’s just a great guy to be around.”

Pujols’ longevity is such that there is an ample crop of current players who grew up watching him and later had the chance to play on the same field with him. Twins shortstop Carlos Correa, for one, saw Albert on television as a youngster in Puerto Rico.

“He was my favorite player growing up,” Correa said. “I wore No. 5 when I was playing Little League because of him. Then, when I got to the big leagues, I couldn't choose No. 5 because it was retired for Jeff Bagwell in Houston.

“He's been my favorite hitter to watch ever since I can remember watching baseball. The fact that he's still doing it and he's playing great, it makes me happy. It makes me happy that he's such a great human being; he's such a great inspiration for so many people. You want to see people like that succeed."

One player who was able to wear No. 5 in honor of Pujols is Rays shortstop Wander Franco, whose uncle Erick Aybar played with the “The Machine” for several years with the Angels.

“He's a legendary ballplayer,” said Franco, 21, who was about one month old when Pujols made his Major League debut in April 2001. “It's incredible. That's why I wear No. 5, and I wear it solely for him. He's a great person and a great legend.”

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During this farewell season, Pujols has been asked by many of his colleagues, many of whom grew up watching him, for signed jerseys and gloves, as has been the case with Cabrera -- even though Miggy is under contract with the Tigers for 2023.

“They are just showing their respect, and it means a lot to me,” Pujols said of the requests. “They’re doing it just like I did before for players like [Derek] Jeter and David Ortiz. Those were guys who were in the league way before me, and when I played against them, it was really special.”

One moment exemplifies the reverence for Pujols among his Latin American peers who grew up admiring him. Earlier this month, with the Cardinals and Brewers vying for the National League Central lead, Pujols reached second base as the clubs played a two-game series at Busch Stadium. Brewers shortstop Willy Adames -- with his father, Rómulo, in attendance -- went straight to Pujols to give him a big hug.

“That was a lot of love and admiration. He is a role model for us Dominican baseball players,” Adames said afterward. “He is my dad’s favorite player. That’s why I’ve been watching since I was a little kid. That’s why I brought my dad here to St. Louis, because I wanted to see him here. When [Pujols] got to second, I got goosebumps. I was like a little kid. It was a great moment for me as a Dominican ballplayer.”

Those stories and testimonies abound when it comes to Pujols’ legacy as a Latin American icon, a stature that Albert is well aware of and has always taken seriously.

“It means a lot to be an example -- not just for the Dominican players, but hopefully also for the American guys too,” he said. “I’ve tried to just always do my job, never take anything for granted and enjoy this game. I’m blessed to be wearing this uniform.”