Albert Pujols: Rise from the Dominican Republic and Fallout in St. Louis

Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
This week on the In Depth podcast, Albert Pujols.
Good to see you bro and thanks for taking the time really to
come now and and do this. A three time MVP, six time
Silver Slugger and two time World Series champion who holes
was a dominant force on the field, quickly becoming a

(00:20):
household name when he first arrived in the majors back in
2001. You had to be cocky and you
know, when I got drafted I, I knew that.
I knew that I had talent to playin this level.
When I met up with Poo Holes in 2019, he opened up about his
tough upbringing in the Dominican Republic.
You'd have to bring him home drunk.

(00:42):
Probably that's why I haven't touched.
I don't drink and I don't smoke.Like I don't do any of that.
His faith driven approach throughout his career.
I thank God for that talent and this platform that He has given
me, man. And his contentious departure
from the Cardinals. The last thing that I, which I
would never do for anybody, is getting on my knee and begging
them. But we began our conversation by

(01:02):
talking about his foundation andhow he gives back to others in
the Dominican and around the globe.
All right, so I want to start off talking about charity.
Why did you decide to create your foundation in the first
place? I think it was the right time.

(01:25):
You know, I remember TA Perry, you know who he came in 2004, I
believe, you know, to me and Deidre and kind of present the
whole project, you know, and at that time, I don't think we were
ready for to start it. I mean, we did some things with
the community, the Down syndromecommunity of San Louis, like

(01:46):
around the area, sponsor some ofthe golf tournaments and all
that and, and kind of be in the face.
But it took us about a whole year, you know, to think about
and to process. And I can look back right now,
maybe, you know, 1314 years later.
And thank God really that we didn't start it.
You know, that we really searching and praying and we

(02:06):
were grateful about it. And, you know, may or five or
five. That's when we pretty much, you
know, decide to make that call. And I, I believe that that was
the the right time. That's when God really put that
in our heart, you know? Your long term goals for it or
what? Well, really do what we have
done so far. I mean, I was, I was so amazed

(02:30):
how much just within the few years the foundation was
growing. I mean, within a year we were
making mission trade down to theDominican Republic, you know,
treating, you know, between 1500and 3000 people giving food.
And you know, it's still up today that we still support DA

(02:51):
vate. I mean, every time I go, I I
kind of rewind and go back, you know, 13 years when we first put
our our our footstep in the ground in the Dominican Republic
in vate a le man. It was like their field, you
know, and now they have a reallybeautiful feel and nothing went

(03:12):
wrong. And then just different programs
that we have set not just in theBatae, but different other area.
And you know, my dream and my goal is continue to to try to
that platform that we already have set in this community in
Batae Alama and kind of take it to the other ones because there
is different areas in the Dominican Republic that need

(03:33):
help. And I think that's that's what
going to take this to the next level in the Dominican Republic.
When you've been to the Dominican, what have you seen in
terms of when you've gone in to the varying areas to help?
Well, what I have seen, first ofall, I, I need to give, I need
to give a lot of prides and, andthanks to all the doctors and

(03:57):
the group of people that we takedown there.
You know, Homer Siddique and Jane.
I mean, there's so many people, Jen Mueller, who's pretty much
those are like our captain that put the teams together for us
to, to go down to the DRS until day one.
I mean, you're talking about dentists and doctors that closed
their office for a week. You know how much money they're

(04:18):
giving away, you know, like justhaving their time and just close
it up and then go down there andgo down to the Dr. man and, and
pretty much just work from, you know, 6:00 AM to 6:00 o'clock
7:00 at night. I mean, up going.
We maybe have one day where we can be relaxed, maybe the last
day, but they're like, why wouldyou?
We don't come here to relax. We come here to work.

(04:39):
I mean, you appreciate that. You appreciate that when those
people like, you know, it's not about something, you know, with
money is great. Giving money is great because
this is, you know, was moving the foundation, but I think when
you had those people donating their time too, it's just
expression because you know, allthe volunteers and all the
events, you know, within 100, probably 100 and 10120 events a

(05:03):
year, you know, it takes a lot of bodies, you know, moving and
you know. What do you see when you're
there? What I see when I'm there, man,
is just the grow, the grow the happiness, the the the.
What? What about the challenges?
The well, the challenges are always challenge.
There's always stuff. I mean, you're talking about
people sleeping in in in the floor, you know, then one year

(05:27):
we decide we donated close to 304 hundred mattress in bed.
That was one of the project thatwe did because we saw that.
I mean, you, you were talking about like places that you not
even a puppy or dog you wanted to sleep.
I mean, another project, you know, that we've done is it's
that baseball, Battech baseball,you know, where we have

(05:47):
different talents come out of that out of there, you know, and
just give them the hope that they're probably weren't
looking. We brought I believe a couple of
kids are ready to United States where one of them had to have
heart surgery. Another one we saved the leg
with cancer. I mean, just different
challenge, man. But with the support of so many

(06:08):
people, not just in San Louis but around the country, I don't
think we were able to to to reach this goal.
What did you see first hand fromhaving a daughter with Down
syndrome that made you want to make that one of the focuses of
your foundation as well? I think it's a easy call.
You know, I saw the the need that we needed it and you know,

(06:29):
being in 2001 in San Louis, theydidn't have that much support
and it was easy call for me to just jump aboard for four or
five years before I started our foundation.
Then we took cover pretty much and started doing our own
program for the these kids and adults with Down syndrome and
you know, and, and it's just just beautiful.

(06:52):
That's, that's my passion. I love taking a baseball.
I, I thank God for that talent and this platform that he has
given me, man. But I think to be able to to go
to one of these event like the prong or the basketball game,
man, I, I'm not like I turn likea little kid back again, you
know, because I, I have so much joy.
What's the highlight of the basketball game for you?
For me, it's the obviously having all the kids making

(07:14):
shots, you know, and then afterward the win, you know,
winning. We, we, we like, I think I will
leave. We like aiding.
Oh, you know, we win every year,but I think I just to give them
an opportunity and Ty's so good about creating different
programs. I love how you're competitive
with that. You know, but I think it's so

(07:35):
good because Todd, you know, andJen, they're so good about every
year, try to just give them opportunity to this family that
they probably would have never had.
And that's that's what the Spool's Family Foundation is all
about. What's the highlight of Prom for
you? Dancing, dancing with these
kids. I mean, you need to make one of
those day or you, I don't know, you probably have seen videos, I

(07:58):
mean. You're dressed with sweat by the
end of. Well they're fight so one year.
I just come from knee injuries. I just had surgery like 3 weeks
before the promo. Two weeks before the prom, bro,
and I'm telling you, I was just standing up and dancing.
My knee has swelled up like the next day because I was dancing.
I mean we taking turn, you know,and and I enjoy that man.

(08:18):
I, I enjoy that because that's the difference that we want to
make in the community, you know,and I believe that that's,
that's the code, you know, that's the code the guy has
given us, you know, and, and like I say, we still in San
Luis, there is the headquarter. I know I'm wearing a different
uniform, but that doesn't changeanything.
That doesn't change the love that I have for that city.

(08:38):
That doesn't change. And I'm going to continue to say
this until the day of that I die, but I, I was a little boy
when I came to Salou. I left a man because I learned
so much from that city and from and from my fans and the support
that they gave me, not just in my career, but off the field.
And I think to me, that's more important than anything that I
have accomplished in the field. I want to take you back to when

(09:01):
you were growing up. Rough upbringing.
It's remarkable how much successyou've been able to have given
where you came from. I want to go back to when you
were three, your parents get divorced and your mom decides to
leave and doesn't come back. What do you know about that?
Well, she she came around, but Ithink, you know, I've been

(09:24):
talking, I have talked to my mom, you know, and we cleaned
there, you know, but I think, you know, talking to her, you
know, it takes me back like whatdid that happen?
You know, that it wasn't like she left and just like whatever
I was raised by my grandma, you know, my dad's mom and you know,
you talk to my grandma and she always say that I'm the young,

(09:46):
the younger or or 1111 child that she has.
So I'm the youngest one. But I think it was the, the like
my family at that time, I think it was better for me to be with
my dad than with my mom, you know, because the, the, the
economy like better, you know, it was going to be my dad
probably would have, he was going to give me a better

(10:08):
education. I mean, bringing food for me
every day and and stuff like that.
Like we were in a better position at that time there
where my mother was. And I think that's that's how I
look back. But you know, that that wasn't
change the love that I have for my dad.
And that wasn't change the love that I have for my mom.

(10:30):
I think, you know, no child wants to be, you know, separate
from their mom and dad like they, they, you know, they want
their dad and their mom to, to be together.
But sometimes, you know, you go through those things.
But I think that didn't stop theplan that the Lord has in my
life. How do you think it affected you
not having your mom around earlyon?

(10:52):
You know, it wasn't like she never came around.
She, you know, she, she, she came around.
She came around, you know, once and, you know, when I was like
5-6, eight years old, like I would have spent the weekend
with her and all that, like, stuff like that.
Yeah. So it wasn't like she was gone
forever, you know? No, she came around, you know,
and she was there. She was there for me too, just

(11:13):
like my dad. Obviously, like I told you, my
dad, family, part of the family,we were in a better situation at
that time, you know, money wise and living wise than where she
was. And, and, but at the end of the
day, I think, you know, you always regret things that can
happen. But if I had to go back and I
had to do it again, I mean, you wanted better things.

(11:35):
But you know, I don't regret anything because it has made me
who I am today. Was there a point in which you
guys made the decision to reconnect?
Oh, we were with my mom. Yeah, I always, I mean, she was
just in the Dominican right now and she was standing in my house
over there. So I, I have a great
relationship with my mom and I have a great relationship with
my dad and I love dearly, I loveboth of them.

(11:58):
So, you know, like I say, I don't wish anybody, you know
this, but I believe that that didn't stop the plan that the
Lord has in my life, you know, and, and that's how I look at
it. So your dad had a day job as a
painter, played softball as well.
To what extent are those some ofyour earliest memories on the

(12:21):
ball field with your dad? Yes, it was fun because they
used to have double hitter, you know, every weekend pretty much.
And I, I would have grabbed the glove sometime.
You know, I was 5-6 years old grabbing the glove and my dad
was a pitcher, one of the best softball pitcher in the Dr. And
I remember he pitched the first game and I would have asked and
like, Dad, can you give me some ground?

(12:41):
Like he was be so tired, sweating and he would have hit
me grand balls, you know, and like I'll be in shortstop taking
grand balls from him. Like in between games, you know,
you only have like a 20 minute break.
But stuff like that, you know, it was, it was fun time, fun
time with my dad. You know how much?
Credit do you give him for your every success.

(13:01):
Everything, everything I gave after the Lord, like everything
I gave my dad, you know, becausenot just my dad, my, my whole
family, my whole family has being supportive from my grandma
to my grandpa, you know who passed, you know, he never got a
chance to see me playing in the big leagues.
I wish he would have, he would have had that chance.
You know, he passed in 1993, three years before I came to the

(13:24):
stage. But like, I think if there's
anybody that would enjoy my success in my career even more
than my dad or my mom or even myself, would it be my grandpa?
Because my grandpa was a great player.
He was, and he loved the game ofbaseball.
And I think that's what motivates everybody to play the

(13:45):
sport of baseball. And so your dad had a day job as
painter, but work, I understand,was kind of scarce.
And to what extent would he haveto leave for periods of time
looking for steady work? Yeah, it was tough.
It was tough. But the sometime when he would
have worked in the city, you know, I would go with him, you

(14:06):
know, during the weekend or off to school and try to help him
out. Like, I mean, I'll be coming
home, you know, I was like probably 11 or 12 years old, ten
years old, like just just helping him out as much as I
could and spending time. I'm the only child that my dad
had. So I'm like, like the the the
price, like everything at the time that he did, it was just

(14:29):
for me, for me and nobody else. And even to this day right now,
you know, so I really have a great relationship with him and
I thanking so much because he was the one that pushed me to
get better in this game and he was always around.
You've been pretty open about this.
I think when you're like 9-10 years old, after games he was

(14:52):
known to have a few drinks and you'd have to bring him home
drunk. How do you think that impacted
you? I mean, it was hard, but I
think, you know, like I say, that didn't change anything.
You know, it was part of like when you go to a baseball game,
you know, and and you on the weekend and hang out and play
stuff. I mean, you know, people have
this for drink whatever, and youknow, but I think, you know, it

(15:15):
was something that helped me andmy my life and probably that's
why I haven't touched, you know,knocking wood.
You know, I don't drink and I don't smoke.
Like I don't do any of that. Do you think that's why?
That's probably why I haven't, you know, I choose that like I
never tried to have alcohol. I don't have any problem with
that. But like, that doesn't drive me,

(15:37):
you know, and that might be the impact, you know, seeing my dad
like that. But.
Because I read a quote you gave where you remember thinking then
that if you had a son, you wanted to make sure that he he
wasn't having to. Yeah.
To do that to. Do that.
But at the end of the day, I think that that didn't change
anything. You know, my, I think my dad,
besides that, he was the perfectdad.

(16:00):
You know, it's still part of theperfect dad for me because he
was always there and gave me thelove that I needed and the shoes
that I needed for baseball, the food that I needed, Like
everything that I needed, my dadwas always there giving it to
me. I mean, I, I, I always believe
the education come from our family and I had a great, even

(16:23):
though I was moving, bouncing from place to places as I, I was
growing up. I have such a great people
around me, great family and great friends that helped me
along the way, you know, becauseI could have choose, I had had
different paths that I could have choose, you know, and my
focus was always, I want to be, become somebody.

(16:44):
I want to be a baseball player or, or, or, or an engineer
something bro to help my family because just like I was there,
you know, 21 years ago and see, you know, how poor our country
is. I wanted to be somebody in the
future that can help our family.And that's the opportunity that

(17:05):
God has given me. You know, I'd be able to help my
family the way that I wanted to and my dad and my grandma and
everybody and, and, and I thank God for that.
Your dad's mom, Your grandma, America.
How would you best explain the role that she played in your
life? Awesome.
She I was. I was her baby.
She protected me with everything, even when I got in

(17:27):
trouble and my dad or my grandpawanted to spank me like she was
always even to this day right now, like, you know, nobody can
say anything wrong her about me.Like she she's just a pressure,
pressure woman. And obviously she had a rough
life herself. She had to raise 10 kids, you
know, with my grandpa and how torough, you know how to rough

(17:49):
too. But you know, it's just like
everybody, man, if you want to, if you want to reach your goal
or, or be somebody you had to work hard for, you know, and she
never took any easy path. You know, she had to work hard
out of with my grandpa and she raised, you know, 10 beautiful
kids, my aunts and my uncles andand they raised me the right

(18:12):
way. I go back to the education, give
me the education then I need it because I started as a young
boy. You know, it doesn't start like
when you are growing up. Education, you know, I start as
a young boy and that's what I have.
I had those people around me, that's around me where there was
my aunt, cousin, uncle, you know, my dad, my mom, my

(18:33):
grandma, everybody. They were always there for me,
just just helping me. What do you think you learned
from her? She loved to help people like I
remember my dad or even my grandma, like giving food to the
neighbors, you know, when they didn't have to and they did just
help the neighbors out, you know, and.

(18:55):
When it wasn't like they had a lot.
To give and they were trying to help and then my grandma was the
same way and my grandpa. So I think that was really easy
for me to learn that. And I saw that as a little boy.
And it's like it was automatic, you know, for me to to if I see
some and me somewhere I'm going after because I believe that at

(19:20):
the end of the day, God has given me so much.
I can't take anything with me. And I heard a quote somebody say
the other day that we should praise people when they're
alive. Sometime we focus on pray people
when they pass. And I and I have thought of that
so many times there. There's no way until we lose

(19:43):
somebody to appreciate that person.
Let's do it when they're alive. And I think sometimes we we lose
that focus. And, you know, and I can think
about my grandpa and my grandma,you know, just raising their
kids and working hard, you know,to give them the best education.

(20:03):
And you know when you see that, it's like.
It's automatically meant to you.You learn that and and you
become, you know who you become and and you always there's
there's one quote you never forget where you come from.
Why decide to move to the US? My youngest met Alfredo.

(20:25):
They came, I believe 878687. So my dad's sister, she's the
oldest of the older girl. She moved to the United States.
She had her paper, she applied for papers and she came, she was
the first one that came to the United States.

(20:45):
And as you come to the United States, you always, you know
that you leave family behind andyou want to help your family.
So as soon as she came to the state, she applied for the
papers and you know, applied to bring my grandma, my grandpa,
who was the first one they came.Then when my grandma, my grandpa
came, then they start applying to bring their, their kids, you
know, and they hope our whole family.

(21:07):
So pretty much it was like a, a puzzle, you know, then and there
was another end and her husband,then another end, another end.
So my dad and myself, we were the last one 1996 they came to
the United States. But that's it wasn't it wasn't
like I choose. It was like that's where my
family was coming and you know, and it was to to give us a

(21:30):
better life. But it always started from my
end. Esmeralda and Alfredo, who I
give, I mean, I die for those people.
I die for everybody in my family, but just for them, you
know, for them to do that. And that's, you know, and I go
back, man, it's like I see some tiny hotel and thinking about my

(21:51):
life. It's like, man, this all gas
plant, you know? Tell about the shooting you saw
that was. Part of the reason I.
Decided to move from New York toindependence.
Part of Missouri, yeah, part of that.
But my grandma was already in Missouri waiting for me.
So. But I think one thing 11 great
move that my that my grandma at that time, my my my grandpa was

(22:14):
already, you know, he passed away.
So it was my grandma with my aunt Esmeralda Alfredo.
And I think she came one summer to Independence, MO and visit
her Wilfredo, who's my, my dad'sbrother.
And she fell in love with the country.
And she's like, she fell in lovewith the state.

(22:36):
I'm sorry. And she's like, this is where I
want to raise my kid there, you know, bring my kids, bring my
grandkids, you know, And I thinkit was the best move because you
look at it to bring everybody ormy family, you know, to the
United States and trying to finda job in New York, that would be
rough. You know, So imagine it's hard
to find one person to find a job.

(22:57):
Imagine 10 or 11 in your family plus their spouse.
You know, it would be tough. So I believe she moved, you
know, that summer after that summer of 96, she moved in the
winter to Independence, MO. And you know, that's kind of it
wasn't just because the shooting.
I think it was part of my grandma once again looking for

(23:20):
her family and the best for her family moved there.
And I think it was the best movefor everybody.
But without getting to specificsthat really impacted you,
understandably so. The shooting one, No, it was, it
was tough. I mean, you're talking about I'm
16 years old and seeing that, I mean, it's, it's hard, you know,

(23:41):
but you know, it was a long timeago.
Sometime I think about it, but Idon't, you know, I don't even
remember all the details. After you and your father moved
to Independence, MO, I understand you felt lonely.
How so? It was hard, bro, because, you
know, going in high school, you know, I was like a year and a

(24:02):
half from graduating down in theDominican and now you come into
the United States and now you have to kind of repeat, you
know, you know, going to school and repeat the class.
And because at that time I didn't know any English.
So it was, it was hard. But I'm one of those guy men
that if it's something drive me,do I go after and I go after

(24:25):
hard. So I, I knew that I needed to
learn the language to be able tocommunicate, to be able to take
classes by myself, man. And I started taking classes
with Mrs. Stanky, who was my English teacher.
And she, she didn't know any Spanish.
I didn't know any English. Well, I love that your English

(24:47):
teacher who's supposed to be tearing you in this and.
It was like but you know what bro?
It took three months, man, and Iwent after and in three months
it was, you know, I, I'd really,I'd really learned how to
communicate. When you're a kid, you can pick
it up things really quick. So I don't know, I, I'm really
smart when it comes to that. Like I have, I memorized things

(25:08):
really good, I mean, and, and all that stuff.
And it was she put a lot of workinto to help me out and because
she knew how hard I wanted to learn the language.
And it was challenge, man. It was challenge being in
school. And, you know, I know a lot of
people were laughing at me because I didn't know the
language. Yeah.

(25:29):
And you know what? But it's it just, you know, we
are kids, man. And going to high school, it
happens in every high school. You.
Know how much should they make fun of you?
A lot. But you know what?
I had a good friend of mine up to right now, Chris Franca.
He he was in the baseball team and he he helped me out along
the way, too. What would they say when
they're? Making no, I just, you know,

(25:50):
because the language because I wouldn't understand, you know, I
go sometime, you know, I wouldn't say something that
wasn't correct. And they laughed, you know, But
I think, OK, what what about? Your last name, I would have to
imagine you come over like you don't have an American last
name. It's kind of funny.
Like you get crap for that? No, not really.
I think I had to help people howto pronunciate, you know, how to

(26:12):
say my last name, you know, but I look at it like, man, you
know, those those were a great time.
You know, those was great time in my life.
And and once again, GAO was had a had a plan for me putting
great people along their way because, you know, Chris, who
was our the shortstop in in highschool for Osage High School, he

(26:33):
moved to third base and he was one of our best pitcher too.
And he's one of my my best friend too, from high school
that I still in touch with and Iget to enjoy every time I go to
Kansas City to spend time with him and his family.
But he, he really helped me out and took me under his wing, I
would say. So that that kind of like

(26:55):
environment with those, with my friends in high school also
helped me out, you know, to learn the language.
How often did you have proper baseball equipment growing up?
Never. Never.
I had to borrow from my neighbor.
I had to pay 5 bucks, you know, to one of my friends to let me

(27:16):
borrow the glove. I understand you had to take it
from my dad. I had to recreate it, you know,
and play with milk. How would you do it?
You get the cardboard, obviouslyyou smash it down and you would
have, you know, obviously put a hole on top after just mash it
down. So you open it in the side, open
a big crack and then on top you just open a hole and that's

(27:38):
that's where your finger goes. So you just kind of grab it like
this And you know, I would have played cash with that.
I would tell you it's really easy, you know, but easy to
make, But it was I would have been created with that.
I would have been created with alicense plate.
You know, we got a, we have a game called a plaquita, which is

(28:00):
the license plate game. And you would have as four
people, it takes four people, 2 bottle each size or one bottle
in the other side and 9 bottle in this side.
So you play 3 outs. So if you knock that play down,
which you, you know, obviously make it small and then it stands
up the license plate, that's an out, you know.

(28:22):
But then if you hit a home run, you know, then you can you just
bounce you score runs kind of like cricket like that going
like back and forth kind of that's how we play ball in
cricket. You like really don't run as
much, but we call that game La Plaquita.
And I played in the street, you know, with, with some of my
friends. And once again, it's almost like
baseball, but you would have used you wouldn't use a regular

(28:44):
bat. You would have used a
broomstick. Same thing.
I know the game that I played was La Btigia, which is that,
you know, the water cap, the bigbottled water, you know, it
comes with that green cap sometime and the blue 1.
You would have take that out andthen you peel it up.
You had a broomstick and you just throw it and kind of play.
So those were we were created, we gangs and you know gangs

(29:09):
there are really famous down in the Dominican Republic.
I go and I see people playing the games and then they are.
How much did your wedding cost and where do you get the money
from? Oh, well, I don't know, 150
bucks, probably, yeah. And by Condon, I remember Diddy

(29:31):
got some money because somebody showed up because somebody did
somebody, somebody showed up. And it was extra money that we
had to pay that we didn't have. But you know what, man?
It was, I think it was 150 or something like that.
Class A ball, there's a bench clearing brawl.

(29:52):
How painful was the $100 fine that you got?
Really painful because when you were making $252.00 with 52
cent, I think is, and you take $100 fine, you know, and then
you have your wife and an apartment, you know, with, you
know, I'm getting ready to give birth to AJ, my second one,

(30:15):
Hambela. It was tough.
But you know what, at that time,dude, if I had to pay it again,
I'd pay it because you, you weresticking up for your team.
And that's something that I think as a player, you never
forget You, you, this is your this is your family.

(30:36):
And you spend more time with your teammate than what you
spend when you're really family.And it was just something that
we saw it coming because we haveproblem with them when it
happens in their field. And then when they came to us,
they broke our one of our prospect leg at home play.
And you knew that we had to do something and we went on him.

(30:57):
And then I remember Chris Duncan, he was in the and the,
and the team with me that year. I was the 3rd baseman, he was
the first baseman and we were kind of the two big guys.
Everybody else were pretty small.
But you know, you had to do whatyou had to do at that time.
I mean, you don't want to try staying the dugout and like not

(31:19):
worry about paying the fine. Why did your wife Didi want to
declare bankruptcy and why did you talk her out of it?
Well, I just talked her out of it because I believe, you know,
you, you had to be cocky. And you know, when I got
drafted, I, I knew that I knew that I had talent to play in
this level. I even told one of my uncle

(31:42):
Wilkins, we went to a royal game1996 or 97.
This is probably the summer of 97 where where I saw Benji
Molina and I believe I saw Gigamon making that famous
diving catch when they were wearing the unit, the Angels,
the Disney Land uniform and thatfamous diving catch running
back, you know, like this, like Willie Mays.

(32:04):
I said that he'd go for. I was at that game and the whole
reason I was at that game because my summer coach had like
seasons ticket and that year he won all the game.
He gave it to me. It's like, hey, I'm not going to
go to the game. You want to go?
I was like, yeah, I take it. So that was my first big league
game that I put my, that I went and I remember I told my, my

(32:31):
uncle Wilkins, listen, he asked me, do you think you can play
with these guys? I'm like, give me the bag.
I'll show you, you know, like, Iwas like I, I, I work hard for,
you know, I work hard for I, I train hard and, and that's, that
was my attitude. So when that time came, I I knew
that if, if I put all that work and I put things together.

(32:55):
So I told her to give me time togive me, let me go play, give me
time and then don't do it. How would you explain the
difference when all of a sudden you're then making the Major
League minimum salary and how life changing that was?
You know, everything happened soquick, you know, to get drafted
to go to, you know, interestingly, then full year
and 2000 and then minorly in Peoria and then from there get

(33:18):
called to able hi a Potomac and then AAA, you know, and be one
of the hero and triple and AAA to hit the walk off Hondom to
send the team to the World Series.
Bro, you would have gave me likean A script or a blank paper and
read that down. I like write that down.
I don't I think I can't even putit.

(33:39):
That's the whole story together.So and then then next year in
2001, you know, get invited to the spring training and I wasn't
even supposed to play or even get any of our bats and making
the ball club that year to I wasit was unbelievable.
So I just think happened so quick in my life that it wasn't

(33:59):
even time for me to think about it, but just play the game the
way you know how to play the game.
And that's it up to this day. That's that's that's that's the
attitude that I have. Like I think sometime, don't get
me wrong, and I think sometime about how quick all that stuff,
you know, but to that year, I wasn't even thinking.

(34:20):
I was just enjoying that I was in the big leagues and and
having guys like Mike Martini, Placido Polanco, JD Drew, Woody
William, Daryl Kyle, Mark McGwire, I mean Gene Emmons, I
mean guys like that. That really helped me along the
way. And show me Bobby Ball, who was

(34:42):
there last night, who I thanked everybody there for pulling the
hamstring because that's the whole reason I made the ball
club, because he got hurt. But having those guys kind of
took me under the wing and show me, listen, kid, you belong
here. Just play your game.
You belong here, man. It was it was just a fun summer.

(35:03):
And on top of that, you know, when it Rookie of the Year, I
mean, it was amazing. How difficult is it to maintain
the same level of motivation nowas opposed to when you were
coming up and had yet to achieveany of the success?
It's still the same man, the same motivation that I had since
I was in the minor league, the same motivation I had since

(35:24):
before I even signed, same motivation.
And then my family, you know, that motivate me every day.
I just have AJ here, you know, and he's like, you know, giving
him, giving me his blessing, youknow, about hey, man, go out
there, tear it up, you know, like that's what drive you, man,
you know, to to have the successthat you had and, you know,

(35:46):
winning, winning, winning. That's what you play for now
racing that championship, man, and be hungry.
And I can tell you that even to the entries and through the
stuff that I've gone through since I left San Luis has been
hard with all that. But I really there's no one
moment that comes through my head and say, you know, I'm

(36:09):
just, I'm just, I'm leaving, youknow, I'm living.
I mean, I get sick and tired of being hurting hand surgery, but
like I still enjoy the game. I love it.
I love to come to the ballpark early because remember, I'm
still wearing a uniform that I represent and I respect.
And I also I have a lot of youngplayers.
They're looking up to me and they are like a serving.

(36:32):
How I how I kind of do things around and be blessed to have
one of the best players in the game and Mike Truk and my team
too, who was kind of like my shadow following me around and
asking question that wants to get better.
And he reminded me. He kind of reminded me myself

(36:54):
that I was the same way, you know, with asking question.
I wanted to get better so quick and this and that, Mike is the
same way. Tell about the Wash U test you
participated in, comparing you to Babe Ruth.
Oh, that was the back in San Luis.
Hang. I don't remember much about it.
Oh, I know that they pulled me abunch of wires all over the

(37:17):
place and somehow I think I was either equal I or better than
Hang, I guess. I don't know.
I don't remember. I can you know, I want, I don't
want to say things that I don't remember.
So. Off the chart results.
Yeah, it was really off. It was just everybody were
saying like we've done so many tests and this is this is no,

(37:37):
this is this is impossible. You know, boy, it was off the
charge. How much time do you spend each
day on game day watching videos?You know, back then we used to
have the BCR, so you had to waituntil you get to the stadium to
do that. But now the technology has
advanced so much that you can even watch the, the picture on

(37:58):
your phone and your iPod. And when I wake up in the
morning, I, you know, take the kids to school if they're in
school. And then I come home, have
breakfast, you know, and I'm watching the, the picture that
I'm facing and the, the whole bullpen.
And, you know, it's just so easyright now with technology that

(38:18):
you don't have to go to the ballpark.
You can just watch it at home. And by the time you get to the
ballpark, you just do whatever you have to do, whether it's
treatment, whether it's get in ahot tub or hot tub to get ready
to go, get loose and do the little routine that I did this
morning. That's kind of the same routine
that I do the season before Gang.
I understand you always have a plan going into an at bat.

(38:40):
Well, you, you, you have a plan.That's why you do the scouting
and you have a plan how you wantto approach the pitcher.
You know, he throwing the sinkeror his best pitch is a curvo and
stuff like that. Or this is how he pitched to me
last time I'm facing and and he has he says now I need to make
an adjustment because this game is about just like every sport,

(39:01):
it's about making an adjustment,especially more in baseball
because you got so many scoutingscouts scouting the game that
maybe you playing Oakland the next day.
And we play in Seattle and they,their scouts understand that
they're ready. You know, when you go to
Oakland, they going to have thatscouting report against you.
So, and then if you didn't have a good success in that series or

(39:22):
by versa, if you had a success, they're going to try to pitch a
different. So it's always kind of like it's
hard to describe because I don'twant to give my secrets.
But it's it's more like, you know, you have to be ready to
make an adjustment even after you, even during the your bats,
because they probably are not pitching you the way that you

(39:44):
thought that they were going to pitch to you.
And you're aware of an umpire's like, strike zone going into,
you know, a particular game as well, like if an umpire has a
wide strike zone or tight strikezone.
Yeah, you look at that. But you cannot control that.
Those guys want to be the best. So I don't judge those guys.

(40:05):
The umpires, I think if it's up to me, I would love for them to
just foul, foul. Fair, fair.
You know, take this. The instant replay out and just,
hey, let's go back to old style.You know how this guy let the
umpire have you know the benefitof the doubt?
Right. But as long as there are

(40:26):
1,000,000 cameras and. Then it's not going to go back.
So your first eleven seasons with the Cardinals, I mean best
eleven seasons in the history ofbaseball, you come to the Angels
obviously drop off in productivity.
What do you think accounts for that and how challenging was
that for you personally? Well, I think, you know, as you

(40:49):
know, the injuries, I mean, I, Isave, I guess all the injuries
that I didn't have in Saint Louis for this team, you know,
but I know I'm it. Comes with age though too,
right? But it's, it's just, you know,
you adjust yourself to your program.
I think that the hardest part, it was that same year I had a
right away lower half problem, which my stents are really

(41:13):
unique and it require a lot of my legs.
And I had a obviously right hand, I mean right leg surgery,
knee surgery. And then from there it was just
Meg, it was just one after another.
Then you had the plantar fasciitis, you had a foot
surgery and it was like everything in the lower half and
I don't care how great of a hitter you are, you can be the

(41:33):
best player in the game. In my trial right now.
If he started having problem with that lower half, it just it
just switched. It just changed your swing.
So I had it now kind of rim benta swing where, you know, I can
take that stress out on my leg and, you know, to try to

(41:55):
perform. But then still driving 100 run
and he didn't throw the bomb. Yes, my on base or my batting
up. It's just not what I what I
want, but I still driving 100 runs.
What's going on with that? You know, if in the next three
years I drive 100 and something plus run and hit 3000 runs, I
think I'd be pretty close to Barry Bonds and then probably

(42:17):
break Hank Karen record for RBS.You know, so it's like, you
know, but right now there's so much looking on that baseball
saying and this and that, you know what?
They will help us when escortingruns and driving runs.
And I think I'm a, I'm a elite producer when it comes to.
That I was talking to Tony Larussa the other day.
You're a long time manager with the Cardinals.

(42:37):
And he said people don't give Albert enough credit for the
injuries. He's like played through and
Mike crowd actually said the same thing and that people
didn't realize. I mean, at some point you've
basically been hitting on one leg.
Yeah, and you know, I I'm going to say this because there's so
many people that say it there, but they're like, bro, the why

(42:59):
you have accomplished even in one leg over the year.
Like there's there's nobody elsethat I don't think they can do
it. Even my hitting coach is saying
that, you know, but you know, I'm fully healthy right now.
I'm I'm hopefully I can stay healthy for the next three years
of this contract and and see where the Lord's taking me.
And you know, my goal is the same goal that I have when I
signed this contract. Try when it's a championship,

(43:21):
you know, for the city of Anaheim.
Simply due to age though. Like what's that realization
process like for you that physically you might be less
able of doing the things that your brains telling your body to
do? See, but when you train to a

(43:42):
level that I train like, you don't think like that.
I'm probably all in baseball because I'm 39, but I'm, I'm the
young in life. I feel strong.
I, I take care of my body reallywell.
I train really hard. I don't, I don't overdo things.
I listen to my body a lot. And you know what, if you can do

(44:04):
that, then you put all that together and all you can do is
take it out there in the field. I wish you can see when you're
going to get hurt and injury andyou can avoid it, but you
cannot. There's, I mean, you can be, I
use this illustration. You can be walking in your
house, you know, or even walkingin the street and twist an ankle

(44:28):
and don't even you don't even have to play a sport.
So imagine now you're playing 162 game plus 30 in spring
training, plus 14 during the playoff.
I mean, it's a lot of games and you have to maintain yourself.
And I think that's why I put thevolume on work and the off
season because that's what's going to carry me into a deep

(44:51):
season. And that's how it's been.
And no matter my age or whatever, I don't think like
that. I know what I need to do.
Of course, I understand that theprograms had to change, but the
same attitude and just tweak little things here in here and
there with with my trainer, we've done that and I feel
really good about myself. The hardest part of

(45:12):
transitioning leagues for you was what?
For me, it was the travel role being in the central in San
Louis. It's like you bounce Cincinnati,
Milwaukee. I didn't default this trip.
It was Houston, which it was like hour and 45 minutes, man.
And when you come here, I was myfirst year man, and I didn't
really realize this until somebody told me about it.

(45:35):
But bro, you got about 20 more 1000 miles than what I was
traveling in San Louis. Well, flying 20 more 1000 miles
flying and the month of April, I'm lying to you.
I felt like it was September andI was in one of the best shape
ever, but I felt like I was likeit was September.

(45:57):
The league, they pitch a little bit different, but you get you
get adjusted to that. But to me, with the challenging
part was, you know, they're changing time.
The three hours different going from the east to West and had to
play the next day knowing that now you have to travel at 10:00
in the morning on your day off and you don't have a full day
off. Like you get into the city and

(46:17):
you just barely have time to eatand then go to bed.
You know that's tough like that.So there's never been any reason
to believe you've achieved your numbers in anything but an
honest, clean way. But I'm, I'm curious to get your
thoughts on the steroid era because it was, you know, like
the tail end of it when you werecoming into the league.

(46:39):
What impact, positive and negative, do you think it had on
the game of baseball? Hey, listen, I think you know
that the best thing is the MajorLeague Baseball create a program
that nobody came a sneak at anymore.
I mean, you see all the suspension and they're going
hard at it. They knew that there's a issues.
There was a issue happening in our gang and they cleaning all

(47:01):
that up. But like I say, I mean, I don't
judge people. I think, you know, you make your
own decision and if you choose to do something that you can
know by leaving our league, hey,you're going to get penalized.
It's like if you're going in thehighway and you see 65 mph and
you go 7580 and you get pulled over, what do you think is going

(47:24):
to happen? You know, you're going to get a
ticket, right? So it's like, you know, if you
go on the highway and it's 65 mph and you go 7580, you're
breaking the law, right? You're going to get a ticket.
And then if you acting up, try to be disrespectful, they
believe they might throw you in jail.
Well, it's the same thing. You know, I mean, people that

(47:44):
have choose that, I mean, they, they, they, they're going to get
penalized. So you know, I think at the end
of the day, you know, I don't, Idon't judge.
I don't really judge. I look at myself first before I
had to judge somebody else. But obviously we know there is a
problem. But major base was done a great
job. It was like 30-4 years between

(48:05):
60 home run seasons. Ruth Tamaris, 37 years, Maris to
McGuire and then there were 660 home run seasons during a
three-year period beginning in 1998.
There were like 3 players who had achieved 60 home runs in the
season in the whole history of baseball prior to 2002 and then
that number triples to 9 from then.

(48:29):
Like how do you view numbers that were put up during that
era? You know what bro, you still
have to hit that baseball. So I mean, I think.
I know, but it's somebody that'sdone it like ethically and
honest like yourself, doesn't it?

(48:51):
To what extent does it all bother you when you know you've
done it the right way? And then there are others that
haven't that have gotten some ofthe same accolades.
See, but I it's hard because I haven't seen those people doing.
I mean, you can look and say, oh, this guy, but you know what?
At the end of the day, man, it'sI go back where my job is, you

(49:14):
know, the same love that God showed me every day and my
family, I had to love those people too.
And they're human. So they, they made their choice.
They made their mistake. You know, one of my best friend
who I respect, they're always some kind of, I was the first
one to call and I say, listen, man, I love you.
Our relationship is not going tochange.
I'm here for you. You made a mistake, bro, and

(49:36):
you're going to have to clean itup.
You know, I listen, the guy madea mistake.
That doesn't mean that the guy is a bad person.
And I, I respect Robinson. I, I respect his game, you know,
Hey, listen, he made a, he made a mistake.
He made a mistake, you know, butI don't want to turn my back on
him, you know, and that could bein any any anybody else, you
know, because that's the same thing that that you need to look

(50:00):
at the love that that that guy has for me is the same love that
he has for him. And you know, he got his
suspension. He lost a lot of money.
So guys taking that chance and they go, they know that they're
going to get caught at the end of the day.
I go back to where Major League Baseball has done a great job in
the player association. Make sure that that they put in

(50:21):
a great program and you know to clean our gang and it's
happening. For what it's worth, there were
three years where in the MVP race you finished only behind
people that were alleged to havetaken, you know, PED.
So. See, but that that said, they
they think that they are taken, but they haven't proved.

(50:41):
You know, until you don't have the proof, you can speculate and
say that this guy maybe this guymaybe.
But when you had the proof in your hand, that's when you can
blame somebody. Say you know what?
This guy had that, you know, but.
If you knew they had, would it bother you?
I don't, you know, bro, I there's no one moment that I

(51:03):
look back and say, I wish this. I wish I have enjoyed my career
since your day one. And I'm so thankful and grateful
of what I have accomplished in my career and in my life that
there's no regret. There's no award that I wish I
would have won. I have accomplished pretty much

(51:23):
everything, everything that a baseball player can accomplish
thank to my King Jesus. You know, they have given me
this platform, the ability and after him, my family and my
teammates and coaches, they are help had help me along the way.
So that's how I can put it to you.
Explain the role that faith plays in your life.

(51:44):
Everything. Everything you know, God is God
is everything to me. He has shown me His mercy, His
grace, and the best gift that hehas given me is starvation.
You know, when I got to, you know, I said thing in my life,
you know, and knowing that I have eternal life through him, a

(52:05):
personal relationship with him. It's not about being a
Christian, it's not about being,it's not about religious, it's
about having a personal relationship with Christ.
But that doesn't make me perfect.
You know, I have learned the hard way.
I make have my mistake, but knowing that when I come to him,
he doesn't judge us. He doesn't look at us, you know,

(52:26):
and be mad at us. He he receive us.
We love and I had learned so much, you know, in my life about
how to treat all the people the same way that Christ love.
You know, and I believe at the end of the day or at the end of
my career, that's that's going to be the most important thing

(52:46):
for me. You know, yes, the legacy of
being a baseball player and Gregor that that's great man, while
being a strong Christian who serve the community.
And when I'm facing him or beingwith him like that, he can look
at me and say, what have you done with the gift that I gave
you? The gift is no, the $300 million

(53:09):
that I'm making again, the threeMVP, the World Series.
That's not the gift, the platform, that's not the gift.
It's that Bible man, that Bible,that's the gift that he has
given me, you know, his word, soI can spread it and talk about
the good news of Jesus Christ. And that's, that's, that's my

(53:30):
job. It took me a while to learn it,
but I'm on the point that I'm a quit now.
And we have, you know, our Chapel this morning and, and I'm
telling those young guys, you know, because we were talking
about creation, you know, and you know how God has created
everything. And I told him, you know, about
the last creation that he made. It was us, the Lord make us and

(53:53):
his image. And then what he did after that
he rest. So he said the best thing for
last and it was to give us life and his image.
What do you remember from the first time you went to church
with your wife, Didi? I remember, you know, at that
time my English was so, so, so Istill had to wear, you know,

(54:13):
earpiece shooting service so, soI can get translated in Spanish.
So I pretty much just, you know,start asking question and, and
you know, and there was like 2 weeks off.
I and I said, babe, you know, what is it when the pastor at
the end of the survey, he made the article and say that the,

(54:36):
the prayer of starvation, you know, to give the light to
Christ. And she pretty much explained to
me about it. She was like, listen, they're,
I'm going to keep it real simpleto you because you probably
won't understand, but there's a hell and there's a heaven.
And I told her I like, well, I don't want to go to the hell.
I want to go to heaven. So the week after that we went

(54:56):
back to church and Pastor Jeff Adam Grieve, a great, great
servant, Kansas City Baptist Temple in Kansas City.
And he and he touched me and touched me.
And I think, you know, after theservice he did the same thing.
And I just woke up with her and surrounded myself to the king
and just have him take control of my life.

(55:18):
And that means what? Just accepting that you
accepting as you lower that you accepting that you know that he
died in that cross for our sin, that he took everybody's sin,
you know, upon hanging that cross.
And then you know that that thathe give you that eternal life.

(55:39):
And through that I had learned along my way and I was a young
believer back then. But like having guy like Jay-Z,
Drew Wooden Wheeler, Mike Martini, like the way that those
guys were handling their life. It was more than just going to
church. You know, you can see Christ and
them like you can see that the joy and I was a young believer.

(56:04):
I was like, you're still going to church.
But man, you know, I think it was after 2000 and one 2002
being in San Louis, a Christian Family Day that they asked me to
share my testimony and I didn't know what to share.
And I think that's what my turning point was, man, that it
was like more than just going tochurch and do do you duty.
It was a how about having a personal relationship with him.

(56:27):
You know, with Christ. There was more than just the
religious and you know, and it'sbeen great and you know, it
hasn't been perfect, but I know that that I, I won't change a
thing. I understand in 2006 when you
won the World Series with the Cardinals, it wasn't the World
Series it was the highlight of your year, but rather flying

(56:48):
back on a plane with a teammate and leading him to Christ.
Yeah, my good little brother, Jadio Molina, we were in San
Diego and recording was, I see it recording by the window.
I see Johnny and the middle and then I sit over here and we left
him to the Lord to accept them, to accept the Christ.

(57:09):
I mean that you need to turn, you know, from your sins and
then take let the Lord take control and just share with him,
you know, the things, you know, the guy has done in my life and
he has seen him and just the, the way that I handle myself,
like I say, it doesn't make me perfect.
You know, I have made mistakes many, many time, but knowing

(57:31):
that you know what, I have somebody that gets my back all
the time and and they lost me like nobody else on this earth.
And then when you pull him before your family, before your
wife, before your career, you know, like that's the guy that I
love, then no matter what I havehere, nothing is more important.

(57:51):
Nothing, not even my kids are more important than the
relationship that I have with him.
So when I got to that point, andI understood that really well.
And you know, but that was my highlight to him because I
remember when Jody got to the big leagues and having a spring
training, his father that was alive at that time told me and

(58:13):
his mother, he's like, he's my baby and I want you to take care
of him. And from that moment on, that is
being like my little brother, even though we are apart, he's
in the center and I'm West, but I always checking on him and
making sure that he's OK. And we still, I just, I just saw
him last month. We were in Florida together
working out and I enjoy it. And and those are the

(58:38):
relationship that you built in this and this game, bro, that
that you don't. That's like the pressure time.
So pressure that you take with you when you retire along the
way of winning a World Series. Of course, the great memoirs.
The most satisfying moment from your career would be what?
Oh man, to winning that trophy, you know.

(59:02):
You know, besides getting into the big leagues accomplished
that, that championship, you know, be able to raise that
trophy in 2006. Yeah, I want to talk to you
about some notable moments from your career.
Only Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, AlexRodriguez has ever achieved 2000
RBIs. What does that mean to you?

(59:23):
It's just when you name those three guys to put myself in that
list, it's it's pretty special. So that's not my, that's not my
target. That's not, that's not what I'm
playing this game for. I'm playing this game to try win
a championship and to try to make everybody around me better,

(59:44):
because if I can do that, they're going to make me better.
I'm aware of the list that I'm around and that I have
accomplished, but I I really have separate those things, you
know, until I probably done playing the game, you've.
Passed 3000 hits, Now you're also passed 600 home runs.

(01:00:06):
I was talking to your teammate Mike Trout, who's really, since
you, the only other person ever to start a career on is much of
A terror. And he said it's the six hundred
a home run milestone that sticksout the most to him.
Just being there for that. Take me through that at bat.
No, it was great, man. I I remember we were going in a

(01:00:32):
road trip and we were playing Minnesota and it was a Saturday
night again, we were appreciating.
We were facing Irving, Santana and I really, there was a
moment. I feel there's one thing in my
career, 2 moment that I really wanted to do something in my
stadium so special for my fans because I believe that they
deserve it to see history. It was a 603,000 hits, obviously

(01:00:56):
3000 hits. I end up hitting in the next
night at Seattle. But really the 600 man I really
want to do it with. I want to do in my stadium.
I want the fans to celebrate notjust in Anaheim, but across
across the United States, which everybody celebrate.
Everybody knows me from Fang andfamily.
They have supported my career. They have enjoyed every moment

(01:01:19):
and that I cried to every strikeout and hurt that I've
been through all this year. But it was a slider.
He got me 1-2 and he threw me a slider kind of hanging and I
just probably put the best swingof the night and did it in
style, you know, with the Grand Slam.
So, but that was a moment that that I really, really enjoy

(01:01:44):
pretty much. And because I accomplished
something pretty special that only a handful of guys have done
it and and I did it in our stadium where I wanted to do it
for our fans. Game five, 2005 National League
Championship Series, 9th inning playing the Astros.

(01:02:05):
They only need one more out to go to the World Series.
Cardinals are down to and you'reup.
Take me through what you recall.As you know, it was in their
stadium and it was so loud and it was great rival because the
year before we beat in for us togo to the World Series and we
back in the NLCS again within their stadium, they're ready to

(01:02:28):
pop champagne. You look at the dog out and
there were a couple of players like, you know, like celebrating
and, and I'm in first Bay kind of like, Lord, give me another
opportunity. Let me have another opportunity.
One more at bat, one more at bat.
And I think I was coming 5th in that.
And, and I think it was the 8th hitter, then the pitcher, then

(01:02:49):
Eckstein and Jimmy and myself. So right away they make 2 out
and Eckstein really, really had a great back, kind of like
infield hit. Jimmy got a, a great, great,
great walk, great at bat. And here I come and I remember
putting my glove down, man, I felt it in my God.

(01:03:11):
Like I feel, you know when you feel something that's you're
going to do something special orthe you asking the Lord to put
you in the situation and then now you feeling it and you are
in that situation. But I felt it that I was going
to be I was asking to make the last out for the team and I I
got my choice. I went and I I put my glove.

(01:03:31):
I normally never never in my career had done this, putting my
glove down and then go get my bat right away.
My help man can sit like especially I well, no, never.
But if I'm hitting fifth or even4th and that inning, like I'd
never put my glove right away and there was something in my
guy, I was telling you better beready.
You're going to hit. And I sprained man across that

(01:03:53):
diamond and put that glove down my hat, Boom, boom, boom, boom,
my bat and go grab my helmet andsit down.
And every time we go to Houston,I sit down in the same spot
because it remind me that momentand I just sit in there and I
knew, man, I knew that I was going to get that art back.
I didn't know that I was going to do anything special like
that. That was extra bonus, but I knew

(01:04:16):
that I what I was asking, I was going to get it.
So after Jimmy walk, I knew thatBrad Ledge was going to go to
his best pitch, which it was a slider, and he threw me that
first pitch and I think I swan it was one in the dirt.
And after that, like I knew I had it.
Next pitch was another slider hanging man.
And once again, just like the 600, you know, the rest of

(01:04:38):
history, I hit it out of the ballpark.
I know a lot of people talk about that 100 for for me with
just another 100 because we didn't accomplish what we wanted
to and that was to when the series to go to the World Series
and and they did. So they deserve all that credit.
I talked to your longtime manager, Tony Larussa the other
day and he said, first, I have to say, if Albert was going to

(01:05:01):
go anywhere besides the Cardinals, there's no better
place to go than working for Angels owner Artie Moreno.
But he said he was, quote, most bummed because if I would have
stayed on another year, I believe Albert and the Dewitts,
meaning Cardinals ownership would have come to some
accommodation, meaning agreement.

(01:05:23):
Your reaction to that? That's when I really realized
that it is about business, this game.
And you know, it was a tough decision, but I really pray
about it. I really pray about it and what
I have received from this side, from our ownership, Hardy and

(01:05:43):
Carol Moreno, without even throwing a baseball in that
stadium because my only time that I was in Anaheim was at the
Oscar game in 2010. But I think what they showed to
me, it was like probably what I was looking from the DeWitt
family. And, you know, I if I had to do

(01:06:05):
that again and I pray and that happened that same situation, I
believe that I made the right decision.
I believe that Artie Moreno and Carol wanted me really bad
because they weren't even in that picture.
I remember Artie and Carol, theywere at the movie theater and he
came out to talk to me 30 minutes after I was done with my
prayer and say, we want you. This is what we got.

(01:06:28):
And I made a decision that night.
You know, I talked to my wife and, you know, I didn't want to
weigh another day. I wanted to really have a
peaceful Christmas. I didn't want to have to weigh
after the year and I'm really grateful.
It was a cool story about Artie Moreno trying to recruit you.
I mean, he stepped out of the movie theater, was talking to
your agent, Danny Lozano, and he's like, no, I want to get

(01:06:51):
Albert on the phone now, you know, as opposed to waiting for
Dan to call him back with you. But look, I, I mean, I, I've
talked to enough people close toyou now that that I know leaving
the Cardinals was a painful process for you.
You, I mean. You I don't want to lie to you.
It was man, I mean you, I mean half of you were you live pretty

(01:07:11):
much, I mean you and that city, I mean the fans and and great,
you know. And yeah, so you you dream is to
try only finish with 1U, you know, and beat the deader jitter
and this and that. But you know what man, this game
has changed and it was in the process, you know, that we end
up winning a World Series and they had their opportunity 2000

(01:07:32):
and eight 2009. I end up winning back-to-back
MVP. So they had their first crack.
They had their first shaft. You know, they, we could have
done something a long time ago before I hit a free agent, you
know, but they decided to wait it until I was a free agent and,
and that was their. Choice, and correct me if I'm
wrong, you walk off the field Game 7 after winning the World
Series and the Cardinals basically never even call you.

(01:07:55):
Yeah, it took a while. Why do you think that was
reflecting back on it? I don't know.
I don't know. I'm glad I get this opportunity
to clarify because the fans and San Luis think there's all about
the money that I came to. Then just I'm like, if you do
the math, I came to California and I'm going to make less money
than if I were to stay with the Cardinals.

(01:08:17):
Like, you know, because the taskpurpose and everything, and I
had another team, they were offering me a lot.
I mean like a big, big contract.The Marlins, right?
Yeah, and I didn't and I wasn't,I didn't want to go, you know,
like I didn't feel well like that, that that wasn't in my
heart. And correct me if I'm wrong, but

(01:08:38):
you would have taken substantially less money to stay
with the Cardinals. The issue with you is the long
term commitment. Well, I think that was the
thing, you know, as the the Wed and MO and they were saying they
want me to be a long time Cardinals and I felt that, you
know, that the approach that they took wasn't showing me that

(01:09:02):
they want me to be a long time Cardinal.
But you know what man, this thing is over.
I don't want to sit here and go back and try to say something
that make them mad. I'm going back to Saint Louis
this year and I'm excited about going back and and playing in
front of probably the best city to to play this game of
baseball. Best fans, you know, so I, I

(01:09:23):
really don't. And I want to ask you that in a
SEC, but just one last question.I don't really, I don't really,
you know, I don't really want tohold that.
When you were in it though, at that time when you're yet to
make a decision, how is it affecting you the process?
Oh, I was, I got to the point where I was, I got frustrated
and I called Danny and I told him I'm done, dude.

(01:09:45):
Like this is this is, this is the best that I, you know, that
I there, there. I mean, the last thing that I,
which I would never do for anybody is getting on my knee
and begging Then, you know, and that was the last thing that I
that I have and I wasn't going to do that.
I don't want to humiliate myselflike that.
So, but I felt that, like I say,they made the right decision.

(01:10:08):
They they felt that they want tomove along and we move along and
I'm happy right here. I got three more years left here
and hopefully I can bring a championship to the city
because, you know, there's no better side of fashion than when
I were serious. I'd imagine your wife was the
first person you told of what you.

(01:10:29):
Were wanting to do she was actually in bed and I had to
wake her up and told her becauseI was I remember I got on my
knee and I asked the Lord and say Lord you know I have done
everything they said in my hands.
Now it's take control because I can't handle this anymore.
This back and forth talking and promising and this night nothing

(01:10:50):
was moving. And man, 30 minutes later I got
that call from Artie and just that was the confirmation, you
know, from God, I believe and listen, I, I can look back my
career right now and with the injuries that I have, man, it's
probably the best move that I made in my career.
She was really upset because youknow, she really wanted to just

(01:11:10):
like me and myself. We wanted to be in San Luis.
But she was happy that after meeting Artie and Caro Moreno,
you know, the decision and that the commitment that they make to
our family, you know, you have to respect that and.
Dee Dee, tough, tough lady. I understand that.

(01:11:31):
And I. Actually, she was more
frustrated. Oh, yeah, she was.
She was. She went out there the next day
or the next week and talk about it.
And I know people got mad at in Saint Louis.
And just like every wife, they're going to defend their
husband. Obviously, whatever me and the
cardinal went through, those things are private.
But we know. And he knows, God knows the

(01:11:51):
things that went down. And I know a lot of people
wanted to throw rocks and wantedto wear burning jersey.
And when you know, because that's their reaction.
I feel sad for those people thatthat react that way.
But you know what? I look at it and I'm like, they
probably weren't my true fans. Because if he, if he, if he they

(01:12:12):
love me because I was wearing a Cardinals uniform, then that was
the wrong motors. Because they should have loved
our pools, not just because it was a a decent player, but also
the things that I've done in thecommunity and be a great man
like that is more important thanjust whatever I have
accomplished in the field. So, and I can understand the

(01:12:32):
frustration. I can, I probably done the same
thing. But you know what, I think
they're already adding the 2% probably of the 100% fans that
we have that we had that way. And then 98%, you know, they
were, they were excited and theywere mad, you know, the
Cardinals that they didn't sign me to.
Yeah, and in fairness to them, it's probably hard to know what

(01:12:53):
is and isn't, you know, true when you're just a fan in
reading, you know, half truths. But I can tell you that if I had
to be in the same shoes, buddy, I wouldn't change.
I will. I would make the same.
I would go to my Lord and and made the same decision that I
did because like I told you early, Arden Carroll Moreno made

(01:13:15):
a commitment, you know, without me trying to baseball put in
your uniform. Your very early days with the
Angels, while I understand they were treating you incredibly
well, I also heard that like, itmight have actually been a lower
point for you right after you got to the team because you're

(01:13:35):
still heartbroken. Your wife and kids are, you
know, still in Saint Louis. You're lonely.
How much truth is there to that?No, it was tough.
It was hard, man. I was living in a small
apartment and Deidre came and, you know, find a house and she's
like, first of all, we need to find your house.
You need to get out of here, youknow, to need to get out of this

(01:13:57):
apartment. So we end up buying, purchasing
a house that we still live on it.
And and then, you know, and it was it was tough, but I think it
wasn't just it wasn't just thinking about because I had a
great spring, man. I had a great spring training
too that year. And it was just part of that.

(01:14:19):
I think maybe the pressure, a little bit of pressures with a
contract and prove people, you know, you felt that worth it.
Yeah. Who who doesn't you don't think
Harper and my shadow are going to feel that pressure Trouty
when he signed the biggest probably contract ever in the
history of everybody felt and ifthere's somebody that says to
you, bro, that they don't feel that pressure, they ain't lie.

(01:14:40):
They lie in a straight in your face.
We are human and we have feelingand, and we go through that, you
know, I mean, the we get over, of course.
So, you know, that year, The funny thing is that I had a bad
start, but then I still driving 30 and drive 108 and hit 285.
I didn't hit a home run in Apriland I didn't hit a home run in

(01:15:01):
September. So in four months I made, I had
a that was my season. But then I was disappointed
because we didn't make the playoff and that's what I played
for. Yeah, DD first date at The
Cheesecake Factory. What do you remember?
From it. Wow, man, that was a long time

(01:15:22):
ago. Like nothing.
Just go out and have dinner. You know, after probably a week
that she was calling and, you know, after I gave her my number
and we couldn't communicate, butwe just went out to Cheesecake
Factory and, you know, went out and had dinner and, you know, I

(01:15:43):
gave her a kiss and we hang out that night, you know.
Then when I believe we went to her house and picked Bella and
then just, you know, just enjoy.And then from there we just
went, I think we went the whole year seeing each other, you
know, like we were just, we just, we just connect right

(01:16:04):
away, you know, from that moment.
What do you think made you guys connect?
I don't know the love that we have for each other.
And then, you know, to after sheexplained to me because that was
the first time that I hear aboutthe Down syndrome situation and,
you know, I fell in love with mylittle girl.

(01:16:27):
What do you think made you lean in to a situation like that as
opposed to, you know, running the other way?
Because, you know, here she is. You know, you're on one of your
early few dates. I thank you, she says.
By the way, I have a daughter with Down syndrome who's only
weeks old. Well, if I had to say right now,

(01:16:47):
knowing what I know through Christ, it's like that was the
lower plan that he has for me. And I would have to say that it
was meant to be men and we were meant to be to be connected.
And you know, it's just been great.
Yeah, you. She's talked about Faith before.

(01:17:08):
She had Izzy, you know, she saidshe was parting too hard.
Then she, you know, has Izzy starts partying again a little
bit and then meets you. What was able to change?

(01:17:30):
I don't know. I think that's a question for
her. It'd be hard for me to answer
that, you know, but you helped. But I guess the way that I, you
know, I played sport, I was still in high school.
I didn't drink, I didn't smile. I didn't like to go out party
and you know, I guess she saw that.
I think, I guess education that I have for for the sport and
everything and maybe that changed her.

(01:17:52):
But I think that'd be a good question to ask her.
I can't really speak for her. So you have 5 kids now.
At what point is each in their lives?
Well, they're doing great. I mean, I think you said you got
a chance to see AJ last night. He's 18 year old.
He just got he committed himselfto go to Vanguard University for

(01:18:14):
golf. Then we have Sophia doing
gymnastics. She's 13.
Then Ezra, who's turned 9 last month.
He loves baseball. He loves everything.
I think he's going to be a basketball player.
He loves basketball too. And then who runs the house and
control Esther Grace, my six years old, She's she's a beauty.

(01:18:34):
She's. What did she do to run the
house? Well, she's just a bossy, just
like mommy, you know, she's really bossy and but she's she's
beautiful. You know, I can't even wait
until we're done so I can call them to FaceTime them.
But she just you know, she knowsthat she's the younger one and

(01:18:56):
and she's like trying to catch up with Ezra and Sophia.
So and, and it just fine, Just five beautiful kids.
I'm I'm blessed. Biggest challenge?
Having five kids. Like kind of understand their
personality, you know, it's really challenging and knowing,
you know, what they like. You know, they've been kind of,

(01:19:20):
I won't say living in my shadow,but like this, you know, being
traveling for 20 years and, you know, the job that does does.
And, you know, he's obviously a famous baseball player, you
know, just all that like to explain to them all that stuff
and you say, listen, you just beyou just be you and, and try to

(01:19:43):
especially with AGI, remember mybiggest challenge with him.
He wanted to be a baseball player so bad.
But I, I, I think it kind of gotto him.
He was a great player. And, you know, he was a good
little player and it was kind oflike he felt that pressure, You
know, that he wants to be as good as that and he wants to.
And it kind of got to hanging. I remember the time that he told

(01:20:04):
me that I don't want to play baseball.
I wanted to play golf. And he was like, thank you,
Lord, you know, because I saw that release on him that they
was getting baseball was gettingto him.
And now he he's a great golfer. He wants to GoPro.
I told him that he has to work hard.
And then, you know, just, but I think the biggest thing is just

(01:20:24):
find their their personality and, and supporting on
everything. They, you know, I could say, no,
I just, you want to be, you needto be a baseball player.
You need to be like, no, I know that kind of that man.
It's whatever sport they choose.One thing that we know that we
don't bounce them from sport to sport.
They had to choose one thing, you know, and that's something
that we've done since you they've been young.

(01:20:47):
How do you find the balance between making sure you provide
your children with all the opportunities you never had
without going overboard the. Motivation, yeah, yeah, well,
they, they, they understand I think Didi and I, the, the way
we explain them, we had talks with them.

(01:21:08):
They they see how mom and dad, you know, kind of live their
lifestyle and they, they understand really well to this
point. So, you know, and then the best
thing is as as a as a dad, you just make sure you open, you
know, you want your kids to knowthat the mom and dad that their

(01:21:31):
best friend and you know, if there's any problem that they're
go through, hey, come to die andcommunicate.
Communication is huge, especially when your kids are a
young age. Mike Trout, what impresses you
about him? Best players in the game.
It's just amazing young kid who wants to get better, which is

(01:21:51):
scary. Really humble, great teammate,
comes from a great family and has the same heart that I have
and wants to win just like I wanted to win.
So we always talk about it. I'm like, dude, I wish you Can
you imagine if me and you together in my prime time and
you now in your prime time? Like how scary.

(01:22:12):
We like, we, we joke around likethat, you know, But it's pretty
special and I'm thankful and blessed to wear the same uniform
than my trials were. He talked to me a lot yesterday
about the role that you played in mentoring him when he first
came into the league, because your first year with the Angels
was, you know, his first year with the Angels.

(01:22:35):
In what ways were you trying to mentor him?
The same way, you know, just probably when he was putting a
little bit of pressure on himself of, you know, try to do
too much and just stuff like that.
Take it under your just the sameway the guys were took me under
the wing, you know, and just just help him out with pitching

(01:22:56):
or approach and talk about hitting.
Just tree him the same way that I have three.
Everybody that make that buckle up sincere, then it's like,
listen, you belong here, you just not a clue.
You belong here and you're goingto help us to win.
And that's the same way Megan Trouty is, is a really, really,
besides being a great players, like a great athlete, just a fun

(01:23:19):
person, man. He's just a great, great kid.
And I enjoy it, you know, reallysmiling every day.
And man, he even, he plays against the right way, even the
foul ball he runs. You know, I just say play the
right way. And I'm, I'm, I'm thankful and I
will tell my grandkids when he'sin the, you know, in the Hall of
Fame, getting into the Hall of Fame.

(01:23:40):
Like I play with that kid. I play with Hen and, and I
mentor her in a little bit and, and blessed and hopefully me and
Hen can accomplish what we want.And it's a trophy.
Thank you very much. Thank you brother.
Appreciate it. Good to see you bro and thanks
for taking the time really to come now.
Thanks for listening to my chat with Albert Pujols.

(01:24:01):
To watch us hit the batting cages, head over to
youtube.com/graham Bensinger. Please remember to rate, review,
subscribe. It helps us a lot in continuing
to grow this podcast.

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