He’s an ambassador for communities, so when the ambassador makes history, it brings a measure of pride and joy.”Īlan Gomez, a 29-year-old probationary firefighter in New York City who is Dominican American, recalled his father coaching him during his Little League years. “People identify with Albert, so his success feels personal. “He is an inspiration and example of what you can accomplish through hard work and dedication,” said Sanchez, who has covered baseball for decades in Latin America, the Caribbean and the U.S.

Jesse Sanchez, Major League Baseball's director of talent development and diversity outreach for content, said Pujols is a role model for many. The Caribbean country routinely leads the list of active MLB players born outside the U.S. 'His success feels personal'įor many in the Dominican Republic, baseball has long been more than a sport - it's recognized as a potential gateway to escape poverty and achieve economic and professional success. His trajectory has been legendary: Pujols helped the Cardinals win the World Series in 20, and in his latest feat, he joined Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth as the only players to hit 700 or more home runs. He originally lived in Washington Heights, a predominantly Dominican neighborhood in New York City, before his family moved to Missouri. from the Dominican Republic in the 1990s.

Pujols, 42, known as “La Máquina,” or 'the Machine' in Spanish, came to the U.S. For Dominican Americans, the spectacular end to a Hall of Fame-worthy career - Pujols has said that this season, his 22nd, will be his last - has made him the perfect symbol of individual achievement in a sport so closely associated with their homeland.

Albert pujols backyard baseball 2003