As an international sports star, Albert Pujols is often thought of only for his baseball accomplishments. The short film I am Second, however, demonstrates Pujols as a man devoted to his family and his faith. In his video, he discusses his love for wife, Deidre, and the daughter that came into his life along with her.
In the film, the all-star and Los Angeles Angels’ first baseman shares his personal journey from the Dominican Republic to the major leagues and what personal legacy he hopes to leave beyond baseball in partnership with I Am Second, a movement meant to inspire through stories of hope and transformation.
Pujols’ short film premiered on iamsecond.com on July 2.
“A friend of mine challenged me about four years ago to ask every guy that gets to first base what the most important thing in their life is,” Pujols said. “The response I sometimes get is why I am asking such a question. I tell them it is because there’s more to life than this game.”
In his 12 years in the Majors, Pujols has never hit less than 30 home runs in a season and has hit 488 during his career. He won World Championships with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2006 and 2011, and is a three-time National League Most Valuable Player Award winner. In a recent poll, he was voted the most feared hitter in baseball by 30 MLB managers.
Pujols dreamed of playing baseball from a young age. He grew up in poverty in the Dominican Republic, before his family moved to the United States in 1996. Before long, his dreams began to come true and it seemed baseball would be the focus of his life. But then he met Diedre.
“I don’t want people to remember me as just a baseball player,” Pujols said. “To me, off the field is more important than what I do on the field. Sure, I want to be a great baseball player, but I also wanted to a godly daddy and husband, setting an example for my kids. If you would ask me this 20 years ago, I would have told you that I thought it was about me.”
Deidre’s faith and Down syndrome daughter, Isabella, gave Pujols a new perspective on life. Through his journey raising Isabella as his own, Pujols became a stronger man of faith. It was this that inspired him and his wife to found The Pujols Family Foundation, a non-profit that focuses on aiding families with Down syndrome children, in 2005.
Pujols’ film can be viewed at http://www.iamsecond.com or the recently launched Spanish website http://www.yosoysegundo.com
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