Name	Mark McGwire
Width	250
Position	First baseman
Bats	Right
Throws	Right
Birth date	October 01, 1963
Birth place	Pomona, California
Debutdate	August 22
Debutyear	1986
Debutteam	Oakland Athletics
Finaldate	October 7
Finalyear	2001
Finalteam	St. Louis Cardinals
Stat1label	Batting average
Stat1value	.263
Stat2label	Home runs
Stat2value	583
Stat3label	Runs batted in
Stat3value	1,414
Teams	Oakland Athletics (–) St. Louis Cardinals (–)
Highlights	12× All-Star selection (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000) World Series champion () Gold Glove Award winner (1990) 3× Silver Slugger Award winner (1992, 1996, 1998) 1987 AL Rookie of the Year 1999 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award 1992 Home Run Derby winner Major League Baseball All-Century Team MLB Records 10.61 At bats per home run ratio 49 home runs rookie season }}

}} Mark David McGwire (born October 1, 1963), nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball player who played his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He is currently the hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals.

For his career, McGwire averaged a home run once every 10.61 at bats, the lowest at bats per home run ratio in baseball history (Babe Ruth is second at 11.80). In 1987, he broke the single-season home run record for rookies, with 49. In 1998, McGwire and Sammy Sosa achieved national fame for their home run-hitting prowess in pursuit of Roger Maris' single season home run record; McGwire broke the record and hit 70 home runs that year. Barry Bonds now holds the record, after hitting 73 home runs during the 2001 season.

Playing career

Oakland Athletics (1984-97)

After three years at Southern California and a stint on the 1984 U.S. Olympic team, McGwire was drafted 10th overall by the Oakland Athletics in the 1984 Major League Baseball Draft.

McGwire made the major leagues in August 1986. As a rookie in 1987 he hit 33 homers before the All-Star break and was a unanimous choice for AL Rookie of the Year after finishing with 49 homers, 118 RBIs and a .289 average. His 49 longballs smashed the old rookie record of 38, jointly held by Frank Robinson and Wally Berger. He also exhibited a healthy perspective by sitting out the season's final two games and a chance at 50 home runs to be present at the birth of his first child.

McGwire worked hard on his defense at first base and resisted being seen as a one-dimensional player. He was regarded as a good fielder in his early years, even winning a Gold Glove in 1990. In later years, his mobility declined and, with it, his defense.

McGwire's total of 363 home runs with the Athletics is that franchise's record. He was selected or voted to nine American League All-Star Teams while playing for the A's, including six consecutive appearances from 1987 through 1992. He was one of only four players to hit a ball over the roof in the left field of Tiger Stadium.

1987–91

In his first full Major League season in 1987, McGwire hit 49 home runs, a single-season record for a rookie, surpassing Al Rosen's AL rookie record; he was named the American League Rookie of the Year. McGwire hit 32, 33, and 39 homers the next three seasons, the first Major Leaguer to hit 30+ home runs in each of his first 4 full seasons. On July 3 and 4, 1988, McGwire hit game-winning home runs in the 16th inning of each game. Through May 2009 McGwire was tied for third all-time with Joe DiMaggio in home runs over his first two calendar years in the major leagues (71), behind Chuck Klein (83) and Ryan Braun (79).

But McGwire's most famous home run with the A's was likely his game-winning solo shot in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 3 of the 1988 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers and former A's closer Jay Howell. McGwire's game-winner brought the A's their only victory in the 1988 World Series, which they lost in five games. However, Big Mac and his fellow Bash Brother José Canseco did play a large part in the 1989 World Champion A's team that defeated the San Francisco Giants in the famous "Earthquake Series".

McGwire's batting average, .289 as a rookie, plummeted over the next three seasons to .260, .231, and .235, respectively. In 1991, he bottomed out with a .201 average and 22 homers. Manager Tony LaRussa sat him out the last game of the season so his average could not dip below .200. Despite the declining batting averages during this time of his career, his high bases on balls totals allowed him to maintain acceptable on-base percentages. In fact, when he hit .201, his adjusted OPS (OPS+) was 103, or just over league average.

McGwire stated in an interview with ''Sports Illustrated'' that 1991 was the "worst year" of his life, with his on-field performance and marriage difficulties, and that he "didn't lift a weight" that entire season. With all that behind him, McGwire re-dedicated himself to working out harder than ever and received visual therapy from a sports vision specialist.

1992–97

He changed his clean-cut look and grew a mullet, a mustache, and a goatee to look more fearsome. The "new look" McGwire hit 42 homers and batted .268 in 1992, with an outstanding OPS+ of 175 (the highest of his career to that point), and put on a home run hitting show at the Home Run Derby during the 1992 All-Star break. His performance propelled the A's to the American League West Division title in 1992, their fourth in five seasons. The A's lost in the playoffs to the eventual World Series champion, the Toronto Blue Jays.

Foot injuries limited McGwire to a total of 74 games in 1993 and 1994, and just 9 home runs in each of the two seasons. He played just 104 games in 1995, but his proportional totals were much improved: 39 home runs in 317 at-bats. In 1996, McGwire belted a major league leading 52 homers in 423 at-bats. He also hit a career high .312 average, and led the league in both slugging percentage and on base percentage.

St. Louis Cardinals and the HR record chase (1997-2001)

On July 31, having already amassed 34 home runs to this point in the 1997 season, McGwire was traded from the Oakland Athletics to the St. Louis Cardinals. He led the majors with 58 home runs in 1997. In the last year of his contract, there was speculation that McGwire would play for the Cardinals only for the remainder of the season, then seek a long-term deal, possibly in Southern California, where he still lives. However, McGwire signed a contract to stay in St. Louis instead. It is also believed that McGwire later encouraged Jim Edmonds, another Southern California resident who was traded to St. Louis, to forgo free agency and sign a contract with the Cardinals in 2000.

As the 1998 season progressed, it became clear that McGwire, Ken Griffey Jr., and Chicago Cubs outfielder Sammy Sosa were all on track to break Roger Maris' single-season home run record. The race to break the record first attracted media attention as the home run leader changed often throughout the season. On August 19, Sosa hit his 48th home run to move ahead of McGwire. However, later that day McGwire hit his 48th and 49th home runs to regain the lead.

On September 8, 1998 at 8:18 p.m. CDT, McGwire hit a pitch by the Cubs' Steve Trachsel over the left field wall for his record-breaking 62nd home run, setting off huge celebrations at Busch Stadium. The fact that the game was against the Cubs meant that Sosa was able to congratulate McGwire personally on his achievement. Members of Roger Maris' family were also present at the game. The ball was freely given to McGwire in a ceremony on the field by the stadium worker who found it.

McGwire finished the 1998 season with 70 home runs (including five in his last three games), four ahead of Sosa's 66, a record that was broken three seasons later in 2001 by Barry Bonds with 73.

Although McGwire had the prestige of the home run record, Sammy Sosa (who had fewer HR but more RBI and stolen bases) won the 1998 NL MVP award, as his contributions helped propel the Cubs to the playoffs (the Cardinals in 1998 finished third in the NL Central). Many credited the Sosa-McGwire home run chase in 1998 with "saving baseball," by both bringing in new, younger fans and bringing back old fans soured by the 1994 Major League Baseball strike.

1999–2001

In 1999, McGwire hit 65 home runs and drove in a league-leading 147 runs while only having 145 hits, the highest RBI-per-hit tally for a season in baseball history. Sammy Sosa, hitting 63 home runs, again closely trailed McGwire.

Statistically in 2000 and 2001, McGwire's numbers declined relative to previous years as McGwire struggled to avoid injury (32 HR in 89 games, and 29 HR in 97 games, respectively).

McGwire ended his career with 583 home runs, which was then fifth-most in history. He led Major League Baseball in home runs five times. He hit 50 or more home runs four seasons in a row (1996-1999), leading Major League Baseball in homers all four seasons, and also shared the MLB lead in home runs in 1987, his rookie year, when he set the Major League record for home runs by a rookie with 49. McGwire had the fewest career triples (6) of any player with 5,000 or more at-bats.

Coaching career

On October 26, 2009, Tony LaRussa confirmed that McGwire will become the hitting coach for the Cardinals, replacing Hal McRae as the fifth hitting coach in Tony LaRussa's term as manager.

On January 7, 2010 Tony LaRussa mentioned that he might consider putting McGwire in the lineup as a pinch-hitter on August 31, should the Cardinals be in contention to make the playoffs, but LaRussa admitted it was a dream and he was only kidding.

McGwire received a standing ovation prior to the Cardinals home opener on April 12, 2010.

Honors

In 1999, ''The Sporting News'' released a list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players. The list had been compiled during the 1998 season and included statistics through the 1997 season. McGwire was ranked at Number 91. That year, he was elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team (though he received fewer votes than any other selected player). In 2005, ''The Sporting News'' published an update of their list and McGwire had been moved up to Number 84.

However, in the 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 balloting for the Baseball Hall of Fame, McGwire failed to attain election receiving 128 of the 545 cast (23.5% of the vote) in 2007, 128 of 543 (23.6%) in 2008, 118 of 539 (21.9%) in 2009, 128 of 539 (23.7%) in 2010, and 115 of 581 (19.8%) in 2011.

A portion of Interstate 70 (see also: Interstate 70 in Missouri) in St. Louis and near Busch Stadium was named "Mark McGwire Highway" to honor his 70 home run achievement, along with his various good works for the city. In May, 2010, St. Louis politicians succeeded in passing a state bill to change the name of "Mark McGwire Highway", a 5-mile stretch of Interstate 70, to "Mark Twain Highway".

Steroid use

In 2005, McGwire and Canseco were among 11 baseball players and executives subpoenaed to testify at a congressional hearing on steroids. During his testimony on March 17, 2005, McGwire declined to answer questions under oath when he appeared before the House Government Reform Committee.

On January 11, 2010, McGwire admitted to using steroids on and off for a decade and said, "I wish I had never touched steroids. It was foolish and it was a mistake. I truly apologize. Looking back, I wish I had never played during the steroid era." He admitted using them in the 1989/90 offseason and then after he was injured in 1993. He admitted using them on occasion throughout the '90s, including during the 1998 season. McGwire stated that he used steroids to recover from injuries.

McGwire's decision to admit using steroids was prompted by his decision to become hitting coach of the St. Louis Cardinals. According to McGwire, he took steroids for health reasons rather than to improve performance.

Personal life

McGwire was born in Pomona, California. He attended Damien High School in La Verne, California, where he started playing baseball, golf, and basketball. He played college baseball at the University of Southern California under coach Rod Dedeaux.

His brother Dan McGwire was a quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks and Miami Dolphins of the NFL in the early 1990s, and was a first-round draft choice out of San Diego State University.

McGwire married Stephanie Slemer – a former pharmaceutical sales representative from the St. Louis area – in Las Vegas on April 20, 2002. On June 1, 2010, their triplet girls were born: Monet Rose, Marlo Rose, and Monroe Rose. They join brothers Max and Mason. They reside in a gated community in Shady Canyon Irvine, California. Together they created the Mark McGwire Foundation for Children to support agencies that help children who have been sexually and physically abused come to terms with a difficult childhood. Mark has a son, Matthew b.1987, from a previous marriage (1984–1990, div.) to Kathleen Hughes.

Prior to admitting to using steroids, McGwire avoided the media and spent much of his free time playing golf. He also worked as a hitting coach for Major League players Matt Holliday, Bobby Crosby, Chris Duncan and Skip Schumaker.

McGwire appeared on an episode of the sitcom ''Mad About You'', playing a ballplayer that Helen Hunt's character was infatuated with.

McGwire provided his voice for an episode of ''The Simpsons'' titled "Brother's Little Helper". He played himself.

Career totals

In 16 seasons (1986–2001), McGwire accumulated these career stats:

G 1,874

ABs 6,187

Runs 1,167

Hits 1,626

Doubles 252

Triples 6

HR 583

RBI 1,414

GIDP 147

BB 1,317

IBB 150

HBP 75

SH 3

SF 78

Strikeouts 1,596

SBs 12

CS 8

BA .263

OBP .394

SLG .588

OPS .982

OPS+ 162

See also

List of Major League Baseball home run records

List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters

500 home run club

List of Major League Baseball players with 1,000 runs

List of Major League Baseball players with 1,000 runs batted in

List of Major League Baseball runs batted in champions

List of Major League Baseball home run champions

Major League Baseball titles leaders

1998 Major League Baseball home run record chase

List of doping cases in sport

References

External links

}} | after =Larry Walker}}

Category:1963 births Category:Living people Category:Major League Baseball first basemen Category:Oakland Athletics players Category:St. Louis Cardinals players Category:American League All-Stars Category:National League All-Stars Category:American League home run champions Category:National League home run champions Category:National League RBI champions Category:Modesto A's players Category:Huntsville Stars players Category:Tacoma Tigers players Category:Baseball players from California Category:Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award winners Category:Gold Glove Award winners Category:500 home run club Category:USC Trojans baseball players Category:Baseball players at the 1984 Summer Olympics Category:American sportspeople in doping cases Category:People from Pomona, California Category:People from Irvine, California Category:People from the Inland Empire (California) Category:Doping cases in baseball Category:University of Southern California alumni Category:Major League Baseball hitting coaches Category:St. Louis Cardinals coaches

da:Mark McGwire de:Mark McGwire es:Mark McGwire fr:Mark McGwire ko:마크 맥과이어 it:Mark McGwire mr:मार्क मॅकग्वायर nl:Mark McGwire ja:マーク・マグワイア pt:Mark McGwire simple:Mark McGwire sv:Mark McGwire zh:馬克·麥奎爾

Name	Sammy Sosa
Position	Right fielder
Bats	Right
Throws	Right
Birth date	November 12, 1968
Birth place	San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic
Debutdate	June 16
Debutyear	1989
Debutteam	Texas Rangers
Finaldate	September 29
Finalyear	2007
Finalteam	Texas Rangers
Stat1label	Batting average
Stat1value	.273
Stat2label	Home runs
Stat2value	609
Stat3label	Hits
Stat3value	2,408
Stat4label	Runs batted in
Stat4value	1,667
Teams	Texas Rangers () Chicago White Sox (–) Chicago Cubs (–) Baltimore Orioles () Texas Rangers ()
Highlights	7× All-Star selection (1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004) 6× Silver Slugger Award winner (1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002) 1998 NL MVP 1998 Roberto Clemente Award 1999 NL Hank Aaron Award 2000 Home Run Derby winner }}

Samuel Peralta "Sammy" Sosa (born November 12, 1968) is a former Dominican Republic Major League Baseball right fielder.

Sosa's Major League career began with the Texas Rangers in . After a stint with the Chicago White Sox, Sosa became a member of the Chicago Cubs in 1992 and subsequently became one of the league's best hitters. In 1998, Sosa and Mark McGwire achieved national fame for their home run-hitting prowess in pursuit of Roger Maris' home run record. Although a fan favorite, Sosa fell out of favor in Chicago after he was caught using a corked bat in a 2003 game and later left the team during the final game of the 2004 season. Sosa finished his career with brief stints with the Baltimore Orioles and the Texas Rangers. With the Rangers, Sosa hit his 600th career home run to become the fifth player in MLB history to reach the milestone. He is also the all-time home run leader among foreign-born MLB players. Furthermore, Sosa is one of only two National League Players to ever reach 160 RBI, a milestone he reached in 2001. The other was Cubs player and RBI Champion Hack Wilson during his record setting 1930 season in which he hit 191 RBI. Sosa is the only player to have hit 60 or more home runs in a single season three times.

Sosa has long been the subject of speculation about suspected anabolic steroid use during his playing career. On June 16, 2009, ''The New York Times'' reported that Sosa had failed a test for performance enhancing drugs in 2003.

Personal life

Sosa is known to family and friends as "Mikey." His maternal grandmother, who had suggested his birth name of Samuel, also came up with his nickname: "[She] heard the name on a soap opera she liked and decided from that moment on he would be Mikey."

Sosa was born in the Dominican Republic. Although his officially registered birthplace is San Pedro de Macorís, Sosa was actually born in Consuelo. San Pedro de Macorís was "the largest town nearby." Both Consuelo and San Pedro de Macorís are in San Pedro de Macorís Province. Sosa is married to Sonia Sosa.

Sammy Sosa was the source of attention in late 2009 when he appeared publicly with skin that had been lightened. Sosa claims that the cause of this is a skin cream he has been using.

Major league career

Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox (1989–1991)

Sosa made his major league debut on June 16, 1989, with the Texas Rangers, and he hit first career home run off Roger Clemens. Later in the season, the Rangers traded Sammy to the Chicago White Sox. He played two full seasons for the White Sox and was traded, along with pitcher Ken Patterson, to the Chicago Cubs for outfielder George Bell before the season.

Chicago Cubs (1992–2004)

After years as a respected power/speed threat with a rocket arm in right field, he emerged during the as one of baseball's greatest. It was in this season that both Sosa and Mark McGwire were involved in the "home run record chase", when both players' prowess for hitting home runs drew national attention as they attempted to pass Roger Maris' single season home run mark of 61 home runs that had stood since . Sosa ended the season with 66 (still a team record), behind McGwire's 70. However, Sammy had become the first Major League batter ever to hit 65 homers in a season. Then, McGwire passed him late in the season to become the first ever to hit 70. It was during that season, that Cubs announcer Chip Caray nicknamed him "Slammin' Sammy," a nickname that quickly spread. thumb|right|250px|Sosa wore the iconic #21 with the Cubs in honor of his childhood idol Roberto Clemente Also in 1998, Sosa's 416 total bases were the most in a single season since Stan Musial's 429 in . Sosa's performance in the month of June, during which Sosa belted 20 home runs, knocked in 47 runs, and posted an .842 slugging percentage, was one of the greatest offensive outbursts in major league history. Sosa won the National League Most Valuable Player Award for leading the Cubs into the playoffs in 1998, earning every first-place vote except for the two cast by St. Louis writers, who voted for McGwire. He and McGwire shared ''Sports Illustrated'' magazine's 1998 "Sportsman of the Year" award. Sosa was honored with a ticker-tape parade in his honor in New York City, and he was invited to be a guest at US President Bill Clinton's 1999 State of the Union Address. 1998 was also the first time the Cubs made the post-season since 1989. The Cubs qualified as the NL Wild Card team, but were swept by the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS.

In the season, Sosa hit 63 home runs, again trailing Mark McGwire who hit 65. In the season, Sammy finally led the league by hitting 50 home runs.

In , he hit 64 home runs, becoming the first player to hit 60 home runs in three seasons in his career. However, he did not lead the league in any of those seasons; in 2001, he finished behind Barry Bonds, who hit 73 homers, breaking the single-season home run record set by McGwire in 1998 (70). In the same season he set personal records in runs scored (146), RBI (160), walks (116), on base percentage (.437), slugging percentage (.737), and batting average (.328). He led the majors in runs and RBI, was 2nd in home runs, 2nd in slugging percentage, 1st in total bases, 3rd in walks, 4th in on base percentage, 12th in batting average, and 15th in hits. He also surpassed his 1998 number in total bases, racking up 425. Sosa once again led the league in home runs with 49 in . Known as a free-swinger in his early years, and as a good strikeout candidate, Sammy became an effective hitter for average. He owns numerous team records for the Cubs, and he holds the major-league record for the most home runs hit in a month (20, in June 1998). In recognition of his accomplishments as a hitter, Sosa won the Silver Slugger award (an award for offensive output, voted on by managers and coaches) in and in 1998 through 2002.

In , the Cubs won the National League Central Division title. The year was not all good news for Sosa, however. In May, he spent his first period on the disabled list since after having an injured toenail removed. On June 3, 2003, Sosa was ejected from a Chicago Cubs-Tampa Bay Devil Rays game in the first inning when umpires discovered he had been using a corked bat. Major League Baseball confiscated and tested 76 of Sosa's other bats after his ejection; all were found to be clean, with no cork. Five bats he had sent to the Hall of Fame in past years were also tested, and were all clean as well. Sosa stated that he had accidentally used the corked bat, which he claimed he only used during batting practice. But they soon interviewed the Cubs' manager, who said that any use of corked bats on his team is strictly prohibited. On June 6, Sosa was suspended for eight games. However, the suspension was reduced to seven games after appeal on June 11. Sosa finished the season with 40 home runs, and he hit two more in the 2003 NLCS against the Florida Marlins, but overall, the Cubs lost the series in seven games. According to the ''New York Times'' of June 16, 2009, Sosa had also tested positive for steroids at some point during the season.

In May , Sosa suffered an odd injury while sitting next to his locker chatting with reporters before a game in San Diego's PETCO Park. He sneezed very violently, causing severe back pain. He was diagnosed with back spasms and placed on the disabled list. Later, he fell into one of the worst slumps of his career, only snapping out of it during the last week of the season. He was greatly depressed when the officials told him he couldn't play. He finished with 35 homers, far below his numbers of his best years. The final straw for the Cubs seemed to be an incident in late 2004. Sosa requested to sit out the last game of the season, which was at home against the Atlanta Braves, and he left Wrigley Field early in the game. It was his last time in a Cubs uniform.

Baltimore Orioles and year off (2005–2006)

On January 28, 2005, the Cubs traded Sosa to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for infielder/outfielder Jerry Hairston, Jr., infielder Mike Fontenot, and RHP Dave Crouthers. To facilitate the deal, Sosa and his agent agreed to waive the clause that guaranteed his 2006 salary, and the players' union indicated it would not object to that agreement. Under the deal, Sosa earned $17,875,000 for the 2005 season, with the Cubs paying $7 million of his salary. By playing for the 2005 Orioles alongside fellow 500-home-run batter Rafael Palmeiro, Sosa and Palmeiro became the first 500 home run club members in history to play together on the same team after reaching the 500 home run plateau.

Sosa finished the 2005 season batting .221 with 14 home runs, his worst performance since 1992, and continuing his post-2001 trend of declines in batting average, homers, total bases, and RBI. On December 7, 2005, the Orioles decided not to offer him an arbitration contract, effectively ending his Baltimore Orioles tenure and making him a free agent.

In 2005, ''The Sporting News'' published an update of their 1999 book ''Baseball's 100 Greatest Players''. Sosa did not make the original edition, but for the 2005 update, with his career totals considerably higher, he was ranked at Number 95. During a stretch of nine consecutive years, Sosa hit 35+ home runs and 100+ RBIs, all with the Chicago Cubs.

At the end of January 2006, the Washington Nationals offered Sosa two different minor-league offers, both of which he turned down. On February 15, 2006, Sosa's agent Adam Katz stated: "We're not going to put him on the retirement list. We decided that [not putting him on that list] was the best thing to do. But I can say, with reasonable certainty, that we've seen Sammy in a baseball uniform for the last time."

During this year, Sosa accompanied President Fernandez of the Dominican Republic on several diplomatic trips including to the United States, Japan, and Taiwan.

Recent years (2007-2009)

The Texas Rangers, Sosa's original team, signed him to a minor league deal worth $500,000 on January 30, 2007. This was the same contract that Sosa turned down the previous year from the Nationals. The contract included an invitation to spring training, where Sosa competed for a spot in the lineup with Nelson Cruz, Jason Botts, and other rookies/prospects. Sosa was successful during spring training and was added to the team's 25-man roster. He started the 2007 season as the Rangers' designated hitter and occasional right fielder.

At the same time, the Chicago Cubs awarded Sosa's # 21 to new pitcher Jason Marquis, despite the fact that it was formerly worn by Sosa, who coincidentally later hit his 600th home run against Marquis. This caused some concern, due to Sosa's accomplishments with the Cubs, including his status as the Cubs' all-time home run leader.

On April 26, 2007, Sosa made history by hitting a home run in his 45th major league ballpark. He has also homered in The Ballpark at Disney's Wide World of Sports, near Orlando, Florida, a usually minor-league and Spring Training park that hosted a regular season series between the Rangers and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in May 2007, although he did not hit a homer at the two regular season games the Cubs played at the Tokyo Dome in 2000 vs. the Mets.

On June 20, 2007, Sosa hit a home run off of Jason Marquis during an inter-league game against the Chicago Cubs. Sammy became only the fifth man in history, following Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Barry Bonds, to hit 600 regular season home runs.

The home run was the first one that Sosa had recorded against the Cubs, and as a result he has hit a home run against every active MLB team. Sosa is the Cubs' all-time home run leader, having hit 545 with that team.

On May 28, , Sosa announced that he instructed his agent not to offer his services to any Major League team for the 2008 season, and planned on filing for retirement, but never did.

On December 25, 2008, Sosa announced he intended to unretire and play in the World Baseball Classic and once again test the free agent market in hopes of signing for a Major League ballclub in 2009. Sosa said that he had been keeping in shape at his home, and was hoping that after a strong World Baseball Classic he would prove to major-league teams that he was still capable of playing in the MLB. However, he was not selected as part of the Dominican Republic's roster. He remained a free agent and did not actively look for a team.

On June 3, 2009, Sosa announced his intention to retire from Major League Baseball. He made the announcement in the Dominican Republic and said that he was calmly looking forward to his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame since his statistics were up to par.

Drug test controversy

On June 16, 2009 the ''New York Times'' reported Sosa was on a list of players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003. The paper did not identify the drug. Sosa's agent, Adam Katz, told The Associated Press he had no comment on the report. Rich Levin, commissioner Bud Selig's office spokesman, declined to comment on the situation, claiming that the MLB did not have a copy of the test results. Michael Weiner, the union general counsel, also declined comment. The union, while fighting to get the list back from the government, has mostly refused to discuss reports about the list because it does not want to confirm or deny who is on it.

Previously, Sosa sat alongside Rafael Palmeiro, Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire at a 2005 hearing before Congress. His attorney testified on his behalf, stating "To be clear, I have never taken illegal performance-enhancing drugs. I have never injected myself or had anyone inject me with anything. I have not broken the laws of the United States or the laws of the Dominican Republic. I have been tested as recently as 2004, and I am clean."

In a recent interview with ESPN Deportes, Sosa said he would "calmly wait" for his induction into baseball's Hall of Fame, for which he will become eligible in 2013. His comment angered many people and again brought up the argument of positive drug testing players being accepted into the Hall of Fame.

See also

30-30 club

50 home run club

500 home run club

Maris–McGwire–Sosa pair

List of Major League Baseball Home Run Records

List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters

List of major league players with 2,000 hits

List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs

List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBIs

List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases

List of Major League Baseball RBI champions

List of Major League Baseball home run champions

List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions

1998 Major League Baseball home run record chase

References

External links

Latino Sports Legends - extended biography and photos

}} | after=Barry BondsJim Thome}} | after= Mark McGwireLance Berkman}} | after = Todd Helton}}

Category:American people of Dominican Republic descent Category:Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic Category:Dominican Republic people of African descent Category:Dominican Republic emigrants to the United States Category:Baltimore Orioles players Category:Chicago Cubs players Category:Chicago White Sox players Category:Texas Rangers players Category:Major League Baseball right fielders Category:Drugs in sport in the United States Category:National League All-Stars Category:National League home run champions Category:National League RBI champions Category:500 home run club Category:Major League Baseball controversies Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States Category:Gulf Coast Rangers players Category:Gastonia Rangers players Category:Charlotte Rangers players Category:Tulsa Drillers players Category:Vancouver Canadians players Category:Oklahoma City 89ers players Category:Iowa Cubs players Category:West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx players Category:People from San Pedro de Macorís Category:1968 births Category:Living people

de:Sammy Sosa es:Sammy Sosa fr:Sammy Sosa ko:새미 소사 it:Sammy Sosa mr:सॅमी सोसा nl:Sammy Sosa ja:サミー・ソーサ ru:Соса, Самми simple:Sammy Sosa fi:Sammy Sosa sv:Sammy Sosa zh:萨米·索萨

Name	Albert Pujols
Position	First baseman
Team	St. Louis Cardinals
Number	5
Bats	Right
Throws	Right
Birth date	January 16, 1980
Birth place	Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Debutdate	April 2
Debutyear	2001
Debutteam	St. Louis Cardinals
Statyear	August 31, 2011
Stat1label	Batting average
Stat1value	.328
Stat2label	Hits
Stat2value	2,035
Stat3label	Home runs
Stat3value	440
Stat4label	Runs batted in
Stat4value	1,309
Stat5label	OPS
Stat5value	1.039
Awards	9× All-Star (2001, 2003–2010) World Series champion () 3× NL MVP (2005, 2008, 2009) 2× NL Hank Aaron Award (2003, 2009) 6× Silver Slugger Award (2001, 2003–2004, 2008–2010) 2× Gold Glove Award (2006, 2010) 2001 NL Rookie of the Year 6× NL Player of the Month Award 11× NL Player of the Week Award 2004 NLCS MVP 2008 Roberto Clemente Award 2003 NL Batting champion 2009–2010 NL home run champion 2010 NL RBI champion
Teams	St. Louis Cardinals (–present) }}

José Alberto Pujols Alcántara (born January 16, 1980), better known as Albert Pujols (), is a Dominican professional baseball player with the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball. Currently a first baseman, Pujols is considered one of the top players in Major League Baseball and the most feared hitter in baseball, according to a poll of all 30 MLB managers in 2008. He won the National League Rookie of the Year award in 2001 and has since been selected as an All-Star nine times, has won the National League Most Valuable Player Award three times, has twice won the National League Hank Aaron Award, and has a World Series ring from the Cardinals 2006 title.

At the end of the 2010 season, he led all active players in batting average (.331), slugging percentage (.624), and on-base percentage (.426), and ranks among the Top 40 leading home run hitters in Major League Baseball history. He was selected by ESPN.com as the greatest player of the decade from 2000–2009. He stands , weighs , bats and throws right-handed.

Early life and career

Born on January 16, 1980, Pujols was raised in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic by his grandmother. Pujols and his family immigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic in 1996, first to New York City. In the U.S., Pujols displayed his hitting skill by batting over .500 in his first season at Fort Osage High School in Independence, Missouri, twice earning all-state honors. Pujols graduated from high school in December 1998. He attended Maple Woods Community College in the Kansas City area in spring of 1999. In his only college season, Pujols hit a grand slam and turned an unassisted triple play in his first game. He batted .461 for the year.

Professional baseball career

Minor leagues

Few major league teams were very interested in Pujols out of high school, but he was finally drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 13th round of the 1999 MLB Draft, with the 402nd overall pick. However, Pujols initially turned down a US $10,000 bonus and opted to play in the Jayhawk League in Kansas instead. The Cardinals increased their bonus offer to $60,000, Pujols signed, and was assigned to the minor leagues.

In 2000, Pujols played for the Peoria Chiefs of the single-A Midwest League, where he was voted league MVP. Pujols quickly progressed through the ranks of the St. Louis farm clubs, first at the Potomac Cannons in the high-A Carolina League and then with the Memphis Redbirds in the Class AAA Pacific Coast League.

Major league career

2001–2004

During the 2001 season, the team was preparing for Pujols to be sent to Memphis-AAA. However, Pujols' outstanding play, combined with injuries on the big league roster allowed Pujols the opportunity to begin the season in the majors. Pujols started his major league career playing third base. During his rookie season, he started at 4 different positions (1B, 3B, LF, and RF).

In May, he was named National League Rookie of the Month and was named to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. In the second half of the season, Pujols had a on-base streak of 48 consecutive games from July 28 to September 22. Pujols' successful rookie season helped the Cardinals tie for the National League Central Division title. In 2001, Pujols batted .329 with 37 home runs and 130 RBI, and was unanimously named the National League Rookie of the Year. His 37 home runs were one short of the National League rookie record of 38 and his 130 RBI set an NL rookie record.

In 2002, Pujols was moved to left field to accommodate Scott Rolen and hit .314 with 34 homers and 127 RBI that year.

Following an injury scare in 2003, Pujols was moved to first base and had one of the best offensive seasons in Cardinals history, batting .359 with 43 home runs, and 124 RBIs. He won the NL batting title while also leading the league in runs, hits, doubles, extra base hits, and total bases. Pujols joined Rogers Hornsby as the only players in Cardinals' history to record 40+ homers and 200+ hits in the same season and had a 30-game hitting streak in 2003.

In 2004, Pujols signed a seven-year, $100 million contract extension with a $16 million club option for 2011 with no-trade provisions.

Throughout the year, Pujols was plagued by plantar fasciitis, but still hit .331 with 46 home runs and 123 RBIs. Pujols, along with teammates Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen, earned the nickname 'MV3' for their phenomenal season. He was named the MVP of the 2004 NLCS, helping his team reach the World Series, where they would be swept by the Boston Red Sox in four games.

2005–2006

In 2005 season Pujols established career highs in walks and stolen bases, while leading his team in almost every offensive category. He finished batting .330 with 41 home runs (including his 200th career homer), 117 RBIs, 97 walks, and 16 stolen bases and won the 2005 National League MVP award.

In the NLCS the Cardinals were eliminated in six games by the Houston Astros. With the Cardinals trailing by 2 runs and only one out from elimination Pujols hit a game-winning three-run home run that landed on the train tracks in the back of Minute Maid Park.

Early in the 2006 season, Pujols became the 35th player to hit home runs in four consecutive at-bats, and the 20th batter to hit four home runs in four consecutive plate appearances. He set the record for the most home runs hit in April of the season, at 14—and became the fastest player in major league history to reach 19 home runs in a season. On April 16 of that year, he hit three home runs in a game against the Cincinnati Reds at Busch Stadium, the last one a walk-off home run that gave the Cardinals an 8–7 victory. In June he was placed on the disabled list for the first time in his career, missing 15 games. He started at first base for the NL All-Star team and finished the season with a .331 batting average, establishing new career-highs in slugging percentage (in which he led the majors), 49 home runs (second) and 137 RBIs (second). Of his 49 home runs, 20 accounted for a game-winning RBI, breaking Willie Mays' single-season record set in 1962.

On April 10, 2006, Pujols hit the first Cardinals home run at new Busch Stadium, a solo shot in the third inning off Tomo Ohka.

After appearing in the playoffs with the Cardinals in four out of five years, Pujols won his first World Series when the Cardinals defeated the Detroit Tigers in the 2006 World Series.

After having shared the lead for errors at his position in 2005, Pujols' defensive improvements earned him his first Gold Glove award in 2006. He had the highest range factor among first basemen in his two full seasons at the position, and led the National League in that category; emblematic was a sprawling, flip-from-his-back play to save a hit in Game 5 of the World Series.

2007–2008

Pujols had a slower start in the spring of 2007 than in previous years due to several injuries in his right elbow. Following the All-Star break, he hit four home runs in his first three games back.

He hit his 25th home run on August 15, making him the fifth player to hit 25 home runs in his first seven seasons in the major leagues, and the first since Darryl Strawberry. On August 22, he hit his 30th home run of the season, becoming the first major league player to hit at least 30 home runs in each of his first 7 seasons. It was his fifth consecutive game with a home run, tying the Cardinals' single-season record.

Pujols notched his 100th RBI for the seventh consecutive year, to be only the third player to accomplish that from the start of his career.

Pujols won the Fielding Bible Award for defensive excellence at first base in 2007.

In June Pujols went on the 15-day disabled list for only the second time in his career. Pujols won his seventh career NL Player of the Week award for Aug. 18–24. He got his 1,500th career hit on August 30, against the Houston Astros. His 30th home run on September 1, and his 100th RBI on September 11, made him the first player in MLB history to start his career with eight seasons of at least 30 HR, 100 RBIs, a .300 BA, and 99 runs.

In 2008, he also led the NL in three lesser-known sabermetric categories: VORP (98.6), runs created (160), and OPS+ (190).

On October 13, Pujols elected to have surgery on his troubled right elbow, "a procedure that included decompression and transposition of the ulnar nerve" but not the more invasive Tommy John surgery to relieve persistent pain.

Pujols won a number of awards for 2008, including the Players Choice National League Outstanding Player of the Year, and Players Choice Player of the Year (his second Player of the Year Award, having also won in 2003; he joined Alex Rodriguez and Barry Bonds as two-time winners). Pujols was also named ''The Sporting News'' Player of the Year for the second time in his career. On October 25, Pujols was named the 2008 winner of the Roberto Clemente Award for the player who best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement, and the individual's contribution to his team.

Pujols won the Fielding Bible Award for defensive excellence at first base for the third consecutive year. For the third time in four years, Pujols was named NL Most Valuable Player in the annual Internet Baseball Awards, a poll conducted by Baseball Prospectus. Pujols also won his fourth Silver Slugger award, having previously won one at 3B in 2001, OF in 2003, and 1B in 2004.

After the season Pujols won his second NL MVP Award. The MVP award continues his streak of finishing in the top nine in the BBWAA voting every year of the first 8 years of his career. He ended the year by winning TYIB's 'Hitter of the Year' Award.

2009

Pujols declined to play in the World Baseball Classic for his native Dominican Republic, because of insurance issues relating to his off-season right elbow surgery in October 2008.

In May he hit an upper-deck HR off the "Big Mac Land" sign in left field, causing the "I" in "Big" to be knocked out.

Pujols was the leading vote-getter for the 2009 MLB All-Star Game, receiving the highest number of votes in NL history thus far. For the All-Star Game, which took place at his home ballpark of Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Pujols participated in the Home Run Derby and caught President Barack Obama's ceremonial first pitch before the All-Star Game.

The 2009 season marked the ninth consecutive season since the start of his career that he has reached 100 or more RBI and 30 or more doubles, and the fifth time he has hit 40+ home runs and won his first home run title. In 2009 Pujols also played his 1,000th game at first base and also hit his 40th double of the season, making him the second player in major league history to hit 40 doubles and 40 home runs in three separate seasons (2003, 2004, 2009), joining Lou Gehrig and was a league leader in a variety of offensive categories.

Later that year he was awarded the ''Sporting News'' "MLB Player of the Decade". Following the season, Pujols won the ''Sporting News'' "MLB Player of the Year" award for the second consecutive year, and his third (2003) overall. He is just the third player in the history of the award to win in consecutive seasons. Boston Red Sox outfielder Ted Williams won the award in 1941–1942, and Cincinnati Reds second baseman Joe Morgan did so in 1975–76. In December, ''Sports Illustrated'' selected him as Player of the Decade and also as one of the Top 20 Male Athletes of the Decade.

Pujols was also named the NL MVP for the third time, tying Stan Musial as the St. Louis Cardinals' leader in that category.

He had surgery to remove five bone spurs from his right elbow.

2010

Pujols homered twice on Opening Day (April 5) and later surpassed Eddie Mathews' old record (370 in 1952–1961) for most home runs in his first 10 years.

He became the 161st player to hit 400 doubles in his career on May 20, 2010. On May 30, he had his 36th career multihomer game at Wrigley Field hitting 3 home runs. Later in June he had his 37th career multihomer game at Busch Stadium tying Stan Musial's franchise record by a Cardinals' player.

On August 15, Pujols hit his 30th home run of the season extending his own major league record of most consecutive 30 home run seasons (10) to begin a career starting with his rookie year. On August 26, he became the 47th player to hit his 400th career home run, and the first in major league history to do it in his first 10 seasons. It was against the Washington Nationals in the fourth inning at their ballpark against Jordan Zimmermann. In the same game later, he hit his 30th double (#417 career) of the season, extending his consecutive years of 30+ doubles in a season to all 10 of his playing years. Pujols is the third-youngest player in Major League history to reach the milestone, at 30 years, seven months and 10 days (30,222 days). Only Ken Griffey Jr. (30,140 days) and Alex Rodriguez (29,316 days) hit 400 at an earlier age. Only four players in the history of the game reached their 400th homer in fewer at-bats than Pujols, who got there in career at-bat No. 5,617: Mark McGwire (4,726), Babe Ruth (4,853), Harmon Killebrew (5,300), and Jim Thome (5,416).

He won the NL Player of the Month Award in August for the sixth time, more than any active NL player, hitting .379 (2nd) with 11 home runs (1st), 23 RBIs (T5th), .777 slugging (1st), and .453 on-base percentage (2nd).

On September 11, Pujols reached 100 RBIs for the 10th consecutive year and drove in all three runs in the game, giving him 102 for the season. Only Al Simmons has a longer streak at the beginning of a career, 11 years (1924–1934). Pujols joins Jimmie Foxx, Lou Gehrig, and Alex Rodriguez in having 10 consecutive seasons of 100+ RBIs at any time in their career. Only two players besides Pujols have 10 consecutive years of 30 HRs and 100 RBIs at any time in their careers: Foxx and Rodriguez.

On September 12, he passed Stan Musial to be the all-time Cardinals' leader in multi-HR games when he hit two home runs (38 and 39) for the 38th time in a game. It was the fifth time this year he has hit two home runs in a game.

On September 23, he reached 40 home runs for the sixth time in his career at Pittsburgh, hitting two at PNC Park giving him an NL-leading 41 for the season, 112 RBIs, and extending his own record there to 26 home runs, which is also the most for him at any road ballpark. Only six other players have more than six 40-HR seasons. He also added to his Cardinals' franchise record of 39 career multi-HR games. At season's end, Pujols became the second player in the last sixty years (the first was Hank Aaron), to lead the National League in runs, home runs, and runs batted in, and not be named Most Valuable Player.

He won his second Gold Glove Award, his first since 2006. He won the NL First Base Silver Slugger Award and finished second in the NL MVP race to Joey Votto.

2011

Pujols and the Cardinals set a deadline for the start of Spring Training for contract extension negotiations. Negotiations were suspended without an agreement.

He began the season hitting .245 with a .305 OBP, and .453 SLG through April. He did hit 7 home runs and 18 RBIs, but also had a league-leading 9 grounded into double plays.

On June 4, he recorded his 41st career multi-HR game. On June 4 and 5, he had consecutive walk-off home runs in extra-innings, becoming only the third player to do that since 1950. They also were his 6th and 7th extra-inning walk-off home runs [9th and 10th total] in his career, ranking #2 behind Frank Robinson and Jim Thome who have eight, since 1950, tying Mickey Mantle. After the game on June 5, manager Tony La Russa reported his autographing a picture of himself with Pujols after the 2001 playoff season ended (Pujols' first season in the majors), inscribing it, "To Albert, The best player I've ever managed."

For the week of May 30-June 5, he was named NL Player of the Week for the first time since June 15–21 2009, hitting .444 (12-for-27), with five HR's, 10 RBIs, and a 1.620 OPS. His 12 hits and five walks led the NL, while his 1.074 slugging percentage, 29 total bases, and 11 runs scored led the major leagues.

On June 19, against the Royals, both Wilson Betemit and Pete Kozma collided with Pujols, causing a small fracture in the left wrist-forearm. He was activated from the disabled list on July 5, after the minimum 15-days.

On July 30, at Busch Stadium in the eighth inning against the Cubs, he got his 2,000th career hit, a double down the left-field line. It was in his 1,650th game, becoming the fifth Cardinal player to get 2,000 hits, joining Stan Musial (3,630), Lou Brock (2,713), Rogers Hornsby (2,110), and Enos Slaughter (2,064). He is the 12th quickest player by games to get to 2,000.

On August 14, facing the Rockies, he hit the longest home run at Busch Stadium, estimated to be about 465 feet.

Personal life

Pujols married his wife, Deidre, on January 1, 2000. They have four children, Isabella (Deidre's daughter, from a previous relationship), Albert Jr., Sophia, and Ezra. Albert and his wife are active in the cause of people with Down syndrome, as Isabella was born with this condition. He has taken part-ownership in Patrick's Restaurant in Maryland Heights, Missouri. The remodeled restaurant was re-opened as Pujols 5 in 2006.

Pujols is close friends with third baseman Plácido Polanco, a former teammate with the St. Louis Cardinals. Pujols is godfather to Polanco's 3-year-old son, Ismael.

In 2007 Pujols became a U.S. citizen, scoring a perfect 100 on his citizenship test. Later that year Upper Deck Authenticated announced it had signed Pujols to an exclusive autographed memorabilia agreement.

In 2008, Pujols agreed to help bring a MLS franchise to St. Louis by using his reputation and a large financial investment.

Pujols and his wife are devout and active Christians; one of his writings on his family's foundation's website states, "In the Pujols family, God is first. Everything else is a distant second". He writes, "My life's goal is to bring glory to Jesus. My life is not mostly dedicated to the Lord, it is 100% committed to Jesus Christ and His will. God has given me the ability to succeed in the game of baseball. But baseball is not the end; baseball is the means by which my wife, Dee Dee, and I glorify God. Baseball is simply my platform to elevate Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior." Pujols attends a Baptist church.

Pujols and Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa attended Glenn Beck's Restoring Honor rally in Washington, D.C., after being assured by Beck that the rally was not political. During the rally, Pujols was presented with a "Badge of Merit" for "Hope."

Pujols Family Foundation

In 2005, Albert and Deidre Pujols launched the Pujols Family Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit which is dedicated to their "commitment to faith, family and others." The organization promotes awareness of Down syndrome and works to support those who have it and their families, aids the poor in the Dominican Republic, and supports people with disabilities and/or life threatening illnesses. Among other activities, the foundation hosts events for people with Down syndrome. The foundation gave the Down Syndrome Association of Greater St. Louis the resources to open and office and hire staff. A center for adults with Down syndrome bears Pujols' name ("Albert Pujols Wellness Center for Adults with Down Syndrome") opened in 2009 in Chesterfield, Missouri; he was present at the opening on November 18.

Pujols has taken several trips to the Dominican Republic, by taking supplies as well as a team of doctors and dentists to the poor who need medical care. The Pujols Family Foundation also holds an annual golf tournament to raise money to send dentists to the Dominican Republic.

Accomplishments

By the end of the 2009 season, Pujols ranked in the top 15 players in major league history in four statistical categories: on-base percentage (twelfth), slugging percentage (fourth), on-base plus slugging (OPS; fourth), and adjusted OPS (tied for sixth). He also ranks in the top 500 players in major league history in a variety of statistical categories (see below), and is a three-time MVP.

From 2001 to 2005, Pujols hit 201 home runs, second all-time for the most hit in a player's first five seasons. By 2009, he had reached the 350-homer plateau at the age of 29—the third-youngest to do so—and surpassed Ralph Kiner's record for most home runs in his first nine seasons. In doing so, Pujols became the first player to hit 30 or more home runs in the first nine seasons of his career (extended it to 10 in 2010), as well the second player to have 100 or more RBIs in the same timespan.

Pujols holds the Cardinals' franchise record for most career grand slams; he broke the record of nine previously held by Stan Musial. Musial and Pujols are also two of only four players in history to have a career batting average above .330 and less than 500 strikeouts at the time of their 300th home runs (the other two being Musial's contemporaries Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio).

In his first 5,000 career at bats, Pujols hit 372 doubles, 358 home runs, and 14 triples for a total of 744 extra-base hits, the most in NL history, and is the second player in Major League Baseball to post nine consecutive seasons with 30 doubles, a .300 batting average, 30 home runs, and 100 runs batted in or better (Lou Gehrig). He has scored 100 or more runs in nine of his ten seasons. (He scored 99 runs in the only season when he did not score 100 runs). He currently has eight career walk-off home runs. His 1,230 RBI is second all-time among Cardinal players, only Stan Musial (1,951) has more.

In the field, Pujols has set the Cardinals' franchise record for the most assists by a first baseman in a single game (seven). In 2009, he also set the National League record for assists by a first baseman in a season (182), and in the last game of the 2009 season, he broke Bill Buckner's 1985 major league mark of 184 with his 185th assist. Keith Hernandez held the previous Cardinals' record with 146 assists in 1979, and Mark Grace held the previous NL record with 181 in 1990.

Pujols said he does not play solely for the numbers. "I don't play for numbers. I play first of all to glorify God and to accomplish in this game what everybody wants to accomplish, which is getting to the World Series and coming up with a win at the end. Those are the things that I really try to focus on and try to make sure that I do every day for the rest of my career."

Awards and honors

{|class="wikitable sortable" width="75%" text-align: center;" |- !style="background:#ccccff;"|Award / Honor !style="background:#ccccff;"|Time(s) !style="background:#ccccff;"|Date(s) |- |NL All-Star |9 |2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 |- |NL Player of the Month |6 |May 2003, June 2003, April 2006, April 2009, June 2009, August 2010 |- |NL Silver Slugger |6 |2001 , 2003 , 2004 , 2008 , 2009 , 2010 |- |Fielding Bible Award |4 |2006 , 2007 , 2008 , 2009 |- |''TSN'' Player of the Year |3 |2003, 2008, 2009 |- |MLB Player of the Year Award (Players Choice Award) |3 |2003, 2008, 2009 |- |NL Outstanding Player (Players Choice Award) |3 |2003, 2008, 2009 |- |ESPY Awards Best MLB Player |4 |2005, 2006, 2009, 2010 |- |NL Most Valuable Player |3 |2005, 2008, 2009 |- |NL Home run champion |2 |2009, 2010 |- |''Baseball Digest'' Player of the Year |2 |2005, 2008 |- |NL Gold Glove Award |2 |2006, 2010 |- |Hank Aaron Award |2 |2003, 2009 |- |World Series champion |1 |2006 |- |''TSN'' Player of the Decade |1 |2009 |- |''Sports Illustrated'' Player of the Decade |1 |2009 |- |Rookie of the Year |1 |2001 |- |Hitter of the Year (This Year in Baseball Awards) |2 |2003, 2008 |- |NL Batting champion |1 |2003 |- |NL RBI champion |1 |2010 |- |NLCS MVP |1 |2004 |- |Clutch Performer of the Month |1 |April 2010 |- |Roberto Clemente Award |1 |2008 |- |Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award (Players Choice Award) |1 |2006 |- |NL Player of the Week Award |11 |2001-2007 (6), 2008 (2), 2009 (2), 2011 [wk. ending June 5] |- |}

Career statistics

{|class="wikitable" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" style="border: 0px gray solid; text-align: center" |- !width="35"|Yr.!!align="left" width="60"|Team!!align="left" width="20"|Lg!!width="25"|G!!width="25"|AB!!width="25"|R!!width="25"|H!!width="25"|2B!!width="25"|3B!!width="20"|HR!!width="25"|GS!!width="25"|RBI!!width="20"|SB!!width="20"|CS!!width="20"|BB!!width="20"|SO!!width="30"|BA!!width="30"|OBP!!width="30"|SLG!!width="30"|OPS!!width="25"|TB!!width="25"|GIDP!!width="25"|HBP!!width="20"|SH!!width="20"|SF!!width="25"|IBB!!width="30"|OPS+ |- |||align="center"|St. Louis||align="left"|NL ||  121||  472||  87|| 135|| 22||0|| ''32''||0||  79||  7||1|| 53|| 50||.286||.360||.536||0.896|| 253|| ''25'' ||4||0||5||  12||147 |- !colspan=3 align="right"|TOTALS  (11 yrs.)!!1,679!!6,205!!1,273!!2,035!!448!!15!!440!!11!!1,309!!82!!35!!967!!696!!.328!!.421!!.618!!1.039!!3,833!!228!!77!!1!!66!!248!!170 |}

Statistics current through August 31, 2011. ''Italic'' in 2011 = led NL

Footnotes

G=games played; AB=at bats; R=runs; H=hits; 2B=doubles; 3B=triples; HR=home runs; GS=grand slams; RBI=runs batted in; SB=stolen bases; CS=times caught stealing; BB=walks; SO=strikeouts; BA=batting average; OBP=on-base percentage; SLG=slugging percentage; OPS=on-base plus slugging; TB=total bases; GIDP=times grounded into double play; HBP=times hit by pitch; SH=sacrifice hits; SF=sacrifice flies; IBB=intentional walks; OPS+=adjusted OPS

See also

List of Major League Baseball players with 2000 hits

List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters

List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBIs

List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs

List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles

List of Major League Baseball batting champions

List of Major League Baseball home run champions

List of Major League Baseball runs batted in champions

List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions

List of Major League Baseball doubles records

List of Major League Baseball doubles champions

List of National League slugging percentage leaders

List of Major League Baseball players with a .325 batting average

List of Major League Baseball players with a .400 on-base percentage

List of Major League Baseball players with a .500 slugging percentage

List of Major League Baseball players with a .900 on-base plus slugging

Leaders in OPS and OPS+

References

External links

Albert Pujols at Retrosheet

}}

Category:1980 births Category:Living people Category:2006 World Baseball Classic players Category:American people of Dominican Republic descent Category:Baptists from the United States Category:Baseball players from Missouri Category:Dominican Republic Baptists Category:Dominican Republic emigrants to the United States Category:Gold Glove Award winners Category:Major League Baseball first basemen Category:Major League Baseball left fielders Category:Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic Category:Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award winners Category:Major League Baseball third basemen Category:Memphis Redbirds players Category:National League All-Stars Category:National League batting champions Category:National League Championship Series MVPs Category:National League home run champions Category:National League Most Valuable Player Award winners Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States Category:People from Independence, Missouri Category:People from Santo Domingo Category:Peoria Chiefs players Category:Potomac Cannons players Category:St. Louis Cardinals players

cs:Albert Puyols da:Albert Pujols de:Albert Pujols es:Albert Pujols fr:Albert Pujols ko:앨버트 푸홀스 it:Albert Pujols la:Albertus Puiols lv:Alberts Puholss ja:アルバート・プホルス pt:Albert Pujols ru:Пухольс, Альберт sv:Albert Pujols zh:亞伯特·普荷斯

Name	Albert Belle
Position	Left fielder
Bats	Right
Throws	Right
Birth date	August 25, 1966
Birth place	Shreveport, Louisiana
Debutdate	July 15
Debutyear	1989
Debutteam	Cleveland Indians
Finaldate	October 1
Finalyear	2000
Finalteam	Baltimore Orioles
Stat1label	Batting average
Stat1value	.295
Stat2label	Home runs
Stat2value	381
Stat3label	Runs batted in
Stat3value	1,239
Teams	Cleveland Indians (–) Chicago White Sox (–) Baltimore Orioles (–)
Highlights	5× All-Star selection (1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997) 5× Silver Slugger Award winner (1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998) Other awards and accomplishments }}

Albert Jojuan Belle (born August 25, 1966) is a former American Major League Baseball outfielder for the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, and Baltimore Orioles. Standing at 6'2 and weighing in at 225 lbs, Albert was one of the leading sluggers of his time, and in 1995 he became the first player to hit 50 doubles and 50 home runs in a single season.

Belle was also considered a model of consistency, compiling a .295 career batting average, averaging 37 home runs and 120 RBIs a season over the ten prime years of his major league career from 1991 to 2000. Belle is also one of only six players in major league history to have nine consecutive 100-RBI seasons. However, his combative personality combined with occasional angry outbursts created a reputation for surliness that often overshadowed his on-field hitting performance.

Early life

Albert Belle, and his fraternal twin, Terry, were born on August 25, 1966, in Shreveport, Louisiana, the son of Albert Belle Sr., a high school baseball and football coach, and Carrie Belle, a former math teacher. A former Boy Scout, he attained the rank of Eagle Scout. Belle attended Huntington High School in Shreveport, where he was a star baseball and football player, a member of the National Honor Society and vice president of the local Future Business Leaders of America. He also played little league baseball with future PGA Tour player David Toms. He graduated sixth in his high school class and made the all-state baseball team twice. In 1984, he was selected to play for the USA in the Junior Olympics, in which the U.S. won a silver medal. He played outfield and pitched, winning one game. After graduation, Belle was offered many football and baseball scholarships, including one to the University of Notre Dame; he was also offered an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy. However, Belle decided to stay close to home, and accepted a baseball scholarship to Louisiana State University.

College

Belle played college baseball at LSU from 1985–1987 where he made 1st team All-SEC in 1986 and 1987 and played in 184 games, with 585 at bats, 194 hits, 30 doubles, 49 home runs, 172 runs batted in, 157 runs, a .670 slugging percentage, and a .332 batting average.

After college, he was drafted by the Cleveland Indians. While in the minor league system he was known as "Joey" (his childhood nickname) and was thought of as a top prospect, but high-risk due to his temper and excessive drinking. Belle underwent counseling and became known as "Albert." Umpire Durwood Merrill, who wrote a book called ''You're Out, and You're Ugly, Too'', tweaked Belle by calling him "Joey" long past the time when Belle was known by that name publicly.

Major League career

Belle became the fourth player to have eight straight seasons of 30 home runs and 100 RBI, joining Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, and Lou Gehrig (a feat matched by Albert Pujols in 2008). Alex Rodriguez has 12 straight. As a fielder, Belle had a powerful throwing arm, unsurprising given that he was a gifted pitcher in high school. His Range Factor by games played was consistently higher than the Major League Average Range Factor at that position. He was an accomplished base runner and base stealer, with a career high of 23 steals in 1993, and a surprising 17 steals in 1999 despite hip problems. Belle led the league three times in RBIs, three times in total bases, three times in extra-base hits, and twice in slugging. He was a five-time All-Star between 1993 and 1997.

Notably, Albert Belle's career highs in home runs, RBI, batting average, runs scored, and walks occurred in five separate seasons.

In 2006, the ''Hardball Times'' published a statistical comparison of Belle's career statistics with that of 60 of his current and former peers. The article ranked Belle in career "prime value," behind current Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner and presumed future inductee Frank Thomas.

In 1994, Belle lost the batting title to the New York Yankees' outfielder Paul O'Neill, .359 to .357. Belle's post-season record was limited to two heavy-hitting appearances, in which only his batting average suffered: he hit .230/.405/.557 (batting average, on base percentage and slugging percentage, respectively) with six home runs and 14 RBIs in 61 at-bats.

In 1995, Belle became the first player in the history of the major leagues to hit 50 homers and 50 doubles in the same season; before Belle, the last player to reach as many as 40 in both categories had been Willie Stargell in 1973. The achievement was especially impressive because Belle only played 143 games in 1995 due to a season shortened by the previous year's players strike. The 40-40 mark has been surpassed since, most recently by Alfonso Soriano in 2006, but Belle's 50-50 combo remains unique.

His reputation, and more specifically his disdain of the media, cost him votes for the 1995 MVP Award. Belle finished second in the media voting to the Boston Red Sox's Mo Vaughn. This result occurred despite Belle's having led the American League that season in runs scored, home runs, RBI, slugging percentage, and total bases, and despite his outpacing Vaughn head-to-head in every important offensive category except RBI (both men had 126); both players' teams reached the playoffs. This was in the middle of a three-year streak in which Albert Belle finished 3rd, 2nd, and 3rd for the American League MVP. Belle had two other top ten MVP finishes, in 1993 (7th) and 1998 (8th).

In the winter of 1996, Belle signed a 5-year, $55 million ($}} today) deal with the Chicago White Sox as a free agent. This contract made him the highest paid player in baseball for a brief period. Belle enjoyed two great seasons in Chicago, including a career-high 27-game hitting streak in May 1997. Belle came close to having another 50/50 season in 1998, with 49 home runs (a White Sox team record that still stands) and 48 doubles. Additionally, when Cal Ripken, Jr. ended his record consecutive game streak in September 1998, it was Belle who took over as the major leagues' active leader in the category.

Belle's White Sox contract had an unusual clause allowing him to demand that he would remain one of the three highest paid players in baseball. In October 1998, Belle invoked the clause, and when the White Sox declined to give him a raise, Belle immediately became a free agent. Belle again became the game's highest paid player, signing a five-year, $65 million ($}} today) deal with the Baltimore Orioles. However, Belle ended his career just two seasons later, retiring at age 34 as a result of degenerative osteoarthritis in his hip. However, he was kept on Baltimore's active 40-man roster for the next three years, as a condition of the insurance policy which largely reimbursed the Orioles for the remainder of Belle's contract.

Albert Belle homered in the final at-bat of his major-league career at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on October 1, 2000.

Controversy

Belle was involved in several controversial incidents during his baseball career. In 1986, he went after a heckler in the stands who was shouting racist insults at him; he was suspended while his team played in the College World Series. In 1991, he threw a baseball into the stands, where it struck a fan who had taunted him by yelling, "Keg party at my house, Joey," a reference both to Belle's prior nickname and his stints in alcohol rehabilitation. He was suspended in 1994 for using a corked bat and received further disdain for sending teammate Jason Grimsley through the building's ceiling panel to break into the locked umpire dressing room to retrieve Belle's corked bat and substitute it with another teammate's bat. This resulted in a seven game suspension for Belle. He was fined in 1996 for knocking down Brewers infielder Fernando Viña, who had blocked his way on the basepaths. He also had unpleasant interactions with the public. He also chased down rowdy trick-or-treating vandals who were celebrating Halloween by throwing eggs at his home; Belle ended up hitting one of the vandals with his car.

Sports reporters resented Belle's refusal to grant interviews before a game. A profane outburst directed at a group of reporters in his team's dugout, including NBC Sports personality Hannah Storm, was widely reported during the 1995 World Series. Later, Belle was unrepentant: "The Indians wanted me to issue a statement of regret when the fine was announced, but I told them to take it out. I apologize for nothing."

Eventually, Belle routinely refused to speak with the media. "I don't get excited talking about myself", he explained. "Guys such as Sandy Koufax, Joe DiMaggio, and Steve Carlton did not interview, and it was no big deal. They were quiet. I am also quiet. I just want to concentrate on baseball. Why does everyone want to hear me talk, anyway?" Belle rarely even conducted interviews regarding his various charitable donations and scholarships that might have burnished his sour image.

But the media did not ignore Belle. ESPN's Buster Olney would write about Belle's outbursts while a Cleveland Indian: :It was a taken in baseball circles that Albert Belle was nuts... The Indians billed him $10,000 a year for the damage he caused in clubhouses on the road and at home, and tolerated his behavior only because he was an awesome slugger... He slurped coffee constantly and seemed to be on a perpetual caffeinated frenzy. Few escaped his wrath: on some days he would destroy the postgame buffet...launching plates into the shower... after one poor at-bat against Boston, he retreated to the visitor's clubhouse and took a bat to teammate Kenny Lofton's boombox. Belle preferred to have the clubhouse cold, below 60 degrees, and when one chilly teammate turned up the heat, Belle walked over, turned down the thermostat, and smashed it with his bat. His nickname, thereafter, was "Mr. Freeze."

In 2001, following Belle's retirement, the ''New York Daily News''' columnist Bill Madden wrote: :"Sorry, there'll be no words of sympathy here for Albert Belle. He was a surly jerk before he got hurt and now he's a hurt surly jerk....He was no credit to the game. Belle's boorish behavior should be remembered by every member of the Baseball Writers' Association when it comes time to consider him for the Hall of Fame."

Responding to this, ''The New York Times'' sportswriter Robert Lipsyte observed: :"Madden is basically saying, 'He was not nice to me, so let's screw him.' Sportswriters anoint heroes in basically the same way you have crushes in junior high school... you've got someone like Albert Belle, who is somehow basically ungrateful for this enormous opportunity to play this game. If he's going to appear to us as a surly asshole, then we'll cover him that way. And then, of course, he's not gonna talk to us anymore—it's self-fulfilling."

When Belle did choose to communicate with fans, it was generally via unfiltered forums such as his website, or in columns for the ''Baltimore Sun'' and ''Baltimore Press''.

In Belle's first year of Hall of Fame eligibility (2006), he garnered only 7.7% of the baseball writers' votes—missing election by an extremely wide margin. But Belle's vote total was high enough to keep his name on the ballot for the following year. In 2007, however, Belle only garnered 19 votes (3.5%) and dropped off the ballot.

In February 2006, Belle was arrested on suspicion of stalking a woman who was identified in court as a former licensed escort. He was again arrested in charges related to the same case on May 17, 2006. On July 27, 2006, Belle pleaded guilty to one count of stalking and he was sentenced on August 24 to 90 days in jail and five years supervised probation. Belle had attached a GPS tracking device onto her car and obtained her phone records. Belle issued an apology to the woman stating, "I have made mistakes in my life, but I have admitted my mistakes and learned from them to be a better person."

Awards and accomplishments

College (LSU):

1st team All-SEC (1986, 1987)

South 1 Regional Tournament MVP (1986)

2nd team All-America (1986)

3rd team All-America (1987)

Major League Baseball (Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles):

AL home run leader (1995)

AL RBI leader (1993, 1995-tied with Mo Vaughn, 1996)

AL doubles leader (1995-tied with Edgar Martínez)

AL runs leader (1995-tie with Edgar Martínez)

AL slugging percentage leader (1995, 1998)

AL outfield assist leader (RF) (1999-tie)

Named to Silver Slugger team (1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998)

All-Star (1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997)

First player to ever hit 50 HR and 50 Doubles (1995)

The Sporting News Player of the Year (1995)

Baseball Digest Player of the Year (1995)

Led major leagues in the 1990s with 1,099 RBI

Led major leagues in extra base hits in the 1990s with 711

4th player ever to have 8 straight seasons with 30 HR and 100 RBI

Inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame (June 2005)

See also

List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters

List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBIs

50 home run club

List of Major League Baseball doubles records

List of Major League Baseball RBI champions

List of Major League Baseball home run champions

List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions

List of Major League Baseball doubles champions

References

External links

Ultimate Albert Belle - comprehensive site about Albert Belle

Baseball Evolution Hall of Fame - Player Profile

In Defense of Albert Belle

For Whom the Belle Tolls: Media Manipulation and the Legacy of Albert Belle

Simply Baseball Notebook: Forgotten In Time

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Category:1966 births Category:Living people Category:Major League Baseball left fielders Category:Baltimore Orioles players Category:Chicago White Sox players Category:Cleveland Indians players Category:American League All-Stars Category:Baseball players from Louisiana Category:American League home run champions Category:American League RBI champions Category:African American baseball players Category:Kinston Indians players Category:LSU Tigers baseball players Category:Eagle Scouts Category:People from Shreveport, Louisiana Category:Sportspeople from Cleveland, Ohio Category:Canton/Akron Indians players

fr:Albert Belle ja:アルバート・ベル

name	Joe Mather
team	Colorado Rockies
number	--
position	Outfielder/Third Baseman/First Baseman
birth date	July 23, 1982
birth place	Sandpoint, Idaho
bats	Right
throws	Right
debutdate	May 30
debutyear	2008
debutteam	St. Louis Cardinals
statyear	July 30, 2011
stat1label	Batting average
stat1value	.228
stat2label	Home runs
stat2value	9
stat3label	Runs batted in
stat3value	30
teams	St. Louis Cardinals (, ) Atlanta Braves () }}

Joseph Paul Mather (born July 23, 1982) is an American professional baseball outfielder and third baseman who is in the Colorado Rockies organization.

Early life

Mather was born on July 23, 1982, in Sandpoint, Idaho. At Mountain Pointe High School in Ahwatukee, Arizona he played basketball and was also an All-State performer in baseball. He also set the school record for the most RBI and home runs in a career. Mather also earned nicknames such as "Jo-Jo" and Joe Cotton Mather, a reference to the 17th century puritan minister.

Professional playing career

Minor leagues

In 38 games with the Memphis Redbirds before his promotion to the St. Louis Cardinals, Mather hit .315 with 12 home runs, 24 RBI, and slugged .671.

St. Louis Cardinals

On May 30, , Mather was promoted from Triple-A to the Major league club after outfielder Chris Duncan was optioned to Triple-A . On the same day as his call-up, he was in the starting lineup as the right fielder for the Cardinals. He picked up his first major league hit and RBI in the 7th inning, driving in the game-winning run.

He was the last man cut in April 2009, for the team to get to the 25-man roster before Opening Day (Apr. 6).

On April 17, 2010, Mather came in for a stint as pitcher in the 19th and 20th innings against the New York Mets, picking up the loss in the game when the Mets won 2-1 in the 20th.

Atlanta Braves

Mather was claimed by the Atlanta Braves on November 3, 2010. After failing to make the Braves' 2011 Opening Day roster, the organization placed him on outright waivers. He cleared waivers and was sent to Triple-A Gwinnett Braves. On April 28, he had his contract purchased from the minors by the Braves, a move that general manager, Frank Wren, described as a "necessity." He had a career high 4 hit, 4 RBI night when the Braves faced the Angels on May 21,2011. He was designated for assignment on June 19 and was later outrighted to Triple-A, but instead, he opted for free agency.

Colorado Rockies

On July 4, 2011, Mather signed with the Colorado Rockies and was assigned to Triple-A Colorado Springs the following day.

Personal Life

Mather resides in Phoenix, AZ and enjoys playing golf in his free time.

References

External links

Mather player profile at Scout.com

http://www.ocregister.com/ocr/sections/sports/sports/article_288564.php

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-79854352.html

Category:1982 births Category:Living people Category:Major League Baseball outfielders Category:St. Louis Cardinals players Category:Atlanta Braves players Category:Johnson City Cardinals players Category:New Jersey Cardinals players Category:Peoria Chiefs players Category:Swing of the Quad Cities players Category:Palm Beach Cardinals players Category:Memphis Redbirds players Category:Springfield Cardinals players Category:Gulf Coast Cardinals players Category:Baseball players from Idaho Category:People from Bonner County, Idaho Category:Gwinnett Braves players

fr:Joe Mather