Albert Pujols: Servant Hero

DeeDee does not recall ever being asked to formally discuss a person she thought of as a hero. It took a long time for her to decide who to write about. When she hears the word “hero”, Superman and Wonder Woman first come to mind, causing her thoughts to lean into memories of watching Saturday morning cartoons with her little brother, Jeffrey, and then emptying their parent’s dresser drawers in search of the perfect articles of clothing to tie around their necks as capes before dashing off to save the day for whomever their 5 and 8 year old imaginations could dream up.Once outside, if they managed to make it that far before Mom discovered the mess that was once her bedroom, Superman (a.

k. a. Jeffrey) and Wonder Woman (a. k.

a. DeeDee) would daringly climb the giant skyscraper (the huge oak tree next to the garage) and then leap aboard the spaceship (the roof of the garage) to fight the Martians attempting to kidnap all the puppies from earth. When given more time to reflect in her personal thoughts about the word hero, DeeDee can think of only a few actual people she views as heroes.One of her favorites, who, since research began for this project has catapulted far above all others on the list of real life heroes, Sporting News, 2003, 2008, and 2009, Athlete of the Decade winner, Albert Pujols. [Anonymous, The Sporting News; Sep 28, 2009; 233, 22; Research Library pg. 38] Until a few years ago, DeeDee had never been much of a baseball fan.

She still has almost zero interest in watching major league baseball games on television; unless Albert is on the screen. She will even stop what she is doing to watch one of the commercials he appears in.Of DeeDee’s 6 kids; 5 are Saint Louis Cardinals fans. Even Travis, her oldest son; who is a die-hard Cubs fan, agrees that Albert Pujols is an awesome baseball player and has great respect for him as a player and as a person.

DeeDee first became enamored with Albert’s accent and just liked to listen to him speak. As the baseball seasons came and went, she and her family attended more baseball games at Busch Stadium in Saint Louis, Missouri, where she had additional opportunities to observe the behavior of this superstar athlete.His actions and gestures; on the field or off, were never disrespectful or self serving. His few comments and speeches were humble. "I don't judge.

Only God can judge," Pujols says. "I've always had the responsibility to God to be a role model, so it's not just now. I play to represent God, something bigger than baseball. This is not about me. I leave everything up to God. " (USA Today, March 31, 2009, Sports, pg.

1C) DeeDee recalls that his smiles, the joy he exudes when meeting fans, and talking to the starry-eyed youngsters and adults alike, who idolize him, are genuine.Albert Pujols has received a multitude of awards; beginning with a Player’s Choice in his rookie year, and has broken records and won awards every year since he began his major league career. Additionally, Pujols is the first player to hit 30 home runs in each of the nine seasons since the start of his career (http://www. redbirdcentral. com/Pujols_Records.

php). And still, in the midst of his roaring success and wealth and, according to DeeDee, unlike many other superstar athletes of this era, Albert oozes kindness and humility and exhibits a servant’s heart, instead of selfishness, arrogance, and exhibition of a prideful heart.Albert continuously goes out of his way to honor his team and teammates, rarely accepting the credit for their successes; regardless of whether or not he deserved it. “He’s a 10 in every department”, praises Saint Louis Cardinals team manager, Tony LaRussa, who calls Albert a “tireless worker “and also says, “Albert is competitive and smart. He has a tremendous amount of preparation and a strong religious faith. He doesn't want to dishonor any of those qualities.

" Although examples of his humility and grace, these things she gushes about could certainly win Albert “Nice Guy of the Year” award, but hardly enough to classify him as a hero.What DeeDee found out after she had begun to see him as just a nice guy with an exceptional talent for baseball is the reason she sees him as a modern day hero. When DeeDee’s cousin, Lisa, who is also a huge Albert Pujols fan, told her about his strong Christian faith, DeeDee says she realized instantly why he is the humble, respectable, and compassionate person he is. Outward appearances of the man referred to by baseball commentators and fans alike as “The Machine” are deceiving.He is a big man with a big bat, a big smile and an even bigger heart. An only child, Albert was born in the Dominican Republic and grew up a poor boy playing baseball in the streets of Santo Domingo, utilizing a lime in place of a baseball.

Looking back, Albert grew up in various houses; some with dirt floors or without plumbing, one with just 3 bedrooms, yet homes he shared with as many as 11 other people (USA TODAY, March 31, 2009, pg 1C). The current Saint Louis Cardinals’ first baseman is no stranger to hard work either.As a boy, he would carry two gallons of water in each hand to the house so that his grandma could cook and do the family’s wash” (USA TODAY, March 31, 2009, pg 1C). Albert moved to Kansas City, Missouri at the age of 16.

There he learned English as a high school student and played baseball at a junior college near Kansas City where he attended classes as an engineering student. (USA TODAY, March 31, 2009, SPORTS; Pg. 1C) In the eyes of millions of baseball fans everywhere, Albert is viewed as a baseball hero and will most likely be revered as a legend in years to come.At an age when vanity and self-indulgence emanate from superstar athletes within all types of sports arenas; Albert sets himself apart as something DeeDee considers a “servant hero”. In 1998, Albert met his wife Deidre in Kansas City; who invited him to church. There, he encountered a curious “life-altering” experience; which provided the foundation for his strong Christian beliefs.

Although aware that baseball would require hard work, Albert had not known that “God’s gift of eternal life is free” (Slugger's focus: Higher power; Faith compels Pujols to help less fortunate, USA TODAY, March 31, 2009).He and Deidre set up the Pujols Family Foundation in 2005. The organization donates thousands of dollars every year to help numerous other organizations and charities committed to helping better children’s lives in the USA and also in the Dominican Republic. Albert’s work in the USA focuses on helping special needs children; such as those with Down syndrome, like his daughter, Isabella. (USA TODAY, March 31, 2009, pg 1C) "As he gets older, he realizes how important that is," Deidre says.

"He hungers to utilize his resources to empower others.He believes that if God is going to promise salvation as a free gift, he's going to do what God requires. It is that simple. That's the kind of person he is. That's what makes him special. " (Slugger's focus: Higher power; Faith compels Pujols to help less fortunate, USA TODAY, March 31, 2009, Pg.

1C) Among the numerous causes the foundation funds, annual mission trips to the Dominican Republic; which Albert always makes along with the volunteers, and always pays the costs; which includes transporting 19 people at a cost of $30,000 to $50,000 for a typical for week (USA TODAY, March 31, 2009, SPORTS; Pg. 1C)After winning the World Series in 2006, Albert chose not to make the coveted trip to the White House with his team and also passed on an invitation from Michael Jordan to participate in a golf tournament in the Bahamas; choosing instead to accompany pediatric dentists traveling to the Dominican Republic to see and treat 815 kids (Slugger's focus: Higher power; Faith compels Pujols to help less fortunate, USA TODAY, March 31, 2009, Pg. 1C)Homer Sedighi, a pediatric dentist from Saint Louis who accompanied Pujols on the aforementioned dental mission trip, recalled that, not long before the trip with the pediatric dentists, Pujols bought two portable dental units, paying $10,000 for each unit and paid an additional $60,000 to buy a new van for an orphanage. "He loaded 20 suitcases of equipment and supplies in our minivan," Sedighi says."I wanted to help, but he said, 'You do the doctoring. I don't want anything to happen to your fingers.

' "(Slugger's focus: Higher power; Faith compels Pujols to help less fortunate, USA TODAY, March 31, 2009, Pg. 1C) While only red, white, and a small amount of blue appear in his Saint Louis Cardinals baseball uniform, Albert Pujols has never been seen in a red cape, blue leotard, or red boots; only red cleats.Unable to leap tall buildings in a single bound, stop a speeding train with a single bare hand, and most likely does not have a red, white, and blue leather swimsuit with matching knee-high boots and golden, bullet deflecting bracelets, Albert Pujols is a different kind of hero. With a heart after God, an obedient spirit, and a compassion for people, Albert sees himself as an ordinary guy whose only desire is to please God by using his talents to glorify God by serving others. He is my modern day hero.

Albert Pujols is a servant hero.