Oct. 6, 2026Up to date Oct. 7, 2026, 1:58 a.m. ET
When Albert Pujols stepped into the batter’s field throughout his main league profession, the sport appeared to pause. All people needed to observe, from his first season in 2001, when he hit 37 residence runs, to his final, when he handed 700.
They needed to observe AJ, his oldest son, too. AJ Pujols instructed his dad what that was like when he was round 13.
“Dad, I do not wish to play baseball anymore,” he mentioned.
“He did not really feel good having his associates and everyone else stopping the sport and coming, watching him hit,” Pujols tells USA TODAY Sports activities. “And I felt that stress. He was getting numerous stress, and I respect that. I want he would have saved taking part in, as a result of he was actually good at it, however I used to be all the time a dad that did not pressure sports activities on any of my children. I help them, no matter sport they wish to play.”
Pujols, 46, a father of 5 children starting from youngsters to their 20s, watched AJ change into a school golfer, whereas his daughter, Sophia, is a gymnast for UC Davis.
“I am only a massive supporter,” he says of his children’ sports activities. “Anytime I get a chance to be there and watch them play and never choose them in any respect, simply attempt to assist them out to be higher.”
He has been retired since 2022. He splits time between New York and his native Santo Domingo, touring together with his spouse, Nicole, and “doing the issues that I wasn’t capable of do after I performed for 23 years, as a result of as you realize, it is a busy schedule for 9 months. And now I am form of my very own boss, and I form of make my very own schedule.”
“I can do numerous issues,” he says, “and as you see, that lovely tan that I’ve, taking part in numerous golf.”
Wearing a pointy mild aqua blue jacket and white collared shirt throughout our digital interview, he spoke to us about his marketing campaign with Cologuard to extend consciousness in regards to the significance of colorectal most cancers screening and early detection.
He additionally spoke with us about his profession and his mentors, the place his want stands to handle within the main leagues and the way dad and mom and their athletes can preserve a wholesome life-style and relationship.
‘Removed from the reality’: Pujols denies rumors of creating massive managerial calls for
Pujols mentioned he interviewed to be the supervisor of the Los Angeles Angels and San Diego Padres final offseason. The Angels went with Kurt Suzuki, the Padres with Craig Stammen, however Pujols says he got here away feeling good about how each went.
“I believe there’s a chance that might occur on the finish of the day,” he tells USA TODAY Sports activities. “It’s playoff time proper now, so I believe issues are busy inside the season, however I am trying ahead to seeing if I get any job on the market. I believe it was a studying expertise for myself as effectively.”
The Seattle Mariners have a emptiness thus far, whereas the Phillies have seemingly moved on from Don Mattingly, though Alex Cora seems to be his seemingly successor.
John Mozeliak, who was basic supervisor and president of baseball operations, respectively, throughout Pujols’ two stints with the Cardinals, joined the Angels entrance workplace this 12 months. In keeping with The Athletic, Mozeliak hopes Suzuki shall be again, however he mentioned it’s not his choice with a brand new possession group.
When Pujols fell wanting the Angels job final season, information media stories surfaced that he made heavy contract calls for of the crew, and so they resurfaced in September.
“I believe each of the groups confirmed me actually good curiosity,” he says, “and simply, it wasn’t my time. So the method went effectively. I loved it. I do know the rumors about what I used to be asking, which was removed from the reality, (there) was by no means something about that. If something, it was actually shut and it was nice interview. I imply, it occurs.”
Pujols referenced his prolonged second interview with the Padres.
“I believe the entire course of with the interview went actually, very well,” he says. “I am an enormous believer that when your final interview, you interviewed for (hours) as a result of they like what you dropped at the desk, and it simply did not occur, however I believe what I took from there, it was only a nice expertise of getting ready myself higher.
“I believe on the finish of the day, simply ready to see when my identify (known as), and if it comes, nice, I imply, if it would not, I nonetheless wish to be round being a voice for this nice sport that helped me out so much.
“I took the massive leap on managing. I did it within the Dominican Republic and it was actually profitable.”
Through the winter of 2024, Pujols managed Leones del Escogido of the Dominican Republic to the Dominican League and Caribbean Collection championship. He led the Dominican crew to the semifinals of the World Baseball Basic.
We want to have the ability to lean on our household first, particularly after we are children
He has since taken a job as crew president for the Estrellas Orientales, one other Dominican winter league crew. He says that as athletes, and as adults and oldsters, we’re continually studying.
“After I acquired into the nation, I did not know English that effectively, so it was arduous going to highschool,” he says. “My cousin took numerous the lessons with me to assist me out, however after I need one thing, I’m going arduous at it, till I get the perfect out of it, and I realized the language, I imply, I’m nonetheless studying thus far [he laughs] nevertheless it’s one thing that was powerful at the moment.”
Pujols got here to america at 16 and settled in Missouri. He says the transition wasn’t straightforward, nevertheless it was eased by the presence of family members who got here with him, particularly his father and grandmother.
“I used to be round my household, who gave me the schooling and supported me each single sport that I performed,” he says.
The help began together with his father, Bienvenido, whom he has mentioned was the most effective softball pitchers within the Dominican Republic. Pujols adopted him round from the time he was six, and his father saved him a seat at video games.
“As a younger participant, my dad was my hero,” he says. “That is that person who I additionally look as much as. And he was a fantastic instance for myself, particularly rising up. And the explanation why I fell in love with the sport of baseball. My dad was someone that impressed me, and helped me out to… I’d say, to be taught the sport.”
Pujols remembers his father patiently hitting him grounders throughout a 20-minute break in between video games.
“I believe, someday, you get dad and mom (who) go to a few of these video games, and their children did not carry out to their stage that their dad and mom have been anticipating,” he says. “And so they get annoyed with the father or mother, and that is an enormous errors that we make generally as a dad, or as a mom, to yell at our youngsters (and) put numerous stress on them.”
Consider your self being exterior along with your son or daughter, getting annoyed as a result of they’re not fairly doing what you need. When they’re younger, perhaps they’re being pushed into journey groups.
They’re impressionable and nonetheless creating and determining what they like.
“On the finish of the day, they should do it as a result of they like it as a substitute of I am doing it as a result of my dad’s forcing me, as a result of that is the very last thing that we wish as a father or mother, have that guilt, that my son did not wish to play baseball,” he says. “Properly, Albert Pujols determined, sure, as a result of I am a baseball participant, you might want to play. No, I did not wish to have guilt. I would like my son to decide on what he needs to do and help him.”
Pujols remembers taking the time to grasp why AJ didn’t wish to play baseball anymore, and listening to AJ’s reasoning. Pujols, throughout a 2019 episode of Graham Bensinger’s interview present, says he all the time instructed his children to simply be themselves.
“He’s nonetheless a dad, nonetheless my dad,” AJ instructed Bensinger for the episode. “Each night time when he comes residence from taking part in a sport, he’s nonetheless the identical dad. All through the failures, all through the awards, nothing adjustments in his coronary heart and he’s superior. … He tells me to maintain going, regardless of how a lot I fail, regardless of how a lot bother I’m going by means of, he all the time helps me push to the top.
“On the golf course after I’m taking part in, I’ll play my rounds and I’ll name him proper after. I’m like, ‘Dad, I simply acquired off the course, I simply shot 87. I by no means play like this. That is horrible.’ And he’ll name me, he’s like, ‘Buddy, there’s days the place I’m going 0-or-4, 0-for-5, 0-for-6 with three strikeouts and I don’t get a success and I’ll go in a hunch. However do you ever see me again down? I’m all the time standing there, I’m all the time preventing, I’m all the time pushing.’ He all the time tells me to face up and I’ve acquired it.”
‘Select your pals’: You may typically inform which teammates you possibly can belief
Even after we are extraordinarily proficient and transfer up ranges, we will enter areas the place others have extra expertise than us. We discover teammates and coaches we have to lean on for help.
Pujols noticed them in supervisor Tony La Russa, who was like a father to him, and he listed a lot of teammates who helped him get comfy within the main leagues: Darryl Kile, Jim Edmonds, Woody Williams, Mark McGuire, Placido Polanco. Jim Edmonds, Scott Rolen, Mike Matheny, J.D. Drew.
If you be a part of a crew, you possibly can see who the leaders are by those who discuss to the brand new guys, and never simply the rising stars however the ones who’re struggling.
“Select your pals, who you’ve got hanging round you,” Pujols says. “You all the time wish to have individuals round you which are gonna deliver nice issues to you and know, take you away (to) the place that you simply wish to attain. And I used to be fortunate sufficient and blessed, I assume, to have that knowledge, to see that instantly.”
And on the finish, when he hit residence run No. 700 at Dodger Stadium in 2022, he discovered himself surrounded by his spouse and children. It’s a reminder that after we obtain sports activities success, and even fame, our households will also be those we glance to for help when they’re over and we transfer on to one thing else.
Examine in on bodily and psychological well being, for your self and your children
In keeping with Pujols’ marketing campaign with Cologuard, many individuals don’t know that screening for colon most cancers is advisable for anybody 45 and older, whereas 60 million individuals both stay unscreened or are outdated on their screening.
He says he realized from the marketing campaign that colon most cancers is the nation’s No. 2 cancer-related killer.
“You will be in the perfect form ever, and really feel nice about it, and there is no pink flag(s) and (you’re) not feeling something, after which, hastily one thing comes alongside,” he says.
The theme is much like how we will be with our youngsters. Have open communications with them about their well being and well-being, out and in of sports activities, even should you suppose issues are going effectively.
“I all the time say that we solely have such a brief window with our youngsters earlier than we (ship) them into the world, they go to varsity, and we do not management them anymore, and I believe the aim was as a dad is that’s that when the children run into temptation, we assist them out,” he says. “The self-discipline, arduous work, day in and time out, separate the unhealthy issues from the great issues.”
Steve Borelli, aka Coach Steve, has been an editor and author with USA TODAY since 1999. He performed baseball in highschool, rowed in school and spent 10 years teaching his two sons’ baseball and basketball groups. He and his spouse, Colleen, are actually sports activities dad and mom to a school and highschool baseball participant.For his previous columns, click on right here
