In Praise of the Serious Pujols

The March issue of ESPN, the magazine, is out, and the cover story is about how serious and hard-working a guy Albert Pujols is. And what an inspiring story it is. Besides being the best of the best in the MLB, Albert is a devoted family man and a humanitarian. His charity helps the poorest of the poor in the Dominican Republic (where the big guy was born). In the states, his community service is all about helping adults and kids with Down syndrome. (Dee Dee, Albert's wife, has a daughter, Isabella, who was born with Down syndrome.) Unfortunately, the article is not online, but here's a quote from Todd Perry, the director of his foundation, about the Pujols' annual trips to the Dominican Republic:

"There's one thing people should know about Albert and Dee Dee. They are among the people - the lice, the scabies. We've even seen leprosy. They are not the type of people who say 'You guys take care of this, we'll be by the pool.' It's remarkable to see someone of his stature humble himself the way he does."

More about the Pujols Family Foundation here.

Full disclosure: This blog's mascot, Albert the tabby cat, is named in honor of Mr. Pujols.