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St. Louis Cardinals legend Albert Pujols was drafted in the 13th round of the 1999 MLB Draft. After cruising through minors, Pujols finally made his major league debut in the 2001 season and went on to put in a historic rookie year.
He finished with 37 home runs, leading all Cardinals in addition to hitting .329 (sixth in the league) with 194 hits (fifth), 47 doubles (fifth) and 112 runs. The voters unanimously selected him as NL Rookie of the Year.
On Tuesday, Pujols' wife, Nicole, looked back with pride on Nov. 12, 2001, the date when Pujols was announced the NL Rookie of the Year. She reshared a post on her Instagram that also included his first home run in the majors.
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At the time, the baseball world was well aware of Albert Pujols, but not many would have predicted his Hall of Fame-worthy resume, which includes two-time World Series champion, 11 All-Star selections, three-time NL MVP and an NLCS MVP in 2004.
Since retirement, Pujols has been working as an analyst for the MLB Network and has also expressed a wish to someday manage a major league club.
Albert Pujols celebrates Nicole's birthday with a heartfelt note
Albert Pujols parted ways with his former wife, Deidre, in 2022 after 20 years of marriage. The same year, in December, Pujols went public with his relationship with Nicole Fernandez, who is the daughter of Leonel Fernandez, the former president of the Dominican Republic.
The following year, in Sept., the two tied the knot. Ever since, the couple has shown strong support, with Nicole posting updates about him on her socials.
A couple of days ago, Albert Pujols took to Instagram, wishing his wife and mother a warm birthday wish, writing:
"Happy birthday to the most loving wife and mother I know. I hope you have a great day on your special day, I love you so much my life!" he wrote in the caption.
Albert Pujols is the father of five children, all of whom he shares with his former wife, Deidre. At the moment, he and Nicole haven't welcomed any children.
