By Miguel Rapetti
Sep 23, 2024, 10:39 PM EDT
Dominican Major League Baseball legend Albert Pujols spoke on Monday about his career after retiring from baseball and also confessed that his next goal will be to become a Major League manager, and not just any career, but one equal to or better than the 19 years he spent in the Majors.
During a meeting at the New York Yankees academy near Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Pujols spoke to the press about his appointment as manager of the Leones del Escogido for the Dominican Winter League.
In this regard, he compared his career as a player to what he will be now as a manager, hoping that his work can open the doors to those former players who have not made a career in the dugout.
“My 23-year career (in the Major Leagues) was a very good career, and my goal now is to have a good career as a manager or maybe even better. By taking this opportunity, I may open the doors to so many players who want to have it and don’t, perhaps because of the fear of the fans and the legacy they have created,” explained Pujols, who said that his legacy has always been dedicated to God.
Pujols, who has had a Hall of Fame career, said his work with the Lions is not focused on what he can do, but rather on his contribution to the players under his command to win the Dominican League tournament.
“I am here to try to help the boys have a great career. Now, my time is to try to help each one of them. We have a lot of talent on this team and that is what I am going to try to do, so that they can improve and win a championship,” he said.
Nicknamed ‘The Machine’ during his playing days, the Dominican retired at the end of the 2022 Major League Baseball campaign with 3,384 hits, including 703 home runs – fourth place all time – and 2,219 RBIs, second in the entire history of the MLB, among other great achievements.
In addition to his love for the game, Pujols said his decision to become a manager was also motivated by his admiration for managers such as Tony La Russa, Mike Scioscia and Dave Roberts, for whom he played in the Major Leagues.
Regarding accepting the role of manager with the Lions, he said that he has been a fan of the team, the only club for which he played in the Dominican Republic.
“I promise you that we will be prepared and we will give the boys the tools to improve and help us win our 17th championship. I will be a manager who will do everything necessary, especially with the pitching coaching staff, to win,” he said.
The three-time National League MVP and holder of two MLB World Series rings, said he does not have a “magic wand” that will guarantee the championship for the Lions. However, he emphasized that he will do whatever is necessary to end the winning drought that the scarlet team has been dragging since the 2015-16 championship.
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