This month, we spent some time with HOF MLB greats to talk about the game, the importance of heart health, and educating others. We kicked off this time by sitting down with St. Louis Cardinals hitter, Albert “The Machine” Pujols who is a 2X World Series Champion, 3X National League’s MVP in 2005, 2008, and 2009. He is an 11X All-Star, 6X Silver Slugger and has won 2 Gold Glove awards. He will first become eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown on the 2028 ballot.

In addition to these accolades, he is also the President of Baseball Operations for the Estrellas Orientales in the Dominican Professional Baseball League (LIDOM) and he managed Team Dominican Republic in 2026 for the World Baseball Classic where they took Bronze.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What is the first baseball game that you remember watching and what drew you to the sport?

ALBERT PULJOS: I mean I have to say I’ve spent a number of times watching and playing this game growing up! It was incredible to be in my home of the Dominican Republic and to see the game in action! My dad was a local softball and baseball pitcher. I would play in the street – how could you not want to play this game? I was able to have that dream and was able to have that opportunity to have an amazing career!

AM: When did you realize that you wanted to go pro?

AP: I think that I was around 11, 12, or 13 years old when I realized this. I know that thing I had a special talent even as a kid. To love the game and to be able to win, what an opportunity.

AM: You have had incredible seasons playing with the Cardinals, Anaheim, and the Dodgers, what has it meant to you to have longevity in this sport?

AP: I think it’s all about work, education, and discipline. I knew what I wanted to accomplish in the end. I know that this game is not easy! You can learn a lot from it. I think for myself, it was just knowing what the mission was and that was to, you know, to try and to have a decent career! I was able to have an amazing career. I was so blessed to be able to do that, but through that – it was a lot of hard work, you know? I was in the gym. I had a lot of dedication and there was sacrifice. Sacrifice from my parents, to my family, and being able to have them love me along the way.

AM: As someone who is a MLB veteran, how do you stay in shape when it comes to maintaining your fitness goals? Are there 3 workouts that you do that we can look into including in our routines?

AP: Yeah, I think that besides your workout, you need to really watch what you eat, you know? I think that people say, “well, I want to lose some weight.” So they go to the gym and they burn 1,500 calories, but they put 3,000 calories in their body! So when you look at it from the numbers, it doesn’t add up!

I think at the end of the day, eating the right food can help you stay healthy, give you more energy. For myself, it’s been that. I mean, I was an athlete for a long time. I think when I retired, I took a couple of years off, I just wanted to give my body a break.

But then I got back into my workout routine and just really watched what I did. It wasn’t about just looking good, but I think that the most important thing is to be able to stay healthy and health is more important than just trying to look good, you know? So that’s something that I continue to do.

AM: You’re known as one of the greatest and most complete hitters in MLB with a 22-year career, primarily with the Cardinals. What does that mean to you?

AP: I think I was blessed to be able to stay long in this game and play for 22 years as a professional in 3 different organizations. But I was able to have great teammates, great people around me along the way to help me to have the success and put me in the position to be able to have the success because that’s something that you also need to give credit to the position, you know as well as to take advantage of that. I think for me, having great people around me that help me along the way. I give a lot of the credit there as well.

AM: Tell me about Playing with Heart and how did you get involved in this initiative?

AP: I had a friend of mine, I lost a really good friend of mine in 2002, Darryl Kile (Editor’s Note: Darryl was a Cardinals pitcher who died in his sleep from a heart attack caused by severe coronary artery disease.) who died at a young age. That was kind of somebody that was really special in my heart. Knowing what we went through that year, that season as a teammate, and knowing this program, you know, Playing With Heart. It is an initiative that educates to raise awareness about high cholesterol as well as to make sure that you go and get checked. Check with your doctors and make sure that everything is good with your numbers. That’s something else, you might be in the greatest shape ever and you know, without checking those numbers, you don’t know what’s going on. The leading cause of death in the United States is heart attacks and stroke. So, I think that to be able to partner with Merck and to have this opportunity to also raise awareness and also partner with the Kile family has been a blessing and a great project.

As much as I have done in the game, I also want to be able to do more off the field. I think that that is part of the opportunity that I get to raise this awareness for such a great cause.

AM: Why is it important for us to be proactive in terms of our health?

AP: You just need to be regular! You need to go visit your doctor and check yourself. I played for 23 years. Every year, I did a physical. I made sure to check myself. Now that I’m retired and 3 years into it, I still get 1 or 2 physicals during the year as well, just to make sure that everything is ok. I watch what I eat, I exercise, and I do anything to help with the longevity of my life. That the kind of message that I want to get across and you can also visit playingwithheart.com where you can find out more information about how you can take care and prevent this from happening to you.

AM: Since playing, you are the President of Baseball Operations for the Estrellas Orientales in the Dominican Professional Baseball League. You also managed the Dominican Republic team at the 2026 World Baseball Classic where your team received a Bronze medal. What does it mean to you to continue to leave your mark in the game?

AP: It’s about giving back. I think we all have a responsibility. We’ve got our family, our community, and for me, my country. To be able to give back, it means a lot. Trying to be just an example for others to follow, just like I have. Just like so many people before me that paid that price. So, I’m just another outlet out there that can help out.

It’s really important for me to try to be around the game, especially with young talent, especially for my country and the Dominican Republic.

AM: Outside of the game and your focus with Playing with Heart, you are a God fearing man, a family man, and a father. You give back through the Pujols Family Foundation. Can you tell us a bit more about it and why this is so important to you?

AP: Yes, my why is because of my daughter who has Down Syndrome. I think for me, having a daughter with Down Syndrome it’s really easy for me to choose to help out. I still call them kids, but some of them are older than me. They’re just special. You know, we do a lot of work in the Puljos Family Foundation for Down Syndrome as well as going to the Dominican Republic and working in the community building homes and cleaning water. I just building different programs. It satisfies me more than hitting a Grand Slam! Being able to do this through the Puljos Family Foundation with a great team such as Todd Perry who is our Director of the Foundation and a great group of people that believe in our program and support the fans as well!

AM: Tell me about your recent Cardinals Hall of Fame Ceremony!

AP: It was an incredible honor. It was a great weekend to be able to join with my wife, my family, my kids, my friends, and people that are really close to me. It was really special. Getting into the Big Leagues when I was 21 years old and seeing the red shirts and all the Hall of Famers wearing that red jacket was a really unique moment for me. And now to be able to be part of those legends who accomplished that before me – it was really special to share that honor with them. I know some of them are no longer with us anymore, but they have a really special place in my heart. That’s because they were there when I was young and they taught me so much about the game of baseball. And now having that opportunity of wearing that red jacket, it is really special for me. So it was just an incredible weekend. I think I get to enjoy it now more. I’ve seen highlights and stood when I was there because it was so overwhelming and there was a lot of things to do. But it was worth it. It was worth every moment, every minute. I got to enjoy it with the best friend in baseball, St. Louis Cardinals.

IG @albertpujols

@merck

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Paul Farkas shot with SONY