Pujols strikes again.

[thunder_alley1984]

St. Louis Cardinals' Pujols comforts injured fan

BY RICK HUMMEL
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

08/08/2009

PITTSBURGH — Cardinals manager Tony La Russa calls first baseman Albert Pujols, who seems headed for a third Most Valuable Player Award, "a complete player and person." Pujols offered yet another example of this when he tended to a man who fell headfirst onto the field trying to field a foul ground ball for his son, who has Down syndrome, in the seventh inning Friday.

The man, wearing a red Cardinals T-shirt, toppled from the first row face-first. Pujols was the first to arrive, holding the man and encouraging him to wait on the field for medical attention rather than to try to climb back into the stands. The game was delayed for about 10 minutes.

"I told him to stay down,'' Pujols said. "Hopefully, his neck is OK but you never know (because of) the way he fell."

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The man was responsive although cut badly and perhaps had a broken nose.

"It was pretty sad because (the man, who was not identified) was trying to catch that ball for his son so bad," Pujols said.

Pujols said first-base umpire Tim McClelland had relayed the message that the father wanted Pujols, who has a daughter with Down syndrome, to bring a ball out for the man's son between innings. That was shortly before the man fell.

"I said, 'Yeah, yeah," Pujols said. "I never got the opportunity to take the ball out there. But we got him one."

Besides the comfort Pujols offered to the man as he received medical attention, Pujols also talked calmly to the boy from New York who was celebrating his 21st birthday. When Pujols saw the father wasn't in danger, he conveyed that to the son as the man was strapped to a stretcher for precautionary reasons before going to a hospital.

"Thank God,'' Pujols said. "It could have been worse."

Pujols added that the man had said his son was a "big fan of Albert Pujols. But this is not the way I wanted to meet you."

[FFighter_21]

The Cards have some really cool guys. Albert and Rick Ankiel. I hope they do well.

[thunder_alley1984]

Pujols is already being dubbed as the NL MVP lmao. He's one Grandslam from tying the all time record and two from setting a new one.

[Geebi]

Albert is awesome. I hope he continues to tear it up and hope him and the Cards win it all again this year.