The Angel as guardian: Albert Pujols' charitable commitment
The Pujols Family Foundation seeks to enrich lives of families of children with Down syndrome and aid the Dominican Republic's impoverished. 'This is my passion,' he has said.
By Mike DiGiovanna
February 13, 2012, 6:15 p.m.
Reporting from St. Louis—
Baseball is a game of endless numbers and statistics, but here's a line you've probably never seen before: From May 2005 through last May, Albert Pujols hit .527 (39 for 74) in 22 games, with 12 homers and 25 runs batted in, following events in which he interacted with people with Down syndrome.
"It uplifts the kids, but I think it uplifts Albert even more," said Todd Perry, the Pujols Family Foundation chief executive who researched those numbers. "It's amazing how good he plays when he's around these kids."
Pujols, the former St. Louis Cardinals star who signed a 10-year, $240-million deal with the Angels in December, is around one of those youngsters all the time.
The oldest of his four children, Isabella, 14, has Down syndrome. She was a toddler when Pujols adopted her after marrying her mother, the former Deidre Corona, in 2000.
More: http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-0214-albert-pujols-charity-20120214,0,5091118.story
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