UNITED STATES.- Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred announced Monday that Dominican Albert Pujols had been named his special assistant. The former Cardinals, Angels, and Dodgers star will be an MLB consultant on issues such as the Dominican Republic and the links between the entity and the players.
As part of his new role, the former baseball player will also serve as a television analyst for the MLB Network.
Pujols will debut on MLB Network this Tuesday, June 6, at 9:00 a.m. ET on MLB Central will continue on Wednesday, June 7 at 10:00 p.m. (ET) on MLB Tonight, the Emmy Award-winning show.
In addition, Pujols will contribute on-scene to MLB Network’s coverage of the London Series on Friday, June 23, featuring the St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs.
“Beyond his long list of accomplishments on the field, Albert is a highly respected figure who represents the game remarkably well,” Commissioner Manfred said. “He cares a lot about making a difference in our communities.”
The Commissioner also said: “We are excited to have Albert join other former players who are doing important work for our sport and we will welcome his perspective in our various endeavors.”
Added Pujols: “I couldn’t be more excited for this next chapter in my career. Commissioner Manfred and I share the same passion for growing the game in the Dominican Republic and I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together.”
In addition, “I am also grateful for the opportunity to join the MLB Network family. I have been a fan (of a said channel) since the beginning and I can’t wait to start.”
In his illustrious major league playing career, Pujols—a three-time National League MVP—was named to 11 All-Star games in 12 seasons with the Cardinals, 10 with the Angels, and one with the Dodgers.
The two-time World Series champion with St. Louis capped a career that ended after 2022 with 703 home runs, the most for a player born outside the United States. “La Máquina” is ninth on the all-time hit list with 3,384.
He was part of the Dominican team in the 2006 World Baseball Classic and received the Roberto Clemente Award in 2008 for his excellence on and off the field. Additionally, he was honored with ESPN’s 2022 Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award for his charitable works, notably through the Pujols Family Foundation.
Pujols now joins a select group of former players who serve in different capacities in Major League Baseball. That group includes Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., Senior Consultant for Youth Programs; Special Assistants to the Commissioner CC Sabathia and Joe Torre; Senior Vice President of Field Operations, Raúl Ibáñez.
Also, Joe Martinez, Vice President of On-Field Strategy; Venezuelan Grégor Blanco, Rajai Davis, Adam Jones, Dan Otero, and Bo Porter from the Department of Baseball Operations; and Billy Bean, Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Special Assistant to the Commissioner.
