Los Angeles, CA: It’s not every day that you would see two future Hall of Fame baseball superstars from different leagues sharing the stage in a press conference. However, this is the All-Star Game spectacle and MLB is pressing all the right buttons in this year’s mid-summer classic to augment baseball’s brand to a mixed younger and to a growing Latino population. Pujol’s and Cabrera are two of baseball’s best all-time sluggers. They have given many baseball fans of all age’s great baseball moments.
Commissioner Manfred hugging Albert Pujols. (Bill Menzel – Latinosports.com)
Albert Pujols has appeared in eleven All Star Games, twice World Series Champion, three times NL MVP, eight times LatinoMVP, NL Rookie of the year (2001), NLCS MVP (2004), twice Gold Glove Award, Six-time Silver Slugger award, twice Hank Aaron Award, Roberto Clemente award (2006), 2003 NL Batting Champion, two times home run leader (2009, 2010), and NL RBI leader in 2010
Miguel Cabrera has appeared in twelve All-Star games, he has one World Series championship, twice AL MVP, Five times LatinoMVP, AL Triple Crown winner in (2012), Seven-time Silver Slugger Award, twice AL Hank Aaron Award, seven time Silver Slugger award, twice AL Hank Aaron Award, four time AL batting champion, twice AL home run leader and two time AL RBI leader.
With statistics like those these veteran players deserve all the respect they can get in this their last season playing professional baseball. When I asked them what they would do after so many years playing baseball at the top of their game, Pujols responded that he was going to do a lot of travelling. Cabrera stated that he still did not know what he would do, that he would take it one day at a time.
Miguel Cabrera shaking hands with Commissioner Rob Manfred (Photo Bill Menzel – Latinosports.com)
Pujols (Dominican) and Cabrera (Venezuelan) were asked if they had any intention of playing for their countries in next year’s World Baseball Classic. Pujols stated that the Dominican Republic has more than enough good young players that should be given the opportunity to highlight themselves. Cabrera agreed with Pujols and said that he did not want to take a spot that should be given to a younger player. However, they both stated that they would be willing to help in any way they could like coaching.
Congratulations to commissioner Rob Manfred and MLB for organizing this press conference to give these two Latino superstars the respect and recognition they deserve on this their last journey ending their glorious baseball career.
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