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More Than the Game
- 03/02/11
- 30
Albert Pujols is a phenom. 10 years into his career he has already broken the 400 mark in homers, he has driven in more than 1200 runs and has maintained a batting average of .331. The closest player comparisons to him are men who inhabit the baseball pantheon—Frank Robinson, Lou Gehrig, Ken Griffey. But there’s more to Pujols than his dominance of the game of baseball. He is also a committed Christian who seeks to submit all that he does to the Lord. Pujols happens to be the subject of Pujols: More Than the Game, a new biography written by Scott Lamb and Tim Ellsworth.
A baseball player’s career on the field is easily tracked by numbers. Statisticians have found innumerable ways of measuring and dissecting every component of the game, from the plate to the field to the base paths and everything in between. A man’s entire career can be distilled to a handful of numbers—a few lifetime statistics followed by a number that represents his career earnings. And then he retires and gets old and is forgotten, replaced by the new young superstars. What cannot be easily measured is his impact on those around him—his family, his teammates, his fans. What is special about Pujols is his desire to be an example not just in his statistics but in his life and his legacy. He is seeking to build a legacy not just of phenomenal numbers, but of gospel impact.
Born in poverty in the Dominican Republic, Pujols immigrated to the United States at 16 and immediately began to dominate the game of baseball, first in high school and then in college. Drafted by St. Louis, he spent just one year in the minor leagues before graduating to the big show where he quickly won Rookie of the Year honors (batting .329, hitting 37 homers and knocking in 130 runs; amazingly, that was to prove his weakest season). And he was just getting started. He has played for the All Star team in 9 of his 10 seasons, has won a World Series and has taken home MVP honors 3 times. And heading into his eleventh season he is only 31—just getting warmed up.
But there is far more to Pujols than baseball. He says, “In the Pujols family, God is first. Everything else is a distant second.” And he seeks to bear that out. He is known for continually seeking to point others to Christ, including the guys who end up standing beside him on first base, many of whom have heard him ask, “If you were to die tonight, where do you think you would go?” He is firmly committed to his wife, Deidre, and to their four children. He heads up the Pujols Family Foundation which seeks to “promote awareness, provide hope and meet tangible needs for families and children who live with Down syndrome.”
However, while Lamb and Ellsworth provide many examples of Pujols saying things like “I do everything to glorify God,” they do not offer a lot of fascinating examples of him doing that. But I think that’s okay, because at the end of the day Albert Pujols isn’t a whole lot different than you or me. He can hit a baseball like few other men and he gets paid vast amounts of money to do so. But at the end of it all, he leads a pretty normal life and does pretty normal things in it. I don’t find his life a whole lot more inspiring than the life of any other brother or sister in Christ. His career and fame have brought him a few unique opportunities, but the scale of his response does not seem to be above and beyond (which is to say that 10% of a $100-million contract is still just 10%—no more than the Lord requires). In that way he does not strike me as a true sports hero in the vein of an Eric Liddell. He’s a normal guy who has an extraordinary talent in a game that offers an unbelievable amount of money and fame.
It must be noted that this biography comes early in Pujols’ life and career. Though he has already established himself as a superstar and as one of the all-time greats in the game, he is only 31 years old and should have another 8 or 9 years of production left in him, including what may be some of this best seasons. And even then he will be only 40 years old with a lot of living left to do. That makes this a very different biography from, for example, James Hirsch’s excellent biography of Willie Mays. And it makes it very different from Andre Agassi’s Open, an autobiography that offers a career retrospective—to draw comparisons to a couple of recent bestsellers in the same genre.
This book is a wee bit formulaic (many of the chapters follow a very similar pattern, mostly notably those that lead the reader through a season of baseball) and it is occasionally a bit melodramatic (“But for the man at the plate wearing jersey number 5, the ‘perfect opportunity’ pitch was the delivery he looked for, the delivery he knew would come. Only then would he swing his maple bat in an arc of geometric beauty and poetic power.”). But it’s well-written and, for this baseball enthusiast, an interesting read.
Pujols is a baseball player and a Christian. This biography is likely to appeal largely to those who love Christ and (not or) those who love baseball. Being a fan of Pujols or the Cardinals will make it even more enjoyable. The season-by-season descriptions of Pujols’ feats are interesting to baseball fans, but will not play so well with those who who have no love for the game.
More Than the Game stands as an interesting description of the first couple of acts from the life of Albert Pujols. I’ll look forward to seeing how this story progresses in the years and decades to come.
I am a follower of Jesus Christ, a husband to Aileen and a father to three young children. I worship and serve as a pastor at 
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Comments (30)
You write, “I don’t find his life a whole lot more inspiring than the life of any other brother or sister in Christ.” You must go to an amazing church filled with faithful verbal witnesses for Christ because the average Christian I know rarely is a bold witness for Christ. That alone makes him inspiring.
Also, a “normal” Christian at that level of celebrity is quite an accomplishment in itself when considering the level of temptation professional athletes face, especially in the areas of pride, wealth, and sexuality. That Albert is humble, generous, and a faithful husband is inspiring indeed. Perhaps it’s a sad commentary that his “normal” Christianity is so unique among athletes in this day and age.
I’ve heard from his own mouth numerous times his personal testimony. It is amazing.
If I remember right, when his soon to be wife told him that she had some special needs children, he didn’t bat an eye and told her that he would love them too.
There’s a Hall of Fame that us Christians are going to be in. From what I’ve seen, I think his life and values are placed there too.
I’m just glad there’s no vote to get in.
It is encouraging to hear of his testimony. I hope that God blesses him in ways that hitting a home run never will.
Why do we find athletes and celebrities lifes fascinating is beyond me. Yes he is a great ball player(grossly over paid as are all those in entertainment) ,yes he is a faithful Christian but is his life any more significant than Joe the truck driver or Bob the janitor ,who faithfully love their families , serve Christ in the local Church , witness as God gives them opportunity and give more percentage wise of their income than rich athletes.
I just find peoples obsession with sports or entertainers tiresome. No disrespect towards them and what they have done ,but the fascination baffles me.
Since this isn’t a sports blog, perhaps nobody cares. However, the sports nut in me demands I point out two things:
1) One of these things is not like the others (Robinson / Gehrig / Griffey). Gehrig is the only transcendent player in that list; the other two are merely very good HoF players. Like Gehrig, Pujols is on track to finish his career as an automatic entrant in nearly every “best 10 MLB players of all time” conversation. Robinson and Griffey wouldn’t even land in the top 25 in that conversation.
2) If Albert Pujols is really the man of faith and integrity that he professes, then he is probably NOT a steroid user like so many in his generation. If his testimony is credible, then his place among the greats is even higher. The numbers of his peers (in this generation) are at best tainted by suspicion.
I fear that the skeptics will suggest that his faith is merely a calculated part of his public image - that cloaking himself in faith-driven integrity is just a way to insulate himself from comparisons to egomaniacs like Bonds or Clemens. For the sake of his legacy and the name of Christ, I hope that his integrity holds firm.
Pujols’ statement, “I do everything to glorify God”, rings a little hollow as he seeks a new $30M/year contract. Perhaps he will use it to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness”, but it sounds like worldliness.
Tim,
Thank you so much for reviewing this book - and thus bringing it to my attention. :) My oldest and very dear-to-my-heart nephew is seriously pursuing a career in baseball (he graduates HS this year). I’ve always been concerned that he maintain his walk with the Lord and his testimony in a sport known for the debauchery of it’s participants. I now have the perfect birthday present for him! :D
Sounds like a great and fun read. Thanks Tim!
It’s always interesting to read comments by those that either don’t like sports - so find the need to bash other people’s fascination and enjoyment - and others who find the need to comment on how much money they think is too much and therefore “worldly.”
Don’t be so quick to judge, based on your personal preferences. I know for myself that I don’t deserve even an iota of the wealth and blessings that God has provided.
Pujols' statement, "I do everything to glorify God", rings a little hollow as he seeks a new $30M/year contract. Perhaps he will use it to "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness", but it sounds like worldliness.
That’s an interesting one and not one the authors touch on much (largely because at press time they didn’t know whether he would re-sign or not). I find it hard to reconcile demands like that with a Christian witness. It sure sounds like greed. Then again, if he draws the fans, you think it’s fair that he be compensated accordingly. Someone is going to make the money off him—so why not him?
“Someone is going to make the money off him—so why not him?” Exactly. I’d rather have Albert getting that money and being generous towards kingdom causes than the owners keeping it for themselves. Furthermore, I wonder how many of us would go to our employers and say, “I’ve studied my market value, and I’d rather take less than my market value so that I don’t come across as greedy.”
As for fans who have a problem with him making that kind of money, I addressed this recently: http://www.bpsports.net/bpcolumn.asp?ID=708
I hope he makes more than any other player in the game when he gets his contract next season, and I hope it’s the Cards who are writing his cheques.
I think we need to be careful about jumping to conclusions regarding Pujols’ motivations based on speculation in the media. The fact is, we don’t know what kind of money Pujols is asking for. We don’t know how much money the Cardinals have offered him, and how much he has turned down. All we have are media reports based on hearsay and rumor, and it’s not appropriate to accuse a brother of greed based on incomplete information.
Plus, Pujols has for the past decade proven himself to be a generous person and has given away millions upon millions of dollars to the less fortunate. I don’t think those are the actions of a man characterized by greed.
Giving him the benefit of the doubt, couldn’t it be at least possible that the reason he is asking for $300 million is b/c he is the best player in the game, AND he might possibly want to TRULY give massive amounts of money away for the cause of Christ?
He said recently in an interview, “if you think I am greedy you don’t even know who I am.”
Rather than greed, could he not be demanding that salary b/c he wants to massively bless others in the name of Christ and is just keeping his mouth shut about it? (i.e., not letting his right hand know what his left hand is doing).
@Reg: Why do we find athletes and celebrities lifes fascinating is beyond me.
Some ideas:
1. Like other extremely wealthy people, he arguably faces a greater-than-usual temptation to indulge himself.
2. Like other people who are “near the best in the world” at what they do, he arguably faces a greater-than-usual temptation toward pride.
3. Like other people in the public eye, anything he says will be printed, reprinted, dissected and criticized to a greater-than-usual degree compared to Christians who aren’t also celebrities. So for him to make public statements about Jesus arguably carries greater “risk” than for most believers.
Given these, if he is in fact still humble, open about his faith, and not indulgent with respect to his wealth then I can see how that might be encouraging or inspiring to someone.
@Reg: Yes he is a great ball player(grossly over paid as are all those in entertainment)
Overpaid is in the eye of the beholder. I’m a fan of markets. Pujols, or any other professional athletes or entertainer who is being paid “market rate”, is by definition not “overpaid”. He would be “overpaid” if someone were to pay him $100 mil/year when he would have agreed to as little as $30 mil.
@Geoff: Pujols’ statement, “I do everything to glorify God”, rings a little hollow as he seeks a new $30M/year contract.
I couldn’t agree more. I might actually it’s his duty as a believer to negotiate the best contract he can, so long as he conducts himself during the negotiations in a way that reflects the person of Jesus. Consider the parable of the shrewd manager.
Side note: With books like this being written about him, I really, really, really hope it comes to light that Pujols has been using banned performance enhancing drugs.
I’d also tend to push back against those criticizing Pujols for asking for $20-30 million a year. Don’t get my wrong, that is a lot of money and my gut reaction is to say, “Why would he be so greedy and not sign a contract worth so much?” Most of us (unless, perhaps, you’re in full-time ministry) are paid according to the worth we bring to a company and in accordance with what our peers make. The reality is that Pujols is the best player in the game and a team should pay him as much. To say that Pujols should sign w/the Cards just because that’s what a “good Christian” should do is no more true than saying I should take the next raise my boss offers me knowing that the company across town will offer me 25% more.
Isn’t the real question here Pujols’ heart motives and intentions with his salary? Is his ultimate quest solely for monetary compensation or is it for God’s glory? Will his salary be a gift for him to steward or an idol to which he will be enslaved? There are plenty of Christians who make plenty of money. How we all steward the gifts, talents, and abilities (large or small) God has given us should be the real concern, right?
Gah! I meant to say: “I really, really, really hope it never comes to light that Pujols has been using banned performance enhancing drugs. Which is the exact opposite of what I actually said.
I wonder how many of us would go to our employers and say, “I’ve studied my market value, and I’d rather take less than my market value so that I don’t come across as greedy.”
Brett, excellent point!
“Pujols’ statement, “I do everything to glorify God”, rings a little hollow as he seeks a new $30M/year contract.”
Ah, class envy and proletariat angst. So predictable!
@David: Ah, class envy and proletariat angst. So predictable!
To clarify what I said earlier, I don’t have a problem with Pujols earning $30 million/year. I might probably take issue with him living like he earns $30 million/year.
If he lives modestly, invests everything, then donates his entire estate at death (minus some reasonable amount for survivors) then I don’t see how anyone could complain.
@Brett “I wonder how many of us would go to our employers and say, “I’ve studied my market value, and I’d rather take less than my market value so that I don’t come across as greedy.”“
Another great Cardinal player, Stan Musial, did just that — http://bit.ly/9jucsL
Jigawatt, I don’t even have to go to the link you provided; very familiar with that story and it doesn’t apply to my statement. Rather, it proves my point. Stan underperformed that year and didn’t feel like he lived up to what he is being paid. That doesn’t apply to Albert, at least not yet.
Why are “demands” like that hard to reconcile with a Christian witness? Is it not okay to engage in the contract process like all the other players because you are a Christian? Would you say, “I’ll take x amount less than I think I’m worth because I’m a Christian?” These things are always played out publicly—part of the process—and I don’t think Christians do themselves favors to weigh in on it from a spiritual standpoint. I would think it would be more legitimate to weigh in on it from a baseball standpoint—is he worth it? If it looks greedy to negotiate for a $30 million/yr contract, then it must look so materialistic that we negotiate employment contracts in the 100s of thousands for different jobs when many Christians suffer extreme poverty all over the world. If the principle doesn’t hold true across the spectrum, I don’t think it’s legitimate and sounds judgmental.
There is no such thing as a human being on planet earth worth $30,000,000.00 per year, least of all, an athlete.Demands for such sums are less than Christian because we are warned about even desiring to be rich (I Timothy 6:9). The fact that athletes are in an industry that accepts such desires does not make it right.We are to be content with food and clothing (I Tim. 6:8). Suppose you make $100,000.00/year. Could you be comfortable with that? Would that meet your needs? Would it supply enough food and clothing? It will take you 10 years to earn $1,000,000. It would take you 300 years to earn $30,000,000.00.The fact that we defend such figures for our athletes says more about us than them. It’s wrong at almost every level.
What does the Bible say about the rich? Is it sinful to be rich? There are examples of godly men in the Bible who were rich: Abraham, Joseph, Job, David, Daniel. Granted, some of these it doesn’t state as rich, but their positions imply it. The new testament doesn’t forbid being rich either. It says it will be hard for those who are rich, but it also instructs the rich to share with those who are not, meaning that there are some who will be rich, and God will give them grace to be rich, just like He will give some the grace to be poor. Whether or not Mr. Pujols is greedy or not is between him and God, and his fruit will show, but so will ours.
The Bible doesn’t say being rich is a sin but the warnings about wealth are numerous . Also who knows perhaps he sponsors a orphanage , gives to the poor etc… wealth can be a great tool to but sorry if I’m a bit skeptical .Bottom line as I watch my neighbors and friends struggle to survive , supplying services that need to be done , it makes me a bit sick to see 30 mil doled out to a grown child’s game. That includes all sports. The salaries are out of control . I can live without baseball ,hockey,football but I can’t function without the truck driver who brings in food and medicine or the janitors that clean our schools and hospitals.Calvin said there are two extremes that are dangerous to the soul.Too much money and not enough . One will make you think you did it , its yours and often you forget about God and the other , you will be envious and covet what others have .Plus you cannot say , well he took less money and compare it to a normal joes job . If I were to making 1 million dollars but was offered a post making 2 million but thought that the location or benefit to my family was not there , to turn it down is no hardship. But if I’m making 15 dollars an hour and get cut back by 2 or 3 dollars , then the reality is it impacts my families life.Bottom line , 30 mil is ridiculous to hit a ball .
@Ken: There is no such thing as a human being on planet earth worth $30,000,000.00 per year
They’re “worth” that much because they have the capacity to generate even more than that for the owners of the teams for which they play. I am “worth” my salary because my employer considers that level of pay to present a value proposition in light of the services I provide. Pujols is no different.
@Ken: we are warned about even desiring to be rich
And it’s a valid warning. But it depends on how you define “rich”. One can earn a lot and still live relatively modestly. John Wesley did this. Not that he’s the arbiter of what’s right, but I think his example is instructive. At the height of his popularity he earned the equivalent of $1.4 million/year from the sale of his sermons, giving away 98% of that and living on the salary paid him as an Anglican clergyman, which was the equivalent of $50k/year. I don’t find much to disagree with in his “Use of Money” sermon.
@Ken: Suppose you make $100,000.00/year. Could you be comfortable with that? Would that meet your needs?
I’m guessing there is someone, somewhere who believes “no human being is worth” $100,000/year. If he’s “wrong”, why are you “right” when applying that logic to $30 million/year?
@Reg: I can live without baseball ,hockey,football but I can’t function without the truck driver who brings in food and medicine or the janitors that clean our schools and hospitals.
Welcome to capitalism. Lots of people can drive a truck. Very few people can hit a baseball like Albert Pujols. Pujols’ skills are more highly compensated only because they’re so rare. Supply and demand.
@Reg: If I were to making 1 million dollars but was offered a post making 2 million … to turn it down is no hardship. But if I’m making 15 dollars an hour and get cut back by 2 or 3 dollars , then the reality is it impacts my families life.
…in which you make an excellent defense for the practice taxing income at progressively increasing rates.
Hey Tim,
Thanks for this. As a lifelong Cardinal fan, I’ve obviously been following Albert’s career closely. I enjoy being able to point to my favorite player on my favorite team and talk about who he is as a person, above and beyond what he does as a player.
That said, I’ve always felt a little wary of early biographies. The man is roughly halfway through his career, really just starting life. I guess it’s a “strike while the iron is hot” kind of thing, I don’t know.
Am I right in assuming Albert was not involved in the book personally?
Sorry but hitting a ball well is not worth 30 mil. Sports is the largest idol factory for men on the planet.I will never get the obsession with athletes period.
@Reg: hitting a ball well is not worth 30 mil
What should determine how much a person’s labor is “worth”? That’s probably where we differ.
If I’m reading you right, you feel the true “utility” of a person’s labor should determine his or her level of compensation. For instance, the garbage man takes away my trash. Without garbage service I would be seriously inconvenienced. Therefore he should be adequately compensated. Pujols hits baseballs. Without him hitting baseballs my life would not be significantly impacted, therefore he should be compensated less than the garbage collector.
Is that about right?
The problem with that is this: the only way bring about such a system is to enforce it in a totalitarian fashion from on high. So you might get a system like that in, say, Cuba, but not in the United States. And I’m pretty okay with that.
Hello PJH. Thanks for your note.You said - “I’m guessing there is someone, somewhere who believes “no human being is worth” $100,000/year. If he’s “wrong”, why are you “right” when applying that logic to $30 million/year?”
OK, so lower the figure. I don’t make anywhere near 100K and I don’t need to - my needs are being met. I am guessing that the US is pretty near the top of the ladder when it comes to incomes and no one needs 30mil to have their needs met. Paul tells us what needs are in the text quoted - having the necessities of life. Dollar amounts and needs are not completely subjective. 100K is a figure that some could argue they need, given their circumstances or geography. By what standard can 30mil be said to be necessary? The fact that he generates more?
The reason why Pujol can generate more than 30mil for his owners is because people are stupid enough to pay them exorbitant amounts of money for everything from the hot dog at the stadium to an autograph.
The fact that Wesley gave away his money is commendable and I would be willing to say that if Pujol does the same then let him go for it. Wesley said that the reason he gave so much away was so that he wouldn’t get too attached to it. He did not desire to be rich. Let Pujol come out and say the same thing. Much of Pujol’s money will go to security, publicists and a host of other things that he would not need if he weren’t making that much money.
Value should not be measured by the rarity of the skill but its value to the community. The truck driver does something more valuable for the people. Our problem is that we place far too much value on distractions. What are the three highest paid careers to get oneself into? Sports, music, movies. We willingly pay these artists for the privilege of enabling us to escape from time to time. But that does not make them “worth” it. These three arts have great value. But so do a lot of things that don’t make near their money. We are not the arbiters of what is truly valuable. We value all the wrong things and that is why we need the Gospel. The sad thing is that believers get caught up in it.