Los Angeles Angels: 5 Things you didn’t know about Albert Pujols

Albert Pujols’ 1999 Summer Holdout

Due to the previously mentioned concerns of his build, age, and position, Pujols only gaged interest from a few teams. He was not drafted until the 13th round when the St. Louis Cardinals selected him with the 402nd overall pick in the 1999 Major League Baseball draft.

Pujols lived in Missouri for a few years and playing for the Cardinals meant that he would be near his family, his support system.

Since it was the 13th round, the Cardinals offered him a signing bonus of just $10,000. Pujols initially declined and spend his Summer playing for the Hay Larks of the Jayhawk Collegiate League. During his time on that team, Pujols drove in 48 runs, tied for the most in team history.

After seeing how dominant Pujols was in his Summer league, the Cardinals decided they really wanted Pujols to be a part of their franchise. As an attempt to change his mind, they upped the signing bonus to $60,000. Pujols signed with St. Louis a few days later.

This is not very common anymore. A player would be signing for a larger amount in the 13th round of a modern drat. Pujols decided to bet on himself by declining their initial offer and playing Summer ball. It worked.