Cardinals’ Albert Pujols Recalls Skipping School To Watch David Ortiz

Albert Pujols would do anything to see David Ortiz play while he was growing up, even if that meant getting into a little bit of trouble.

The St. Louis Cardinals star only is four years younger than Ortiz, who will be enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, but Pujols admitted he’d skip school in order to watch Ortiz during his time with the Seattle Mariners minor league affiliate, The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier reported after Tuesday night’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

Pujols, who grew up in the Dominican Republic, told reporters he’d “get in trouble,” but it’s clear he knew Ortiz would turn into something special.

Ortiz retired in 2016 and became the Boston Red Sox’s most clutch hitter during his time with the organization. He became a staple for the team, hitting clutch home run after clutch home run and being a larger-than-life leader and teammate.

Pujols will retire at the end of this season and likely will be headed to Cooperstown when he’s eligible, so he’ll be alongside the player he snuck around to see as they both went on to leave lasting legacies in MLB.