Even if you have not been following Major League Baseball recently there is no doubt that you still know the name Albert Pujols. Long before he started amazing crowds at St. Louis' Busch Stadium and becoming a National League pitcher's worst nightmare, Pujols was a rising star at Metropolitan Community College-Maple Woods in Kansas City, Mo., where he led the college to the 1999 Region 16 Championship.

Just two years later, Pujols made his MLB debut with the St. Louis Cardinals and began his pro career with feats not even the likes of Willie Mays, Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth or Barry Bonds can touch. After winning the 2001 NL Rookie of the Year, Pujols has become the first player in baseball history to boast a batting average above .300, hit 30+ home runs, drive in 100+ RBI, and score over 100 runs in each of his first five MLB seasons.

After winning the NL batting crown in 2003, Pujols led the Cardinals the 2004 World Series, where they were defeated by the Boston Red Sox. He followed the '04 season by winning the NL MVP in 2005. He also started the Pujols Family Foundation in '05, which is dedicated to the love, care and development of people with Down Syndrome and also reaches out to impoverished families in the Dominican Republic, his native country.

He again helped the Cardinals to World Series title in 2006, leading the majors in slugging percentage, .671, and establishing career highs in home runs (49) and RBIs (137). In the 2006 National League MVP voting, he came in a close second to Ryan Howard, garnering 12 of 32 first-place votes

After another stellar year in 2007, Pujols was honored with the 2008 MLB National League MVP. He hit his 300^th career home run this past season and became the first player in history to hit 30 or more home runs in his first eight professional seasons. He is also the first player in MLB history to start his career with eight seasons of at least 30 HR, 100 RBI, a .300 batting average and 99 runs.

On January 15, 2002 Maple Woods Community College officially retired the number 33 worn by Pujols during the 1999 season.