A day after making his debut as a MLB game analyst (on NBC’s Peacock broadcast of the St. Louis Cardinals-Pittsburgh Pirates game Sunday), Albert Pujols is taking on more broadcasting work. MLB announced Monday that they’ve brought in Pujols as a special assistant to commissioner Rob Manfred, and that that role will include him working at MLB Network. He’ll make his MLB Network debut at 9 a.m. Eastern Tuesday on MLB Central Tuesday.
After a 22-year career, Albert Pujols is joining the league office as a Special Assistant to the Commissioner.
Welcome, Albert! pic.twitter.com/RHWgZNSCO8
— MLB (@MLB) June 5, 2023
Here’s more on this from a MLB release:
Commissioner of Baseball Robert D. Manfred, Jr. announced today that Major League Baseball has named Albert Pujols as Special Assistant to the Commissioner. Pujols will consult with MLB on a range of topics, including player relations and issues regarding his home country, the Dominican Republic. As part of his role, Pujols will also serve as an MLB Network on-air analyst, appearing across the network’s programming.
Commissioner Manfred said: “Beyond his long list of accomplishments on the field, Albert is a highly respected figure who represents the game extraordinarily well. He cares greatly about making a difference in our communities. We are excited for Albert to join other former players who are doing important work for our sport, and we will welcome his perspective across our efforts.”
Pujols said: “I couldn’t be more excited for this next chapter of my career. Commissioner Manfred and I share the same passion for growing the game in the Dominican Republic and I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together. I’m also grateful for the opportunity to join the MLB Network family. I’ve been a huge fan since the very beginning and can’t wait to get started.”
Pujols (seen above last October) certainly has a variety of experiences he can bring to work for MLB and MLB Network. From his upbringing in the Dominican Republic to his move to the U.S. as a teenager to his play at Maple Woods Community College before the Cardinals drafted him in the 13th round (402nd overall) in 1999 to his 22-year MLB career with St. Louis (2001-2011, 2022), the Los Angeles Angels (2012-2021), and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2021), Pujols has seen a lot.
And Pujols drew positive reviews for his debut as a game analyst Sunday, so he may have a lot to contribute as a broadcaster. His other announced MLB Network work so far beyond that MLB Central debut Tuesday includes appearing on MLB Tonight Wednesday (10 p.m. ET) and contributing to the network’s on-site coverage of the London Series between the Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs on Friday, June 23. We’ll see how he does with that.
[MLB.com]