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Pujols Hits 3 Home Runs on Down Syndrome Awareness Day
By: Derrick Goold
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
09/04/2006

ST. LOUIS - Each year on the "Buddy Walk" day, Albert Pujols mingles with the children who are the special guests at the ballpark, fielding personal requests for a home run with a grin, a wink or a nod. There are many wishes for heroics, too many for even an MVP to satisfy.

Yet, each year, he does.

A promise fulfilled with each swing, Pujols marked Down Syndrome Awareness Day with three home runs Sunday as the Cardinals capped what could be remembered as the pivotal home stand of the season. Pujols tied a career high with the three homers and drove in five runs in the Cardinals' 6-3 victory over Pittsburgh at Busch Stadium.

The father of a daughter with Down syndrome, Pujols has hit home runs on three of the past five "Buddy Walk in the Park" days. Sunday was the sixth annual, and he has 11 RBI in the six games played when children with Down syndrome participate in pregame ceremonies.

"He always has extra inspiration on a day like today," manager Tony La Russa said. "He's amazing. I think when we have this special day with the kids it inspires him. He's better than ever on days like this."

Also significant Sunday was the second act of rookie Anthony Reyes as a member of the starting rotation. The righthander, back from his refresher course in Fastball 101 at Class AAA Memphis, struck out a career-high nine batters and threw 6 1/3 shutout innings. Reyes (5-6) set the tone for the finale of a nine-game home stand by striking out the side in the first inning.

As two Cardinals starters had done before him, he then handcuffed the Pirates, scattering four hits and letting just one of 24 hitters reach third.

The win in the rubber game of the series against Pittsburgh gave the Cardinals a 7-2 run at Busch Stadium in the past 10 days. La Russa had gathered his team twice - once in New York and again before the first game of the home stand - to address the nature of the coming month. His message: "Get to the end with no regrets." Neck-deep in a pennant race of their own making, La Russa stressed how the second-longest home stand of the season could be a launch pad.

Tied atop the NL Central with Cincinnati when the home stand started, the Cardinals leave with a six-game lead.

"We had three solid series," said La Russa, the bandleader of the win-the-series hymn. His club has won five of its past six series. "But those are in the books. Now what we have to do is maintain it from here to the end."

Pujols' afternoon started with the Down syndrome children and their buddies participating in the "Buddy Walk," strolling around the field at the new downtown ballpark. A child joined each Cardinal at his position for the national anthem. In years past, a few participants, such as Kathleen Mertz and Niki Cunningham, have asked Pujols to hit home runs for them.

Each time Pujols delivered.

In 2003, his home run on "Buddy Walk" came in the 13th inning and defeated Houston. In 2002, he had three RBIs to go with his "Buddy Walk" homer. Going back to his rookie season, the first year of the "Buddy Walk" at Busch, Pujols has hit .417 on those afternoons, hammered five homers and scored seven runs.

"It's always good to do something special for those kids," said Pujols, whose daughter Isabella has Down syndrome and who established a charity to help children with Down syndrome. "Once in awhile the kids will say, `Hit a home run for me.' It's a special day for those kids, me and my daughter, my family."

La Russa recalled hearing the usual chorus from the kids Sunday.

"Hit one for me."

"Hit one for me."

"You're my hero."

In his first at-bat, Pujols cracked the second pitch 410 feet for his 40th home run of the season. He had had just two extra-base hits in his previous 38 at-bats before Sunday. But in three consecutive at-bats against Pittsburgh starter Ian Snell, Pujols hit 40 for the fourth consecutive season and put himself four shy of his career-high of 46.

Chris Duncan singled before both of Pujols' final two home runs, forcing Snell (12-9) to deal with Pujols in a game that was just 3-0 when Pujols stepped in for the third time and cranked a breaking ball 447 feet.

"I hung it, and he banged it," Snell said. "I thought it was going to hit the St. Louis Arch out there. I wanted to go high-five him. That's unreal. That's like Superman playing baseball."

Pujols flied out to the warning track in the seventh in a bid for his fourth homer.

There was "too much Albert Pujols today," Pirates manager Jim Tracy said.

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(c) 2006, St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service.

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