Kevin Pozuelos of the Bronx said last weekend he and his friends huddled around his phone as he watched the St. Louis Cardinals' Albert Pujols hit the 699th home run of his career, and then the 700th — becoming the first Dominican and just the fourth player in baseball history to reach the milestone.
Pozuelos, 37, was proud of that moment and proud of seeing it, he said, noting the flurry of social media notifications after the win. It is an incredible feeling as a baseball fan and a Dominican to see that coming from our culture. For Dominican Americans, the spectacular end to a Hall of Fame-worthy career - Pujols said that this season, his 22nd, will be his last - has made him the perfect symbol of individual achievement in a sport so closely associated with their homeland.
Pujols, 42, known as the La M quina or the Machine in Spanish, came to the United States from the Dominican Republic in the 1990s and originally lived in Washington Heights, a predominantly Dominican neighborhood in New York City before his family moved to Missouri.
His trajectory has been legendary: Pujols helped the Cardinals win the World Series in 2006 and 2011 and in his latest feat, he joined Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth as the only players to hit 700 or more home runs.
For many in the Dominican Republic, baseball has been more than just a sport - it's recognized as a potential path to escape poverty and achieve economic and professional success. The Caribbean country has a long list of active MLB players born outside the U.S.
Jesse Sanchez, Major League Baseball's director of talent development and diversity outreach for content, said Pujols is a role model for many.
Sanchez, who has covered baseball for decades in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the U.S., believes that Albert is an inspiration and an example of what you can accomplish through hard work and dedication. He is an ambassador for communities, so when the ambassador makes history, it brings a measure of pride and joy. Alan Gomez, a 29-year-old probationary firefighter in New York City who is Dominican American, recalls his father coaching him during his Little League years. Gomez said that Dominicans everywhere in the world have always been fans of and cheered for Pujols no matter what team they normally root for. All the baseball fans I know are extremely happy for him to reach a mark that many see as unattainable due to the difficulty. He is the Dominican GOAT to us. Sanchez stated that baseball is enmeshed in Dominican society.
It is part of life, Sanchez said. There is baseball, air, food, family, church. It is woven into the fabric of the culture. He said that it is a place where families can get together, where there can be joy, where there can be happiness, where there can be unity. It is a community-oriented sport, and places like the Dominican Republic really embrace it. JoezMcFly, 36, a Yankees fan who livestreams his reaction to games, said the sport helped him bond with his own family and community.
Solano said everything is built around baseball back home in the Dominican Republic. My Dominican roots, everyone in my family was baseball all the time. Solano spoke of the pride he feels watching Pujols make history.
These are names that are huge, Solano said of the 700 club. One of mine is up there doing that in the Dominican culture, which is what we would say is de lo mio.