Philadelphia.– St Louis Cardinals' first baseman Albert Pujols was given the Roberto Clemente Award on Saturday.
The award, given to the player who combines outstanding performance on the field and work in the community, is named in honor of Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Roberto Clemente, who died on Dec 31, 1972, during a humanitarian mission to assist earthquake victims in Nicaragua.
Pujols, through his family foundation, improved the lives of children and young adults with Down Syndrome in the St Louis area and aided underprivileged children in his native Dominican Republic, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig said.
On the field, the Cardinals first baseman hit 37 homers, drove in 116 runs and batted .357. "He was not only a great baseball player," Pujols said in receiving the award.
