Pujols, former manager of the Detroit Tigers whose experience in the big leagues spans 22 seasons, enters his second season as manager of the Corpus Christi Hooks.

The former catcher has 19 years of professional coaching and managerial experience, including 13 at the major league level. He took the 2007 season off after four years as first base coach of the San Francisco Giants. While a member of Felipe Alou’s staff, Pujols also tutored the Giants catchers.

From 1993-2000, Pujols served under Alou at Montreal, first as first base coach and later as bench coach. Pujols was organizational catching instructor in the Expos minor league system from 1988-92 and held a minor league managerial post for the Tigers in 2001, leading Erie of the Double-A Eastern League to an 84-58 (.592) record and Southern Division title.

In recognition of his work with the SeaWolves, Pujols managed the American League squad at the Double-A All-Star Game and coached the World Team in the Futures Game during Seattle’s ML All-Star Game festivities.

In 2002, Pujols began the year as Detroit’s bench coach under Phil Garner. After an 0-6 start and Garner’s dismissal, Pujols was named interim manager. The Tigers, with an average major league service time of three years, went 55-100 as 13 players made their big league debuts and eight pitchers picked up their first major league victories.

When Pujols replaced Garner, he became the second Dominican-born manager in ML history. Alou was the first.

Pujols played professionally for 15 seasons after signing with the Astros as a 17-year-old in January, 1973. In 316 total games with Houston (1977-83), Kansas City (1984) and Texas (1985), he hit .193 with six home runs and 81 runs batted in. Pujols played in 78 games for the 1980 Astros, who won the National League West. He appeared in four of five NLCS games vs. Philadelphia in one of the most dramatic playoff series ever. Pujols completed his playing career as a player-coach at Triple-A Indianapolis in 1987.

Pujols and wife Xiomara have two sons, Alexis and Luis, Jr., and a daughter, Genesis.