As he closes in on 3,000 hits, Albert Pujols is a Hall of Famer on and off the field

The career is legendary, so the origin story might as well be too.

Albert Pujols lets his bat speak for him. That Pujols could not secure his first major league roster spot until Mark McGwire spoke up for him must be myth.

True story, McGwire says. Pujols was 21, and his professional career consisted…