Pujols Exalts Dominican Pride After Elimination in World Baseball Classic

Miami, Florida. Following the 2-1 defeat against the United States in the semifinals of the 2026 World Baseball Classic, the Dominican Republic manager, Albert Pujols, shared his impressions of his team’s performance.

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Pride and Recognition A Significant Experience

Pride and Recognition

Pujols expressed his pride in the effort of his players and valued the work done during the tournament. He highlighted the importance of not focusing on the final result, but on the collective effort of the team.

I’m not going to focus on that last pitch. I’m super proud of my guys and the work they did. I give all the credit to the United States.
Albert Pujols

He also highlighted the commitment of players like Austin Wells, who proudly represented the Dominican Republic.

I am very proud of Austin Wells, who, despite not being born in the Dominican Republic, honorably represented our country.
Albert Pujols

The leader valued the performance of the pitching staff, especially the performance of Luis Severino.

Our pitching was up to the task. My respect for Luis Severino, he pitched exactly as we had planned.
Albert Pujols

A Significant Experience

Pujols described his experience in the World Baseball Classic as one of the most significant of his career. For me, this has been the best experience I’ve had in my career. I thank God for allowing me to be at the forefront of this tremendous talent that our country has. He acknowledged that in baseball, the results don’t always reflect the effort put in.

I don’t think anything failed. Things just didn’t go our way and that’s the game. Today wasn’t our day.
Albert Pujols

He thanked the support of the Dominican people and sent a message of pride to the fans. I know that at this moment there are many sad Dominicans, but I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the support and unity of the country. We lost, but we leave with our heads held high and proud of what we did. After the match, the team gathered to pray and reflect.

The first thing we did was pray and tell the guys to be proud of what they did, to return with their heads held high to their training camps.
Albert Pujols

Finally, Pujols stated that he will remain available to represent his country in future competitions, including the Olympic Games.