Albert Pujols hit .359 with 43 home runs and 124 RBIs last season. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
ST. LOUIS -- Albert Pujols is still racking up hardware from his monster 2003 season. Tuesday evening, before the Cardinals' game against the Phillies, Pujols was presented with two Players Choice Awards -- as the 2003 Player of the Year and National League Outstanding Player.
Members of the MLB Players Association vote on the Players Choice Awards, the winners of which were announced last fall. Pujols was recognized at a dinner in St. Louis on Monday night, then presented with the awards on the field before Tuesday's first pitch.
Perhaps most notable were the charitable checks presented along with the awards. The Major League Baseball Players Trust presented checks of $30,000 to the Down Syndrome Association of Greater St. Louis and $20,000 each to Zoe Ministries and the West County Community Church. Pujols is a leading advocate for the Down Syndrome Association.
Pujols won his first batting title in 2003, hitting .359 with a .439 on-base percentage and a .667 slugging percentage. He racked up 43 home runs, 124 RBIs and 137 runs scored. It was the second straight year that Pujols finished as the runner-up to Barry Bonds for National League MVP honors.
Womack still out: Tony Womack was held out of the lineup for the sixth consecutive game on Tuesday. He's still battling a triceps strain in his left throwing elbow. Womack has two pinch-hit appearances since sustaining the injury last Tuesday night in Houston.
"(Dr. George) Paletta thought he was OK," manager Tony La Russa said on Tuesday afternoon. "He's gonna work out today, see how he feels. I don't know if he'll play tomorrow or not."
If Womack had been held out of all the games since his injury, he might be nearing a time when a retroactive disabled-list assignment would make sense. However, the pinch-hit appearances make that more problematic.
Hawksworth hurt: Right-handed pitcher Blake Hawksworth, rated as the Cards' top pitching prospect by Baseball America, is suffering from some shoulder discomfort. He hasn't pitched since April 15.
Cedeno update: Roger Cedeno is getting closer to a return.
Roger Cedeno / RF
Born: 08/16/74
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 205 lbs
Bats: S / Throws: R
The outfielder, who suffered a hamstring injury in Phoenix during the season's first weekend, could see game action on a rehab assignment next week.
"He'll work out here this week, and next week when we go out on the road he'll probably go play some games," La Russa said.
Welcome home: St. Louisan and world welterweight boxing champion Cory Spinks threw out a ceremonial first pitch before Tuesday night's game. Spinks, the son of former heavyweight champion Leon Spinks, recently defeated Zab Judah in a title defense in Las Vegas.
Baby 'Birds: Adam Wainwright picked up his second win of the year with six solid innings for Triple-A Memphis on Monday. Wainwright allowed four runs -- three earned -- on seven hits in six innings, striking out three and walking one, as Memphis defeated New Orleans, 13-5. ... Skip Schumaker and John Nelson had two hits each but Double-A Tennessee lost, 2-1, to Huntsville in the opener of a doubleheader. In the finale, Nate Espy hit a pair of homers in a 5-3 win. ... Andy Schutzenhofer homered for one of his four hits as Class A Palm Beach trounced Lakeland, 15-3. ... Class A Peoria broke out the big bats as well, banging out 16 hits in a 16-6 win over Kane County. Seven Chiefs had at least two hits.
The player of the day easily could have been Schutzenhofer, but he's edged out by Yadier Molina. The Memphis catcher went 4-for-5 with two doubles, continuing a strong run that has gotten his average above the .300 mark for the season. Molina's on-base percentage is a solid .353, reflecting improvement in one area where he needed some work.
Matthew Leach is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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Roger Cedeno / RF
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