Fun is up to bat as Garcia and Pujols film FedExCup TV spot
 
Jun. 26, 2007

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- The first thing you notice is the arms.

Albert Pujols' biceps have got to be bigger than Sergio Garcia's waist. He's standing there on a warm spring day in south Florida wearing a grey t-shirt with no sleeves, and there's no mistaking where the St. Louis Cardinal slugger gets his power.

Sergio Garcia
Sergio Garcia's impish sense of humor was on display during a TV spot shoot. (Sam Greenwood/WireImage)

In a spring training game an hour earlier, those arms had launched a home run that traveled so far it nearly dinged the Florida Marlins clubhouse. They staked Pujols to a 79 when he played the Champion Course at PGA National the previous day, too.

Now, though, Pujols is pacing. He has joined Garcia at this youth baseball park on the Tuesday after the World Golf Championships-CA Championship ended to film a PSA for the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup.

The two men are a study in contrasts -- the impish Garcia and the intent Pujols. The first baseman studies the script, reciting his lines quietly to himself, as a production assistant anchors the microphone to his uniform.

On the other hand, Garcia, wearing a blue adidas shirt with black insets, is completely relaxed. He's been there, done this. Many times, in fact. He jokes with the crew until the two athletes are told to take their spots.

"Make sure everyone's cell phone is off -- and for you guys still in the 20th century, make sure your pager is off," the director cautions. The cameras roll. Three hours later, the 30-second spot called "Game Face" is a wrap.

The premise is simple. Garcia stands outside the batting cage and asks Pujols, seen taking some mighty cuts at the ball, for advice on how to succeed when the TOUR's first playoff series rolls around in August.

The World Series veteran is supposed to tell the young Spaniard that "it's all about intimidation." Of course, he forgets the line. Take 2 of many. The director tells both men to think about having a conversation, rather than worrying about the words.

By the time Garcia and Pujols get to Scene 101, Take 4, the dialog is essentially -- and mercifully -- done. Now the director's looking for Garcia's "game face" and Pujols' reactions to make the PSA work.

No one is above sight gags at this point. Garcia's hat is turned inside-out, the bill upturned ala Jesper Parnevik. They try it sideways, too. Lastly, the back of the hat is folded into the front so that when it's perched on his head, the brim sticks skyward.

"How can I look serious with a hat on like this," Garcia said, grinning. "I think enough with the rally cap. I've become the director."

As Garcia hoped, the decision is made to play it straight. Garcia's exaggerated scowl elicits laughter from Pujols, who by now is finding it harder and harder to keep a straight face. More teeth, the slugger says. Meaner, he coaxes. Finally, he pretends to be exasperated.

"Forget it. Keep working on your game," Pujols says, and means it.

At one point, a helicopter interrupts the filming. Garcia offers to get rid of the problem if someone will just give him a driver and a golf ball. Then, as the evening sky begins to darken, the director calls for one more take.

"You said 10 more minutes 30 minutes ago," Pujols said, smiling but clearly ready to be done. "I've got to go see my mom."

The matriarch of the Pujols clan was cooking dinner that night, after all. Family is extremely important to the devout St. Louis Cardinal, and he has worked hard to help children in the Dominican Republic, where he was born.

A year ago, the Pujols Family Foundation funded a mission trip back to the Caribbean island nation. Six doctors were among the 14 people who traveled there with Pujols, who was clearly moved by what he saw.

"It was just a blessed time we had there and we blessed a bunch of kids," Pujols said. "We had five days to go the five villages and see 1,000 kids. It was unbelievable and it really kept me humble. ...

"It's putting smiles on those kids, talking about kids that are being abused or their parents died or whatever. We don't know what the situation is, but we're going in there to bless them and give them love and to try to do the best we can to make sure we keep them out of bad habits and doing bad things on the street."

After the shoot was over, there were smiles all around as Pujols and Garcia posed for pictures and signed autographs for Little Leaguers who had patiently waited through the countless takes.

And as Garcia puts his clubs into the trunk of a black Mercedes, he spotted some children in a nearby field kicking -- not batting -- a ball around.

"Now, that's my game," Garcia, an avid Real Madrid fan, said, nodding and flashing a big smile.

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