Synopses & Reviews
Every spring, Little Leaguers across the country mimic his stance and squabble over
the right to wear his number, 2, the next number to be retired by the worldandrsquo;s most famous ball team.
Derek Jeter is their hero. He walks in the footsteps of Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, and Mantle, and
someday his shadow will loom just as large. Yet he has never been the best player in baseball. In fact,
he hasnandrsquo;t always been the best player on his team. But his intangible grace and Jordanesque ability
to play big in the biggest of postseason moments make him the face of the modern Yankee dynasty,
and of Americaandrsquo;s game. In The Captain, best-selling author Ian Oandrsquo;Connor draws on extensive reporting and unique
access to Jeter that has spanned some fifteen years toand#160; reveal how a biracial kid from Michigan became New Yorkandrsquo;s most beloved sports figure and the enduring symbol of the steroid-free athlete. Oandrsquo;Connor takes us behind the scenes of a legendary baseball life and career, from Jeterandrsquo;s early struggles in the minor leagues, when homesickness and errors in the field threatened a stillborn career, to his heady days as a Yankee superstar and prince of the city who squired some of the worldandrsquo;s most beautiful women, to his tense battles with former best friend A-Rod. We also witness Jeter struggling to come to terms with his declining skills and the declining favor of the only organization he ever wanted to play for, leading to a contentious contract negotiation with the Yankees that left people wondering if Jeter might end his career in a uniform without pinstripes. Derek Jeterandrsquo;s march toward the Hall of Fame has been dignified and certain, but behind that
leadership and heroandrsquo;s grace there are hidden struggles and complexities that have never been
explored, until now. As Jeter closes in on 3,000 hits, a number no Yankee has ever touched, The
Captain offers an incisive, exhilarating, and revealing new look at one of the gameandrsquo;s greatest
players in the gloaming of his career.
Review
"Jeter is the prince, the good son, the tireless worker. Oand#8217;Connor uses baseball lore and the tropes and rhythms of folktales to limn Jeterand#8217;s family life and early career...essential for Yankees fans." and#8212;
Booklist "Oand#8217;Connor peppers the bio with enough hidden gems about the notoriously private ballplayer to make this the most thorough and intriguing work on Jeter so far. And Oand#8217;Connorand#8217;s ability to reconcile Jeter the man with Jeter the ballplayer means that even Red Sox fans may enjoy this bio." --
Publishers Weekly "The most complete account yet of this signal player's life and career . . . Insightful about Jeter's minor league days and touching on his personal life,
The Captain tantalizes with predictions about possible position changes and the length of Jeter's career. An excellent selection for those interested in baseball generally and in pinstripes particularly." and#8212;
Library Journal "Long after Derek Jeter is inducted into the Hall of Fame, Ian Oand#8217;Connorand#8217;s work will be viewed as the definitive biography of the captain. Jeter has always managed to keep it simple, but as Oand#8217;Connor shows, the shortstop is a complicated superstar." and#8212;
Buster Olney, author of How Lucky You Can Be and The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty "Ian Oand#8217;Connor is an ideal biographer for Derek Jeter. Ian is the same kind of thorough pro." and#8212;
Tom Callahan, best-selling author of Johnny U"Derek Jeter is undoubtedly the most talked about, argued about, cheered, booed and ultimately respected baseball player of his generation. And as public a figure as he has been, he is in many ways the least known. That changes now as Ian Oand#8217;Connor, one of the best sportswriters anywhere, goes deep and does what no one has quite been able to do: tell us a bit about who Derek Jeter really is." and#8212; Joe Posnanski, author of The Machine
"For years weand#8217;ve been telling young ballplayers to play and behave like Derek Jeter. Now we can tell them to read Ian Oand#8217;Connor's The Captain. Finally, we have an inside look at the worthy successor to Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio and Mantle." and#8212; Dan Shaughnessy, author of Fenway and Senior Year
Synopsis
This unparalleled close-up is the definitive book of baseball's most iconic player, Derek Jeter. The shortstop-next-door, the King of the City, the last clean champion of the game, learn what has made Jeter the face--and the hero--of the last Yankee dynasty, those teams that won four World Series championships in five years.
Synopsis
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
"Derek Jeter is undoubtedly the most talked about, argued about, cheered, booed and ultimately respected baseball player of his generation. And as public a figure as he has been, he is in many ways the least known. That changes now as Ian O'Connor, one of the best sports writers anywhere, goes deep and does what no one has quite been able to do: Tell us a bit about who Derek Jeter really is."--Joe Posnanski, author of The Machine
"Deftly told."--The Washington Post
In The Captain, Ian O'Connor draws on unique access to Derek Jeter and more than 200 new interviews to reveal how a biracial kid from Michigan became New York's most beloved sports figure and the face of the steroid-free athlete.
O'Connor takes us behind the scenes of a legendary baseball life, from Jeter's early struggles in the minor leagues, when homesickness and errors threatened a stillborn career, to the heady days of Yankee superiority and nightlife, to the battles with former best friend A-Rod.
All along the way, Jeter has made his Hall-of-Fame destiny look easy. But behind that leadership and hero's grace there are hidden struggles and complexities that have never been explored, until now.
Synopsis
Derek Jeter walks in the footsteps of Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, and Mantle, and became the first Yankee to reach 3,000 hits. Yet he has never been the best player in baseball. In fact, he hasnt always been the best player on his team. But what he does have is an intangible grace that makes him the face—and the hero—of the modern Yankee dynasty, and of Americas game.
In The Captain, Ian OConnor draws on unique access to Jeter and more than 200 new interviews to reveal how a biracial kid from Michigan became New Yorks most beloved sports figure and the face of the steroid-free athlete. OConnor takes us behind the scenes of a legendary baseball life and career, from Jeters early struggles in the minor leagues, when homesickness and errors threatened a stillborn career, to the heady days of Yankee superiority and nightlife, to the battles with former best friend A-Rod. All along the way, Jeter has made his Hall of Fame destiny look easy. But behind that leadership and heros grace there are hidden struggles and complexities that have never been explored, until now.
Synopsis
and#8220;Derek Jeter is undoubtedly the most talked about, argued about, cheered, booed and ultimately respected baseball player of his generation. And as public a figure as he has been, he is in many ways the least known. That changes now as Ian Oand#8217;Connor, one of the best sports writers anywhere, goes deep and does what no one has quite been able to do: Tell us a bit about who Derek Jeter really is.and#8221;and#8212;Joe Posnanski, author of
The Machineand#8220;Deftly told.and#8221;and#8212;Washington Post
In The Captain, Ian Oand#8217;Connor draws on unique access to Derek Jeter and more than 200 new interviews to reveal how a biracial kid from Michigan became New Yorkand#8217;s most beloved sports figure and the face of the steroid-free athlete. Oand#8217;Connor takes us behind the scenes of a legendary baseball life, from Jeterand#8217;s early struggles in the minor leagues, when homesickness and errors threatened a stillborn career, to the heady days of Yankee superiority and nightlife, to the battles with former best friend A-Rod. All along the way, Jeter has made his Hall-of-Fame destiny look easy. But behind that leadership and heroand#8217;s grace there are hidden struggles and complexities that have never been explored, until now.
Synopsis
Surprisingly, one of sports most contentious, complex, and defining clashes played out not in the boxing ring or at the line of scrimmage but on the genteel green fairways of the worlds finest golf courses. Arnie and Jack. Palmer and Nicklaus. Their fifty-year duel, in both the clubhouse and the boardroom, propelled each to the status of American icon and pushed modern golf to the heights and popularity it enjoys today.
Arnie was the cowboy, with rugged good looks, Popeye-like forearms, a flailing swing, and charm enough to win fans worldwide. Jack was scientific, precise, conservative, aloof, even fat and awkward. Ultimately, Nicklaus got the better of Palmer on the course, beating him in major victories 18-7. But Palmer bested Nicklaus almost everywhere else, especially in the hearts of the public and in endorsement dollars. By the end of this page-turning narrative, we see that each man wanted what the other had: Arnold wanted the trophies. Jack wanted the love.
In the tradition of John Feinstein and Mark Frost, Ian OConnor has written a compelling account of one of the greatest rivalries in sports history.
Synopsis
From the eight-time All-Star and three-time Cy Young Awardandndash;winning pitcher, a bold, no-holds-barred memoir of his career, from his hardscrabble upbringing in the Dominican Republic to becoming one of the greatest pitchers of all time
Synopsis
A bold, no-holds-barred memoir from one of the most dominant and dynamic pitchers to ever play the game Before Pedro Martinez was the eight-time All Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner, and World Series champion, before stadiums full of fans chanted his name, he was just a little kid from the Dominican Republic who sat under a mango tree and dreamed of playing pro ball. Now in Pedro, the charismatic and always colorful pitcher opens up for the first time to tell his remarkable story.
Martinez entered the big leagues a scrawny power pitcher with a lightning arm who they said wasnandrsquo;t andldquo;durableandrdquo; enough, who they said was a punk. But what they underestimated about Pedro Martinez was the intensity of the fire inside. Like no one before or since, Martinez willed himself to become one of the most intimidating pitchers to have ever played the game.
In Pedro we relive it all in Technicolor brightness, from his hardscrabble days in the minor leagues clawing for respect; to his early days in lonely Montreal, where he first struggled with the reputation of being a headhunter; to his legendary run with the Red Sox when start after start he dazzled with his pitching genius; to his twilight years on the mound as he put the finishing touches on a body of work that made him an icon.
Bold, outspoken, intimate in its details, and grand in ego and ambition, this new memoir by one of baseballandrsquo;s most enigmatic figures will entertain and inspire generations of fans to come.
About the Author
PEDRO MARTINEZ is aandnbsp;former Major League Baseball pitcher. An eight-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner, and 2004 World Series champion, Martinez was just elected toandnbsp;the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.andnbsp;andnbsp;He currently serves as a special consultant for the Boston Red Sox.
MICHAEL SILVERMAN is a baseball columnist for the Boston Herald and hasandnbsp;been covering baseball and the Red Soxandnbsp;sinceandnbsp;1995.andnbsp;andnbsp;
Table of Contents
Contents
Introduction ix
1. The Kalamazoo Kid 1
2. The Draft 21
3. E-6 47
4. Rookie of the Year 73
5. Champion 97
6. Perfection 124
7. Dynasty 147
8. The Flip 178
9. New Guys 209
10. Alex 244
11. The Great Divide 273
12. Moment of Truth 299
13. Rebirth 331
Epilogue 364
Acknowledgments 379
A Note on the Authorandrsquo;s Interviews and Sources 382
Bibliography 388
Index 390