Synopses & Reviews
The greatest relief pitcher of all time shares his extraordinary story of survival, love, and baseball.Mariano Rivera, the man who intimidated thousands of batters merely by opening a bullpen door, began his incredible journey as the son of a poor Panamanian fisherman. When first scouted by the Yankees, he didn't even own his own glove. He thought he might make a good mechanic. When discovered, he had never flown in an airplane, had never heard of Babe Ruth, spoke no English, and couldn't imagine Tampa, the city where he was headed to begin a career that would become one of baseball's most iconic. What he did know: that he loved his family and his then girlfriend, Clara, that he could trust in the Lord to guide him, and that he could throw a baseball exactly where he wanted to, every time.
With astonishing candor, Rivera tells the story of the championships, the bosses (including The Boss), the rivalries, and the struggles of being a Latino baseball player in the United States and of maintaining Christian values in professional athletics. The thirteen-time All-Star discusses his drive to win; the secrets behind his legendary composure; the story of how he discovered his cut fastball; the untold, pitch-by-pitch account of the ninth inning of Game 7 in the 2001 World Series; and why the lowest moment of his career became one of his greatest blessings.
In The Closer, Rivera takes readers into the Yankee clubhouse, where his teammates are his brothers. But he also takes us on that jog from the bullpen to the mound, where the game -- or the season -- rests squarely on his shoulders. We come to understand the laserlike focus that is his hallmark, and how his faith and his family kept his feet firmly on the pitching rubber. Many of the tools he used so consistently and gracefully came from what was inside him for a very long time -- his deep passion for life; his enduring commitment to Clara, whom he met in kindergarten; and his innate sense for getting out of a jam.
When Rivera retired, the whole world watched -- and cheered. In The Closer, we come to an even greater appreciation of a legend built from the ground up.
Synopsis
El lanzador de relevo m s exitoso de todos los tiempos comparte su extraordinaria historia de supervivencia, amor y b isbol.
Mariano Rivera, el hombre que intimid a miles de bateadores con tan solo abrir la puerta del bullpen, comenz su incre ble viaje como el hijo de un pobre pescador paname o. Cuando primeramente los Yankees lo reclutaron, ni siquiera pose a su propio guante. l pens que podr a ser un buen mec nico. Cuando lo descubrieron, nunca antes hab a volado en un avi n, nunca hab a o do hablar de Babe Ruth, no hablaba ingl s, ni tampoco se imaginaba c mo era Tampa, la ciudad hacia donde iba para comenzar una carrera que lo convertir a en uno de los m s ic nicos del b isbol. Lo que s sab a: que amaba a su familia y su entonces novia, Clara; que pod a confiar en el Se or para guiarlo; y que pod a lanzar una pelota exactamente donde l quer a, todo el tiempo.
Con sorprendente candor, Rivera relata la historia de los campeonatos, los jefes (incluyendo El Jefe), las rivalidades y las luchas de ser pelotero latino en los Estados Unidos, y c mo conservar los valores cristianos dentro del atletismo profesional. El trece veces pelatoro del Juego de Estrellas habla de su impulso de ganar; los secretos detr s de su legendaria compostura; la historia de c mo descubri su recta cortada; lo nunca antes contado sobre el lanzamiento de la novena entrada del s ptimo juego de la Serie Mundial de 2001; y por qu el momento m s bajo de su carrera se convirti en una de sus m s grandes bendiciones.
Cuando Rivera se retir , todo el mundo lo vio y aplaudi . En El cerrador, llegamos a una a n mayor apreciaci n de una leyenda construida desde cero.
About the Author
Mariano Rivera is a pitcher for the New York Yankees, where he has played for 18 seasons. He is the all-time saves leader and a five-time World Champion. He and his wife Clara have three sons and live in New York.