Mariano Rivera

Baseball stands as the great All-American game, and Mariano Rivera proudly embraces this dream. As a poor boy in Panama, Mariano never dreamed that a career in baseball would enrich him and his family. This story, as told by Mariano, points to his humble beginnings as a fisherman’s son. But determination and the belief that with God all things are possible, propelled Mariano to an amazing career as a major league pitcher for the New York Yankees. Pain and disappointment hindered the path to glory, but Rivera persisted. His story flows easily, with very little bravado. His faith and generosity shine throughout the story. An interesting book.… (more)

I went into this book knowing next to nothing about rules or terminology about baseball. A reading challenge I'm participating in required I read a memoir written by a Latino, so that's what I was looking for when I started this book. Wow, I unintentionally learned a lot about baseball lol This book became the center of lively conversation for many nights between my husband and me as I needed to ask him question after question about what a certain word or phrase meant in order to understand the many vignettes about gameplay. It's fun to see the author so successful in his profession. He also has a huge sense of integrity in both the way he plays baseball and the way he treats other people. He is a devout Christian and refers to his faith throughout the book as he recounted his important life decisions and articulated his values.… (more)