First published 2015
Pedro Martinez opens his life story beneath a mango tree in the Dominican Republic, where a small boy dreams of professional baseball. The memoir follows Martinez from his childhood through his rise to become an eight-time All Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner, and World Series champion. Martinez describes his early struggles as a scrawny pitcher whom scouts dismissed as not durable enough. He recounts his minor league battles for respect, his difficult early years in Montreal where he fought accusations of being a headhunter, and his spectacular tenure with the Red Sox where he dominated hitters start after start. The book traces his final seasons as he completed a Hall of Fame career. Martinez writes with the same intensity he brought to the mound, revealing the fire that drove him to prove doubters wrong and establish himself as one of baseball's most intimidating pitchers.
Genres: biography, sports, memoir, baseball
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: overcoming-adversity, rags-to-riches
Setting: Dominican Republic, Montreal, Red Sox
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
317 pages · Hardcover · Houghton Mifflin Harcourt