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Description
Legendary first baseman Keith Hernandez tells all in this gripping literary memoir and New York Times bestseller.
Keith Hernandez revolutionized the role of first baseman. During his illustrious career with the World Series-winning St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets, he was a perennial fan favorite, earning eleven consecutive Gold Gloves, a National League co-MVP Award, and a batting title. But it was his unique blend of intelligence, humor, and talent — not to mention his unflappable leadership, playful antics, and competitive temperament — that transcended the sport and propelled him to a level of renown that few other athletes have achieved, including his memorable appearances on the television show Seinfeld.
Now, with a striking mix of candor and self-reflection, Hernandez takes us along on his journey to baseball immortality. There are the hellacious bus rides and south-of-the-border escapades of his minor league years. His major league benchings, unending plate adjustments, and role in one of the most exciting batting races in history against Pete Rose.
Indeed, from the Little League fields of Northern California to the dusty proving grounds of triple-A ball to the grand stages of Busch Stadium and beyond, I’m Keith Hernandez reveals as much about America’s favorite pastime as it does about the man himself. What emerges is an honest and compelling assessment of the game’s past, present, and future: a memoir that showcases one of baseball’s most unique and experienced minds at his very best.
Keith Hernandez revolutionized the role of first baseman. During his illustrious career with the World Series-winning St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets, he was a perennial fan favorite, earning eleven consecutive Gold Gloves, a National League co-MVP Award, and a batting title. But it was his unique blend of intelligence, humor, and talent — not to mention his unflappable leadership, playful antics, and competitive temperament — that transcended the sport and propelled him to a level of renown that few other athletes have achieved, including his memorable appearances on the television show Seinfeld.
Now, with a striking mix of candor and self-reflection, Hernandez takes us along on his journey to baseball immortality. There are the hellacious bus rides and south-of-the-border escapades of his minor league years. His major league benchings, unending plate adjustments, and role in one of the most exciting batting races in history against Pete Rose.
Indeed, from the Little League fields of Northern California to the dusty proving grounds of triple-A ball to the grand stages of Busch Stadium and beyond, I’m Keith Hernandez reveals as much about America’s favorite pastime as it does about the man himself. What emerges is an honest and compelling assessment of the game’s past, present, and future: a memoir that showcases one of baseball’s most unique and experienced minds at his very best.
Praise
Praise for I'm Keith Hernandez
"Meeting Keith when I was 13 remains one of the greatest moments of my life. After reading this book which so accurately describes the grit, dedication, and perseverance it takes to become one of the Baseball's greats, my appreciation for Keith--as a player, as a colleague, and as a friend--has reached new heights. It hits home, as do his keen insights into the game's past, present, and future. If you love baseball, you MUST read this book."
—Alex Rodriguez
"As a longtime baseball fan, I appreciated learning about the evolution of one of my favorite ball players--Keith Hernandez. Even when he is writing about his slumps, his book is a hit. I recommend it."
—Gay Talese, author of High Notes and A Silent Season of a Hero
"'Don't think,' said Crash Davis to Nuke LaLoosh in Bull Durham. 'You can only hurt the ball club.' No one ever said that to Keith Hernandez, the thinking person's ballplayer. 'You're gonna have to learn your clichés,' Crash advised Nuke. 'They're your friends.' This, too, is a rule that, fortunately, Hernandez ignores in this romp through his life before, during and after baseball. Except there is no life after baseball."
—George F. Will
"I have known Keith my entire adult life and this revealing and honest autobiography made me smile and weep. Everyone has their own 'bruises' and Keith lets us in on what it takes to survive the troughs and tough times to make himself into the MVP he was and fine man he is today. Incredible perseverance of the human spirit with the help of his family, Keith will always be the greatest ballplayer I ever played with. I'm proud to call him my friend."
—Ron Darling
"Poignant and unexpectedly literary."
—Sports Illustrated
"Even at 64, Hernandez has maintained the coolness quotient that made him a star in New York more than 30 years ago."
—Newsday
"5 Books High Performers Should Read This Month" "In this candid memoir, the legendary first baseman reveals how his early years were strewn with insecurities. Hernandez opens up about how he gained the confidence to thrive in the major leagues."
—Equinox's "Furthermore"
"If you pick up "I'm Keith Hernandez," you'll get a lot of incredible stories... Overall, the memoir captures what it's probably like to hang out with Keith."
—MLB's "Cut 4"
"[I'M KEITH HERNANDEZ] reflects on his life, career and the state of baseball today."
—WNYC's "The Brian Lehrer Show"
"All in all, Hernandez delivers his book with disarmingly self-deprecating humor and blunt candor - 100-percent authentic to who he is in the broadcast booth."
—East Hampton Star
Selected for "Behind the Bestsellers" roundup
—Publisher's Weekly
"An impressionistic account of his baseball boyhood, and a kind of 'Remembrance of At-Bats Past,' complete with a baked good to set the memories in motion...I'm Keith Hernandez is by turns crust and soft. It's pretty good, too."
—New York Times Book Review
"Illuminating and heartfelt memoir."
—Memphis Flyer
Selected for "6 Baseball Books for Mid-season Reading"
—Christian Science Monitor
"Hernandez writes with frankness and honesty in his baseball memoir...[he] still has the ability to engage readers with thoughts on batting slumps, his worries about a fixation on home runs, and his concerns about baseball's escalating use of statistical analysis."
—Christian Science Monitor
"The book offers an interesting perspective of what it takes to be a success in baseball."
—Chicago Tribune
"Just as he is on Mets and Fox postseason broadcasts, he is candid and that makes for entertaining, informative reading in I'm Keith Hernandez."
—Tulsa World
"The book offers an
interesting perspective of what it takes to be a success in baseball."
—The Daily World
