From the 8-time All Star and 3-time Cy Young Award-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

"Before Pedro Martainez pitched the Red Sox to a World Series championship, before he was named to the All-Star team eight times, before he won the Cy Young Award three times, he was a kid from a place called Manoguayabo in the Dominican Republic. Pedro loved baseball more than anything, and his older brother Ramaon was the best pitcher he'd ever seen. He dreamed of the day he and his brother could play together in the major leagues. This is the story of how that dream came true"--Dust jacket flap.

ABOUT THE BOOK There has never been a pitcher in baseball history–not Walter Johnson, not Lefty Grove, not Sandy Koufax, not Tom Seaver, not Roger Clemens–who was more overwhelming than the young Pedro. —Joe Posnanski, Sports Illustrated I always said you need four things to be a great pitcher–location, movement, velocity, and deception. He's got all those. Now, you add the intelligence he brings to the mound and we're not talking about a mere mortal here. —Jim Palmer, Hall of Fame pitcher Any way you measure it, Pedro Martinez rises to the top of the list of greatest pitchers in the history of baseball. He was a phenomenal pitcher who could throw as hard as Nolan Ryan, locate with the precision of Tom Glavine, and effectively employ a variety of pitches unparalleled by anyone. Martinez played in the major leagues for 18 seasons, from 1992-2009. He pitched during the modern era of offense-driven baseball, facing challenges pitchers from earlier decades couldn’t have imagined. By the time of Martinez’s playing days, the game had evolved to become more fan-friendly, which meant higher scoring games and tape-measure homeruns. These changes included rules designed to make it easier to hit the ball, athletic players who could drive balls further, better bat designs that improved control, league expansion that spread the talent pool across more teams, and importantly for pitchers in the American League, the introduction of the designated hitter. Martinez made these changes irrelevant. During the prime years of his career, he dominated the game as few other pitchers have, before or since. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK Sportswriters filling out MVP ballots are supposed to consider five “rules”:Actual value of a player to his team, that is, strength of offense and defenseNumber of games playedGeneral character, disposition, loyalty and effortFormer winners are eligibleMembers of the committee may vote for more than one member of a team Martinez received the most first-place votes but lost to Ivan Rodriguez on total points because two writers left Martinez’ name completely off their ballots. Writers George King and LaVelle Neal argued pitchers should not be eligible for the MVP because they rarely contribute to team offense and appear in such a small percentage of total innings played. While this debate is a common one among players and fans, voting sportswriters are instructed to, “Keep in mind that all players are eligible for MVP, including pitchers and designated hitters.” King’s excuse was particularly odd, considering the previous year he voted for two pitchers, Rick Helling and David Wells... Buy the book to continue reading! Follow @hyperink on Twitter! Visit us at www.facebook.com/hyperink! Go to www.hyperink.com to join our newsletter and get awesome freebies! CHAPTER OUTLINE Pedro Martinez: Biography of a Future Hall-of-Fame Pitcher + The Best of the Best + Viva la Republica Dominicana! + Not Your Granddad's Game + Shutting Down the DH + ...and much more

Growing up in a tiny shack in the Dominican Republic, Felipe Alou never dreamed he would be the first man born and raised in his country to play and manage in Major League Baseball—and also the first to play in the World Series. In this extraordinary autobiography, Alou tells of his real dream to become a doctor, and an improbable turn of events that led to the pro contract. Battling racism in the United States and political turmoil in his home country, Alou persevered, paving the way for his brothers and scores of other Dominicans, including his son Moisés. Alou played seventeen years in the Major Leagues, accumulating more than two thousand hits and two hundred home runs, and then managed for another fourteen years—four with the San Francisco Giants and ten with the Montreal Expos, where he became the winningest manager in franchise history. Alou’s pioneering journey is embedded in the history of baseball, the Dominican Republic, and a remarkable family.

Boston Red Sox and All-Star David Ortiz, a.k.a. Big Papi, opens up on life and the Big Leagues in this dramatic and compelling rags-to-riches story of a baseball dream coming true.

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Francona explores his tenure in Boston, examining how the beleaguered Red Sox reached incredible highs and equally incredible lows under his management, including several championship victories.

Beseeched by his dying mother to locate his father, Pedro Paramo, whom they fled from years ago, Juan Preciado sets out for Comala. Comala is a town alive with whispers and shadows--a place seemingly populated only by memory and hallucinations. 49 photos.