I know that David Ortiz is a prodigious slugger, has a big heart, and a potty mouth. From his baseball memoir, I've also learned that he holds a grudge. A bit too much of this book is full of Ortiz's resentments against his manager in Minnesota (and two different managers in Boston), the Red Sox front office, the Boston media, and everyone who suspected him of PED use. Granted he actually is justified in his anger against these people, but it weighs down what is otherwise an insightful book about his life in baseball. I particularly enjoy what Ortiz says about how he became a student of the game and studied pitchers while on the bench so that he could become a better hitter. He talks of learning a lot from fellow players, especially Manny Ramirez and Pedro Martinez. And then he passes along that knowledge to younger players from Dustin Pedroia to Andrew Benentendi. Outside baseball, Ortiz reflects on his marriage to his wife Tiffany and how he was contending with their marriage falling apart right around the same time as the magical 2013 series. It's an entertaining book and a must read for fans of Big Papi and the Red Sox, and baseball fans in general.

Favorite Passages:

"I've always been amazed at people who criticize baseball players for showing emotion, especially in playoff games. What do they expect when every move you make is with the game on the line? You're a competitor. You want to be sucessful for your team and your city. You're not supposed to respond when everyone is losing their minds in the stands, to the point where you really can't hear anything?

Why not?" - p. 76

"To me, Pedroia is the prototype. I'd never met anyone like him in baseball. It's hard to explain. For example, I love baseball. Love it. But what I saw from Pedroia made it clear to me that his connection to baseball was beyond everyone else's. It was so much more than just love for the game. He was the game. Seriously. Everything that was good and true about baseball was in Dustin Pedroia. He breathed it. He lived it. He'd do anything to play it, to be around it, to talk about it.He was such a force of energy, talent, and humor that it lifted our entire clubhouse." - p. 116

"I believe the Boston media is powerful when it comes to the fans and, in some ways, influential when it comes to the way the team is managed. When the media make a big deal about something, when they create a problem or issue, what are the fans supposed to think? They figure that these people are around the team 24/7, so they must know what they're talking about. But they don't." - p. 151

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Othemts | 1 andere bespreking | Jan 1, 2018 |

Big Papi: My Story of Big Dreams and Big Hits door David Ortiz

The book I read was "Big Papi; My Story of Big Dreams And Big Hits" by Tony Massarotti. The book started out at the beginning of his career. He was young and just playing in the minor leagues. The Minnesota Twins minor league system, for a small amount of money of just $1,000. He was working his way up the system and found himself in AAA. He was doing really good in AAA. He had a lot of hits and home runs. He was finally called up to the majors with the Twins. In 2003, Ortiz was traded to the Boston Red Sox. That year, he led them to the playoffs, but lost in the ALDS to the Yankees. The next year he led the red sox to the World Series and they won for the first time in 86 years. He is still part of the team and they have won it 2 other times since.
The book did not hold my interest because it was repetitive. It would keep repeating the same part over and over again. On page 87 David Ortiz was talking about how he wasn't hitting very well. Then, he talked about how much he didn't like his coach. And then in the next paragraph, he said, "Like I said, I didn't have much power when I got to the Twins."
There were some parts of the book I did like because it was about when the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004. I like this part because it was the year they broke the 86 year old curse. Overall it wasn't a terrible book. I would recommend to people who want to learn more about David Ortiz.… (meer)

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SaMa13 | 4 andere besprekingen | Nov 2, 2014 |

Big Papi: My Story of Big Dreams and Big Hits door David Ortiz

If your a baseball fanatic or even just like to play the game then you will love "big Papi". This book tells you all of the major events that have happened in David Ortiz's life time. It is great for teens and even adults too. This book makes it feel like your inside the life David Ortiz. Although, he does tend to use the word "bro" a lot throughout the book and it did get annoying with the word "bro" popping up in a lot of the sentences. "Big Papi" talks about how David started out his career in the minors, and how now he is feared by all of the pitchers in Major League Baseball. The word "bro" did get a little annoying but i do recommend this book to any teen or adult… (meer)

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br14anbo | 4 andere besprekingen | Dec 13, 2013 |

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