Baseball Superstars
2 total works
This is an action-packed biography of a baseball superstar!When right fielder Ichiro Suzuki signed a contract with the Seattle Mariners in 2000, he became the first everyday position player from Japan to enter Major League Baseball. Few people believed that the small, slender Suzuki, who wore his first name on the back of his jersey, would be able to succeed. But Ichiro Suzuki, who was already a superstar in his native Japan, rapidly showed that his hitting literally knew no bounds. Although he has only played in the major leagues for six seasons, Suzuki has quickly established himself as one of the game's top players. Not only has he won a Gold Glove in each of his six seasons, but in 2004 he set an all-time Major League Baseball record with 262 hits in one season. This striking new biography details the rise of ""Ichimania"" with its winning blend of dramatic photographs, engaging text, and in-depth features such as career statistics, a chronology and timeline, and sidebars.
In 1990, the Yankees paid a signing bonus of $2,000 to acquire a young shortstop from an amateur baseball team in Panama. Mariano Rivera had never even considered a career in baseball until he became a Yankee. Now, he is considered the best postseason closer - and perhaps the best closer - of all time, as well as one of the main reasons the team won four World Series titles between 1996 and 2000, and lost one in 2001. In close games, Rivera's clutch ""saves"" have secured both wins and the Yankees' continued appearances in the postseason. Off the field, Rivera has been recognized for his philanthropic work in the United States and Panama alike. In ""Mariano Rivera"", read the story of the man who grew up playing baseball with a homemade cardboard glove in a small fishing village to become the Yankees' beloved ""Mo"" through hard work and natural talent.