The Closer ― Young Readers Edition

"Mariano Rivera never dreamed of becoming a professional athlete. He didn't grow up collecting baseball cards, playing Little League, or cheering on his home team at the World Series. He had never heard of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, or Mickey Mantle. One day, that all changed. From a childhood playing pickup games in Panama to an epic career with the New York Yankees, Mariano's rise to greatness has been anything but ordinary. He's the guy on the mound who doesn't hear the crowd, just the soundof the ump calling, Strike! The teammate you can rely on, even when the bases are loaded in the bottom of the ninth. Whether you know him as Mo or as the Sandman, Mariano is The Closer, and this is his story. Full of tips for young athletes and tales from the Yankee clubhouse, The Closer (Young Readers Edition) is an inspiring story of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication that have defined the life of a baseball legend"--

MARIANO RIVERA was a New York Yankee for nineteen seasons. He is Major League Baseball's all-time saves and postseason ERA leader, a thirteen-time All-Star, and a five-time world champion. He and his wife, Clara, have three sons and live in New York.

WAYNE COFFEY is one of the country's most acclaimed sports journalists. A writer for theNew York Daily News, he cowrote R. A. Dickey's bestselling Wherever I Wind Up and is the author of theNew York Times bestseller The Boys of Winter, among other books. He lives in the Hudson Valley with his wife and children.