Title/Author:
“The Journey Home: My Life In
Pinstripes” by Jorge Posada with
Gary Brozek
Tags:
Baseball, memoir, professional, Yankees
Publish date:
May 31, 2016
Length:
344 pages
Rating:
3 1/2 of 5 stars (good)
Review:
Jorge Posada was a key
member of the recent New York Yankees success that resulted in five World
Series championships and two additional American League pennants between 1996
and 2009. He recalls not only his baseball
career with the Yankees but also his upbringing and journey to the major
leagues in this memoir written with Gary Brozek.
His relationship with
his father is the most interesting aspect of the book, as he recalls the
lessons taught by his father Jorge Sr. that Jorge Jr. could not understand at
first. A good example of this type of
lesson does not deal with baseball, but instead the chore of painting a wrought
iron fence. Instead of easily spray
painting the iron bars without any other work, the father insisted his son sand
off all rust and old paint before applying the new coats – by hand. Jorge Jr. talks about how that chore that he
hated taught him how important it is to prepare properly and complete a job the
right way.
This type of work
ethic also applied to his baseball skills and development, both from his father
and in the organized baseball he played in his native Puerto Rico and at an
Alabama junior college. This led to his
being drafted and signed by the Yankees, with his father providing assistance
and advice along the way – but not enough to interfere with any coaches.
After that, Posada
talks about his time in the Yankee system, during which he became a full-time
catcher and what it meant for him to be a Yankee. The chronology of his time with the Yankees
is written with fondness for the memories and gratefulness for the chances he
was given. The seasons in which the
Yankees won the World Series are covered in the greatest detail, while other
seasons are skimmed over, which makes reading these passage feel choppy and
disjointed. The story ends when Posada
announced his retirement in early 2012, which was a surprise as this is not a
common point to end this type of book.
It should also be
noted that his son, Jorge III, was born with a rare condition affecting his
skull and the reader will feel the heartbreak and relief that Jorge and his
wife Laura feel while their young son undergoes multiple surgeries. The support and love shown by his Yankee
teammates is illustrated as well and it makes for one of better parts of the story.
Overall, this reads
like a typical sports memoir with a little less on the actual game playing and
more on the athlete’s life before his professional career. Yankee fans will enjoy this book, especially
if they enjoyed the “Core Four.”
I wish to thank Dey Street Books for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Book Format Read:
Paperback
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