Customer Reviews

Becoming Manny: Inside the Life of Baseball's Most Enigmatic Slugger

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How did Manny become Manny? The authors take a variety of lenses--psychological, cultural, and yes, of course, a sports perspective-- to shed light on what makes this baseball genius--sometimes exasperating but always intriguing--tick. Beautifully written, this is a must read for both sports fans and anyone who appreciates a good biography.

Controversy about Manny is always roiling baseball fandom, and yet he remains the calm eye of the storm.

If you are looking for an anti-Manny screed or a pro-Manny apologia, look elsewhere. If you want interesting stories you've never heard, and insightful analyses, buy this book!

The first thing any potential reader should be made aware of is that Manny Ramirez *AUTHORIZED" this biography. So many "star" based biographies are written without the subjects' approval and assistance. The reclusive Manny participated in the creation of this book... even though he was late... or missed... some of the meetings. There are in depth interviews with Manny's Grandmother, Mother, sisters, teammates, coaches and managers... and so much of the subject matter revolves around Manny's greatest confidant... his friend to this day... and former Little League coach, Carlos Ferreira... known by all who know and love him... as "Macaco"... Spanish for "Little Monkey". As all baseball fans know... Manny is a surefire Hall Of Famer... and perhaps the greatest right handed hitter of all-time. His complete baseball career from Little League to YSL to George Washington High School in New York... to his meteoric rise through the Cleveland Indians farm system... to his Major League All Star career with the Indians... Boston Red Sox... and Los Angeles Dodgers... is all covered within these pages. But what makes this book so much more than simply a baseball book... is the outstanding in- depth look... at this world-renowned player... who is so well described by the phrase: "THAT'S JUST MANNY BEING MANNY!"... when he's off the field.

Manny's family's story... before he became a baseball star... could just as easily been about any of the hundreds of thousands of other Dominican families that immigrated to New York. The authors peel back the character traits that now define Manny... and dig deep... historically... culturally... and environmentally... and the reader... perhaps for the very first time... learns how Manny "really" became Manny. Most fans probably don't realize how shy and timid Manny was. Among other things... the language barrier... heaped on top of his natural shyness... made him stand offish. His Mother worked all day in a factory... and his Father was not an instrumental part of his life. And this next statement will probably make most baseball fan's head snap back... Manny didn't have any confidence in himself. Even when he was a teenager with scouts saying he was the greatest player they ever saw. Most of today's fans just see the funny and controversial Manny. Some wonder how he hits so well? After reading this book... no one will have even the slightest doubt... as to why he's so successful. MANNY WORKS HARDER... AND IS MORE DEDICATED... THAN ALMOST ANY PLAYER I'VE HEARD ABOUT IN MY LIFETIME... and he's been that way since childhood. Living amidst the poverty... in Washington Heights New York... he would get up 4:30 in the morning... rain... shine... or snow... and run up Snake Hill... DRAGGING A TIRE FROM HIS WAIST! "Snake Hill rose more than two hundred feet from the western edge of Washington Heights, near sea level, to one of the highest points in Manhattan." If he had a game at 5:00pm... he was there taking hitting practice at 10:00am. Every coach and manager he has had throughout his career... said he was the hardest worker they ever had. Manny would beg his coaches to work with him after games.

In 1991 when Manny was nineteen he was named New York City Public School High School Player of the Year. His family didn't even know. It wasn't until 1993 when Manny was playing for the Canton Indians, Double-A team... that his Mother and three sisters ever saw him play baseball. As one former manager said: "MANNY SPENT HOURS HITTING BALLS. THIS GUY WAS DRIVEN. UNBELIEVABLY DRIVEN TO SUCCEED, FROM DAY ONE. BUT INCREDIBLY HUMBLE. HE ALWAYS DEFLECTED PRAISE AND ATTENTION, AND WANTED TO PRACTICE WHEN NOBODY WAS AROUND."

The true baseball fan will enjoy the discussions of the All-Star Seasons... the Championships won... and yes the base running blunders... and the fielding mishaps... but the true essence... of the experiences... of Manny's personal life... is what will deeply permeate... your heart and soul. This is where you will truly learn... and appreciate... why... *Manny is just being Manny!*

P.S. As a true-fanatical-statistical-baseball-fan... one thing that disappointed me is the mistake that was made on the page near the end of the book dedicated to Manny's lifetime statistics. It listed his lifetime batting average as .341 instead of the correct .314.

P.S.S. There is also an historical mistake on page 271 when the authors state: "He now had 495 career homers and had just passed Ted Williams and Lou Gehrig on the all-time list." This is a mistake. Ted Williams had 521 career home runs... so Manny didn't pass him until later on. These statistical mistakes in no way take away from the overall book, and I recommend it highly.

I greatly enjoyed this book, in part because it's about so much more than just baseball. For example, it discusses the importance of having a mentor in life (a special area of expertise for co-author Jean Rhodes) and the history and culture of Washington Heights, where Manny's family settled. There's also a section on the pathology of shyness that effects Manny and influences the way we regard him. And then there's all the baseball, too! I recommend this book highly.

Wasn't necessarily a fan of Many Ramirez before reading this book. I liked him when he was in Cleveland but after a while his antics got a little old for me, but I have to say that this book turned it around for me. Authors Jean Rhodes and Shawn Boburg did a good job detailing Ramirez's life and how he got to be "Manny being Manny"
The book is basically broken into three parts. Ramirez's life in the DR, His life in Washington heights and his minor and major league career.

One of the interesting things about "Becoming Manny" was the authors description of Ramirez's life in the Dominican Republic. In general Rhodes and Bobrug discuss the life styles of Dominican families, young men wanting to be the next Roberto Clemente. With the exception of family the passion to play baseball on the Dominican Republic supersedes just about everything including school.

Life in the D.R.
From a very young age Ramirez was driven to be the best hitter he could be. Rhodes and Boburg did an excellent job of painting a picture that was Ramirez's and any one of a million other Dominican youth's lives. Children dreaming of being drafted by a major league team. Ramirez's parents moved to the U.S. but Ramirez was left behind with relatives. Unfazed by this Ramirez continued to immerse himself in baseball.

Life in Washington Heights,
Starting his social life over again in the US was hard for Ramirez; starting his baseball life over was easy. His excellence in the game was his way of endearing people to him including Carlos "Macaco" Ferreira who became his mentor and in many ways his father. Who advises Ramirez on many things inside and outside of baseball to this day. Life in Washing Heights was tough though, drug dealers on every corner, crimes committed in broad daylight. Ramirez walked by this every day to get to the ball field like the safe spot.

Life after being drafted by the Indians,
The latter part of the book is my favorite though. Rhodes and Boburg detail Ramirez's rise through the minor leagues to the major leagues. There are some funny anecdotal stories that Ramirez did involving players that would eventually make it to the majors.

The book doesn't always paint a rosy picture of Ramirez, the authors discuss some of the bonehead things Ramirez has done. His poor fielding and lack of concentration at times in the field.
Because this book was published before Ramirez was suspended for using a banned substance it is not discussed.

Ramirez is a very private person. His family never really took much interest in baseball and that according to the authors was ok with him. I think his drive to be a ball player was very personal and private to him.

Whether you're a fan of Manny Ramirez or not you will appreciate and enjoy this book.

THIS IS A LOOK AT MAJOR LEAGUE SLUGGER MANNY RAMIREZ. THE STORY STARTS WITH HIS LIFE IN NEW YORK CITY AND CONCERNS HIS CHILDHOOD AND THE PEOPLE THAT HAD AN EFFECT ON HIS LIFE. THE AUTHORS ALSO ATTEMPT TO ANALYZE THE PERSONALITY AND ACTIONS OF MANNY AS A CHILD AND AS ADULT. THEY DO A GOOD JOB AND MAKE THIS BOOK WORTH READING. I AM AN INDIANS FAN AND HAVE SEEN HIM PLAY MANY TIMES IN HIS EARLY DAYS TO HIS BLOSSOMING INTO A GREAT HITTER. MANNY IS VERY SHY AND IS MISUNDERSTOOD. BUT IT DOES NOT MAKE UP FOR THE LACK OF HUSTLE, LOUSY FIELDING, SHOWBOAT ATTITUDE AND THE USE OF STEROIDS. I WAS QUITE PLEASED WHEN KEVIN YOUKILIS STOOD TO HIM AND GAVE HIM A KNUCKLE SANDWICH. I AM GLAD HE WAS CAUGHT USING ROIDS. THE FANS IN LA LIKE HIM BECAUSE HE IS PRODUCTIVE, WEARING THE DREADLOCKS AND LOOKING LIKE IDIOTS. IF HE WASN'T HITTING THEN HE WOULD BE BOOED JUST LIKE ANY OTHER PLAYER. I DO RECOMMEND THIS BOOK AS A GOOD READ. IF YOU ENJOY SIMPLE MINDS THEN YOU WILL ENJOY GETTING INTO MANNY'S SILLY AND CHILDISH HEAD.

If you are a Manny Ramirez fan you will love this book. I bought this for my nephew and he just loved it!!

This book is a must read for any self-respecting baseball fan. Jean Rhodes and Shawn Boburg managed to secure unprecedented access to Manny Ramirez, his friends, and family. The result is a page-turner full of insight and perspective.

You'll find out the true stories behind the e-Bay grill, the bathroom breaks in the Green Monster, and the beef with Youkilis in the dugout. But the point of the book isn't to provide gossipy insider dirt. Rather, the authors create a rich timeline of important relationships in Manny's life that enabled this mysterious savant to rise to stardom.

This book explains why Manny is Manny. It really gave me a lot of understanding of the man and his background.

What makes this book so special is that its co-written by a psychologist and an investigative reporter and authorized by Manny Ramirez himself. So it blends psychological insight, with tremendous detail, and uncommon access to Ramirez. So, in other words, unlike so many sports books this one is intelligent and carefully crafted. The writers take us through Manny's childhood in Santo Domingo, describing Manny's family origins and earliest years. When we read about his immigration, it's linked to Dominican immigrations more generally. When we read about him being shy, we learn about shyness and anxiety. When we read about Washington Heights, we learn about what it's like to grow up in poverty and the importance of mentoring. When we read about how he got drafted, we learn about the whole world of professional scouting. We also learn about the man himself---his personality, work ethic (he took 200 swings a day), his narcissism--but not just about what it means to be Manny, and what its like to be an immigrant ballplayer, but how every life is shaped by many forces.