Customer Reviews

Big Papi: My Story of Big Dreams and Big Hits

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have been a Red Sox and die-hard Boston sport fan since the mid 50's and have read many sports books especially on the local teams and personalities. Big Papi was a very fast reading and insightful story on major league and minor league baseball, the business and individual personal side, as well as the plight of the many foreign players bonding together in a strange land and the brotherhood that remains among them.
A completely different caring side of Pedro Martinez for his fellow countrymen was a interesting sidebar. Tony Massarotti from the Boston Herald does a excellent job in telling David Ortiz's story, a real gentle caring giant with much more than the "extraordinary ability to perform under pressure" and the leader that ended fifty years of misery for me. I wish my father and grandfathers were still alive to have enjoyed it. Thank you Papi.

You cant help but love Big Papi. This book is just further proof of Papi's triumphs on and off the field. He overcame a lot to get where he is today, and this book tells you the whole story. He is a unique individual that has given back to the community ten fold. Hes a great baseball player, but he's even a better human being.

This is not one of those typical celebrity books that goes on for pages about how great the author is. This is an amazing story about a man who overcame everything to get to where he is. It's got heartbreak, humor, great baseball stories and insight into who Big Papi really is. Truly an excellent, excellent book.

This book is a combination of a narrative by David Ortiz and some background information by Tony Mazzaroti. Both aspects of the book are informative, especially the Mazzaroti part when he is explaining the rational the Twins used in releasing Ortiz. It has been mentioned in other reviews; the use of the words Bro' and Killin' get a bit weary, but it does feel as if you are having a conversation with Big Papi. The part of the book I really enjoyed is the insight as to how it is to grow up in the Dominican Republic and try to work your way through farm systems to the majors. I have always found the process of becoming an elite athlete fascinating and this book just reinforces most athletes do not "come from nowhere" and become superstars. They have to work hard, have some luck and hope for the best. It appears to have worked out for David Ortiz and he realizes just how lucky he is.

Co-written with Tony Massarotti of the Boston Herald, "Big Papi" is the autobiography of David Ortiz, all-star slugger for the Boston Red Sox. Written as if Ortiz was talking directly to the reader, the book covers Ortiz's childhood in the Dominican Republic, his career in the minor leagues, his time with the Minnesota Twins, and of course his career with the Boston Red Sox. The book covers some of his achievements such as leading the all-star balloting, breaking Jimmie Foxx's home run record, and of course the 2004 playoffs - beating the Yankees and going on to win the World Series. While most of the book is in Ortiz's voice, there are a few chapters written by others that discuss the role Pedro Martinez had in bringing Ortiz to Boston; his friendship with Torii Hunter; and how Theo Epstein was able to bring Ortiz to play for Boston.

"Big Papi" is an interesting look at a talented baseball player. Having the book read as if Ortiz is talking directly to the reader is a nice touch (although the constant use of the word "bro" got to me after a while). The book has many fascinating aspects starting with Ortiz's childhood in the Dominican Republic when he and his friends would use anything they could as baseballs (like the heads off their sisters' dolls). One of the most fascinating aspects of Ortiz's career is that Minnesota released him after they tried to trade him and no other team wanted him. Boston came off looking good by claiming him but it's interesting to read that even they had no idea how good he could be. Other interesting bits in the book include the fact that he likes to wear a bigger uniform because he likes it to be loose and how he trains in the off-season. To his credit Ortiz is honest about admitting his mistakes, including his five game suspension during the 2004 season for throwing bats from the dugout onto the field in protest over an umpire's call. Interestingly enough, while he says he doesn't hate the Yankees he writes far more about beating them in the 2004 playoffs than he does about winning the World Series (which barely gets a full page mention). Although he talks little about his family life for privacy reasons, the brief glimpses into his personal life are interesting. Readers will be moved as he talks about the death of his mother in a car accident. And a story of how he ended up with a line of children and parents at his house on Halloween looking for candy and pictures with him is a fascinating insight into the drawbacks of being famous.

David Ortiz fans will love "Big Papi".

The book, Big Papi: My Story of Big Dreams and Big Hits by Tony Massacotti. This book focuses on Big Papi and the pressures he faces being a major league baseball player. Another big deal with him is not letting his team down. Being a professional baseball player is really stressful. It is a very time-consuming job and it takes a lot out of you. Being a teammate is a big burden. He takes it very personally when he is in a slump. Likewise, he dose not want to let down his baseball -playing father. Big Papi plays a lot of roles in this book. He's a professional baseball player and a son. This book's storyline is what its like to be "Big Papi". For example, what it's like to be on the Red Sox and a ball player. One really big thing to him is how the fans view him. He loves the positive attitude from his fans and the attention.
I liked the book because I personally like Big Papi as an athlete and local personally. In addition, I found out many things about David Ortiz that I did not know. For example, the reason that Ortiz points to heaven after he hits a home run is out of respect to his beloved and departed mother, who he was very close to. Also, he is so dedicated to the sport that he even plays on the off season. Likewise, Big Papi wears a shirt that is many sizes too big just for comfort. I learned a lot from reading this book. I learned how important his team is to him and how important being on the team is to him. Another thing is I learned why his mother was so important to him because he was really close to her and she was very inspirational. The whole sport was also very important to him as were the fans too. One of the things I learned about him that I really admire is that with all the stress and pressure on him, he still maintains a sense of humor and is a really mellow guy.
I would highly recommend this book. It was very interesting to learn ball about David Ortiz's life. If you are not into sports, I would not recommend this book because is a sports-based book.

Overall, David Ortiz's book My Story of Big Dreams and Big Hits with Tony Massarotti by Saint Martin's Press was a very good book. This book is basically a biography that describes many of the experiences, high points, and low points in his career and his life. It seems like Ortiz wrote the book in a unique way--sometimes it's seemed like he was actually talking to you himself and not just describing his life. This perspective made the book enjoyable to read.
The book is a biography and much of the structure is in Ortiz's words. I feel I got a point of view that I wouldn't get otherwise. He goes through his experiences , such as before he was drafted and signed by the Mariners, during his life while he was maturing as a baseball player and then when he was pulled up to the Major Leagues. He kept saying that he had a dream that was similar to many of the Dominican and Hispanic players. This dream was to make it to the pros in the United States. He said that there were clinics in the Dominican Republic so teams could work with players before they were sixteen years old. Ortiz first attended a clinic for the Marlins, but they later sent him home for medical. reasons. Ortiz then began talking to a Dominican baseball scout. This scout helped him improve his baseball skills and encouraged him to compete against others in his clinic. Now Ortiz was having fun playing ball again and was playing with more gusto than ever.
David Ortiz had a very eventful beginning to his career. He was traded twice before ending up with the Red Sox. It seemed that they kept trading him because he was eligible for arbitration and they did not want to have to pay him more money. That is until the Red Sox picked up the tab. That is when he kept practicing and working hard and really blossomed into his full potential.

What Big Papi has done in really such a short period of time as a Boston Red Sox is phenomenal. He has made the city of Boston and all of America fall in love with him by his big personality, love of the game and the respect he shows his team mates and fans alike, and it shows in this book.

He was very honest about the love he had for his team mates in Minnesota but how unhappy he was with the management and ownership of the Twins who did not really know what to do with him. He did not show any bitterness, just a sadness that things could not have turned out differently.

But, then it worked out for the best how he explains Pedro Martinez played a big part in him getting offered a contract by Boston and the rest we can say is history.

Through the book, you can just tell the love and joy that Big Papi has for his family, his team mates, the city of Boston and the game of baseball. You get a lot of insight into how the man thinks and why this sport is so important to him.

You don't have to just be a Red Sox fan to enjoy this book.

I found this book to be a good one. I like how it feels like Papi is talking right to you. It gives you a look at how it feels to be a big league ball player. Being a Red Sox fan, I especially enjoyed when he became a Red Sox player and all his clutch hits!! Just fantastic! A must read for all Red Sox fans!!

--Gerard Zemek, husband of author of "My Funny Dad, Harry"

Love the player on the field, and he tells a likeable off the field story. Easy, light reading and a welcome gift for any member of Red Sox nation. Nothing deep here. As many cliches as the average sports bio, but I wasn't looking for a Philip Roth novel, you know?