I Love This Game!: My Life and Baseball [Hardcover]

Kirby Puckett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1993

The major league player describes his childhood in Chicago's South Side, his introduction to baseball on improvised fields, his discovery by a scout, and his experiences in the major leagues. 60,000 first printing. $40,000 ad/promo. Tour.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In a style reflective of his engaging disposition, Puckett relives the events that led to his rise as one of baseball's most proficient and popular players. As the title indicates, the star of the Minnesota Twins harbors a deep respect for the game, a conviction that governs his approach to matters on and off the field. Whether relaying locker room anecdotes, replaying a memorable 1991 World Series, or rehashing a lengthy contract dispute, he seldom wavers from his positive stance. He attributes this trait to the realization that he is living out a lifelong dream. In the same vein, he maintains a proper focus throughout his book, refusing to dwell on incidental issues (e.g., relations with the media). Recommended for popular collections. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 12/92.
- William H. Hoffman, Ft. Myers-Lee Cty. P.L., Fla.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

On the evidence of this bland, sunny-side-up (and apparently unassisted) autobiography, Puckett--one of major-league baseball's more solid citizens on the field and off--would be well advised to stick with his seasonal trade for as long as possible. The ninth and last child born into an affectionate and hard- working black family, Puckett (who turns 32 later this year) grew up on Chicago's South Side. A late bloomer as a ballplayer, the author (whose build reminds many observers of a fire hydrant) was drafted only after he'd spent a couple of years competing at the college level. Called up by the Minnesota Twins in 1984 after barely two years in the minors, Puckett was a big hit from the outset. A sneaky-fast center fielder with superb defensive skills and a dangerous batsman with above-average power, he helped his team win the World Series in 1987 and 1991. In the meantime, the industrious ballplayer married a local belle and settled in the Minneapolis area, where he's made a respected name for himself in community and national causes. By Puckett's phlegmatic account, the most dramatic event of his upwardly mobile existence turned on the question of whether the Twins would offer him enough money to sign a long-term contract. The club decided to do so, and the perennial All-Star appears prepared to spend the rest of his diamond career with Minnesota. Unfortunately, he recounts this potentially suspenseful episode in the same matter-of-fact style he employs for his experiences in showcase games, at testimonial banquets, on the road, and elsewhere. Leo Durocher notwithstanding, nice guys don't always finish last--but perhaps they should be cautioned about wearying fans with their Panglossian perspectives on the sporting life. (The relentlessly upbeat text has eight pages of b&w photographs--not seen.) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 238 pages
• Publisher: Harpercollins; 1st edition (April 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060177101
• ISBN-13: 978-0060177102
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #742,601 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Kirby Pucket: I Love This Game, May 22, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: I Love This Game!: My Life and Baseball (Hardcover)

I Love This Game Kirby Pucket

Kirby Pucket's hard work and persistence has allowed him to be a superstar in major league baseball. Kirby Pucket started playing baseball as a little boy in Chicago. There he played third base, not outfield. In Chicago he played in his neighborhood. His family didn't have much money so he would just throw and catch a ball against his apartment building as much as possible. But when there were enough kids to play a game he would play against them. Sometimes he played with his older brothers and their friends. He held his own playing with them. Kirby soon became good enough to play varsity baseball at his local school. After that, he went through a long and hard trip to the majors. This trip included practices on hot summer days and having to settle for sports facilities that didn't even have bathrooms! It was along that route that he met people that impacted his career a great deal. Among those people there was Kent Hrbek and Bob Symonds, the man that taught him all of the fundamentals of the game. It was people like them that made his career interesting and exciting. Overall, I think that this book was interesting and it is something that a person with a dream can relate to. The book was writen well and that made it easy to read.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FUTURE HALL OF FAMERS AUTOBIOGRAPHY,READ IT TODAY!, October 29, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: I Love This Game!: My Life and Baseball (Paperback)

KIRBY PUCKETT WAS AND STILL IS ONE OF THE BEST BASEBALL PLAYERS EVER (AND MAYBE ONE OF THE BEST AUTHORS). THIS PARTICULAR BOOK WAS A DISPLAY OF PURE ABILITY, BOTH ON THE FIELD AND IN THIS BOOK. I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS BOOK FOR ANYBODY,ANY AGE,EVEN IF THEY DON'T ENJOY BASEBALL.HE TALKS ABOUT NEARLY WORKING AT FORD MOTOR COMPANY THE REST OF HIS LIFE AND HIS INCREDIBLE JOURNEY INTO THE BIG LEAGUE. THIS BOOK SHOULD BE PLACED IN THE LITERATURE HALL OF FAME. BUY THIS BOOK IMMEDIATLEY.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars it was a inspiring book, March 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: I Love This Game!: My Life and Baseball (Hardcover)

this was a great book i would recomened it to any on