Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Omar!: My Life On and Off the Field
 
See larger image
 
Tell the Publisher!
I'd like to read this book on Kindle

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Omar!: My Life On and Off the Field [Hardcover]

Omar Vizquel (Author), Bob Dyer (Author)
3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)


Available from these sellers.


Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
Hardcover --  
Paperback $14.95  

Book Description

April 2002
Omar Vizquel doesn't just make the tough plays look easy. He makes the toughest plays look fun.

Widely considered one of the best defensive shortstops in the history of baseball, he is often praised by teammates, opponents, and fans alike for working so hard at his game--and for obviously enjoying it so much.

His hard work has paid off. Omar has won an amazing nine consecutive Rawlings Gold Glove Awards and holds the highest career fielding percentage of anyone at the position. He has been selected for two American League All Star teams, has played in two World Series, and has been a key member of six Central Division Championship Cleveland Indians teams.

In this, his first book, Omar tells the story of his life in baseball, from the sandlots of Caracas, Venezuela, to Game Seven of the World Series and beyond.

Along the way he offers a candid look inside the locker room of those powerhouse Indians teams, shares anecdotes about fellow major league ballplayers, and gives plenty of lively opinions on the game they all play.

Omar also leads an interesting life off the field. He organized a high-profile fundraising effort to assist flood victims in his native Venezuela. He is an accomplished painter. He designed his own house. He has his own line of designer clothing, and he has even dabbled in music and stand-up comedy.

"The only way to find out what you truly enjoy is to try everything," he writes.

Baseball fans will truly enjoy getting to know this remarkable ballplayer. Honest and humorous, Omar! delivers the public and private sides of Omar Vizquel in a delightful double-play combination.


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought


Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up-This autobiography by the Cleveland Indians shortstop covers his early life in Venezuela and how he was chosen at the age of 17 to come to the United States to play ball. Vizquel's delightful sense of humor is evident when he explains that as a child he had always assumed that Batman and the Sesame Street characters he watched on television were Venezuelan and was shocked upon coming here and finding that the characters spoke English. Readers will be interested in the chapter "Cashing In," in which the author presents eye-opening information about baseball salary contracts. On the other hand, lack of strong organization has readers jumping back and forth in time. Sections about the athlete's favorite music, hobbies such as paintball, and his opinions of surfers read more like bits of trivia found in fan magazines than fodder for an autobiography. Vizquel's many asides to readers ("more on that next chapter-") are annoying and his digressions on fake grass and Astroturf, Cleveland's odor, the state of his baldness, and the number of vacuum cleaners or refrigerators in his house are more intrusive than informative. Sixteen pages of full-color photos appear in a centerfold. Strictly for avid fans of the game.
Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Noted glove artist Vizquel's career as a big-league shortstop has mirrored the careers of earlier Venezuelan stars such as Luis Aparicio and Dave Concepcion. Helped by newsman Dyer, Vizquel talks of his life as a player, husband, and father. He speaks proudly of the nine Golden Glove awards he has won for fielding, his other baseball achievements, and his hobbies, businesses, and possessions. Omar gives frank appraisals of fellow players, too admiringly of Cleveland teammate Jim Thome, for instance, and negatively of moody slugger Albert Belle. Mainly useful around Cleveland and Seattle, the two cities where Vizquel has played as a regular, this autobiography can serve adult and YA sports collections. Morey Berger, St. Joseph's Hosp. Lib., Tucson, AZ
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 251 pages
  • Publisher: Gray & Company Publishers (April 2002)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1886228558
  • ISBN-13: 978-1886228559
  • Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 1.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #983,703 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

 

Customer Reviews

13 Reviews
5 star:
 (5)
4 star:
 (4)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.8 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Everything I wanted and more..., May 2, 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: Omar!: My Life On and Off the Field (Hardcover)
Omar Vizquel is one of the greatest shortstops to ever play the game. Often overshadowed by Jeter, ARod, and Garciaparra, he makes the barehand play look routine and turns a double play better than any of them. This book gives you the insiders view of Game Seven of the World Series and the come-from-behind Seattle game (down 12 runs in the 7th). It was also cool to read about what the players do off the field. If want great stories about baseball and the greatest shortstop playing the game, then this is the book for you...
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars A must for any OMAR fan!, September 6, 2002
By 
This review is from: Omar!: My Life On and Off the Field (Hardcover)
I love Omar - and reading this book made me love him even more! It's a fun book to read because it's filled with great Omar stories, all written in a very "conversational" tone. The co-author is Bob Dyer, a local newspaper columnist, who I have long thought to be a terrific writer. You will love this book! (His new video is great, too!)
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Unintentionally controversial, May 6, 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: Omar!: My Life On and Off the Field (Hardcover)
It is unfortunate that this entire book has become enmeshed in the Belle controversy - Omar mentions the corked bats only briefly, in an effort to tell about the personalities of his teammates. The whole book is more of an uplifting, sometimes humorous, story of a guy from Venezuela who came to the US without a word of English, who worked hard to become the best-fielding shortstop in baseball history.

Omar's storytelling is as straightforward as his glovework. He's not a great writer, certainly. But the honesty and candor that have sometimes won him the enmity of his teammates (including, obviously, Belle) work for the reader here. It's an easy read - not great literature, but enjoyable for an afternoon...

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews











Only search this product's reviews



Tag this product

 (What's this?)
Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.
Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   
Related forums


Listmania!


Create a Listmania! list

So You'd Like to...


Create a guide


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject