From School Library Journal
Grade 4-6AAlthough this book is ostensibly about the Baltimore Orioles' first baseman, the first third of the text is devoted to a history of Cuban baseball and the Orioles franchise. While the background on Cuban-born ballplayers is interesting (at least to someone who grew up in the '50s and '60s and remembers such colorful performers as Minnie Minoso and Camilo Pascual), the chapter on the history of baseball in Baltimore is somewhat less so, and it is likely that by the time Brandt actually settles down to deal with his subject, he will have lost most of his audience. The biographical information on Palmeiro could be considered pretty standard fare once one accepts the fact that prolonged discussions of contract negotiations are now de rigueur in juvenile sports biographies. Average-quality black-and-white photos appear throughout. The Palmeiro family's dealings with the Castro government will be of interest to those concerned with the Cuban ?migr? situation, but most libraries will find this "authorized biography" a marginal purchase.ARichard Luzer, Fair Haven Union High School, VT
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
"Rafael Palmeiro is an engaging story that will be read with enthusiasm by Orioles fans young and old. Rafael Palmeiro is a personal story of a young boy adjusting to a totally new culture growing up in Miami, Florida. Rafael could not speak one word of English on his first day of school; but today, Rafael is living every little boy's American dream. Included is a history of the Baltimore Orioles, background on Cuban baseball, and details of the Orioles 1996 and 1997 seasons." -- The Midwest Book Review, February 1998
"...The introduction to this book by the O's boss, Angelos, as well as its cover description as "An Authorized Biography" are tips that it's rah-rah and free of scandalous revelation. Which it is--in part, one gathers, because Palmeiro is in fact a scandal-free family man with his original wife, two sons and two homes--one in Maryland (the other in Texas). With a bat, though, he's one of the sweetest swingers in baseball." -- John Goodspeed, The Star Democrat, Easton, Maryland, March 27, 1998 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
