Away Games: The Life and Times of a Latin Ball Player

This book is awesome, one of my favorites. I have read it more than once it is so good. What makes it so great is it tells the story of the latin baseball player that happens so often these days. From step to step, the book shows the reader how Miguel Tejada got from the barrios to America, to MLB star. What makes this bok so special is what a great story Miguel Tejada is. In his town, he was not regarded as a great player. But as soon as he was in a league there, he was great and never stopped. Now he has an MVP. A great job by Marcos Breton for the book and Jose Luis Villegas for the great pictures.

I was a fan of shortstop Miguel Tejada before I read this book and was overjoyed when he won the AL MVP honors this past year. The book opened my eyes to the incredible struggle and long odds that Dominican players - or any Latin players - face to make it in the major leagues. It makes Tejada's accomplishment seem that much more amazing and important to me. His story is interwoven with a lot of baseball history that I would not have otherwise known, and it is one that kids my age and up (8th grade) would enjoy because it makes you think.

I have been to the Dominican Republic and to the small town where Miguel Tejada is from and can really feel what he went through to survive in the world of big league baseball. I have been to many of the academy's in the Dominican and I know first hand how hard these young men have to work to even get to the states. The writers should and could of gone into even more details on the lives of these young men when they do not make it to the majors and do not want to go back to there island and end up in Miami or New York.

I saw the authors on a local TV program and was intrigued by their subject matter. Coming from a baseball-loving cuban family and growing up hearing about and actually meeting latin players I was interested in seeing if the authors got the story right. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Away Games was both informative and entertaining. I found the book to be an excellent blend of meticulous research and heart-felt emotion. You learn that it takes more than god-given talent to land and keep a coveted job in the "grandes ligas". I recommend this book to anyone who loves the national past time and is interested in learning more about the latin version of the game.

This is more than a story about one Latin baseball player, Miguel Tejada, but is the story of all Latin baseball players. It's the Jackie Robinson story of Latin baseball. Well researched and a fun read, with details that keep it interesting all the way to the end. This should be a movie.