Me and My Dad: A Baseball Memoir - Hardcover

O'Neill, Paul; Rocks, Burton

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060524057 ISBN 13: 9780060524050

Publisher: William Morrow, 2003

Synopsis

Paul O'Neill was the undisputed heart and soul of the four-time World Series–winning New York Yankees from 1993 to 2001. A champion and an icon, he was a dedicated, intense athlete who not only wore the trademark pinstripes with pride, he bled blue and white. O'Neill epitomized the team's motto of hard work and good sportsmanship, traits instilled in him by the man who was his friend, confidant, lifelong model, and biggest fan: his dad, Chick O'Neill.

Paul O'Neill has rarely spoken publicly about the significant role his father played in his baseball career. But now, in Me and My Dad, he speaks from the heart about the man who inspired in him a love for the game and a determination to always play his best. For some, baseball is more than a game -- it's a way of life. Chick O'Neill was one of those people. Paul recounts how his father, after serving as a paratrooper in World War II, pitched in the California minor league, until he discovered that his true passion was his family. Later he was devoted to his son's dream of becoming a professional ball player and was always there -- from coaching Little League to being in the stadium when Paul played for the Cincinnati Reds and the New York Yankees.

In Me and My Dad, Paul also remembers the highlights of his amazing career: being called up to the majors by the Reds, his first World Series, being traded to the Yankees -- and taking part in their phenomenal four World Series wins. He also reflects on his father's untimely death during the 1999 World Series and the farewell tribute given to him by his fans during his last game in Yankee Stadium.

Paul O'Neill's memories treat us to Yankee stories, hometown tales, and valuable insights into what has made him the person he is today, all of it shaped by his relationship with his father.

About this title

About the Author:

Paul O'Neill was a right fielder for the New York Yankees. A frequent announcer and commentator on the YES Network, he lives in Cincinnati, Ohio. Burton Rocks is the author of three previous sports-related books. He lives in Stony Brook, New York.

From Publishers Weekly:

As every Yankee fan knows, the New York right fielder was devoted to his father, Chick, who he describes as "my childhood hero, my pal, and my mentor." It was Chick who imbued his son, the youngest of six children, with the love of all sports, particularly baseball. It was also his father's hard work, O'Neill writes in this sentimental memoir, that created an idyllic childhood for the youngest O'Neill, when summers in Columbus, Ohio, were filled with baseball games coached by his father and where winter brought hockey games on a homemade ice rink in the family backyard. Life for the youngest O'Neill was so ideal that he was drafted by his favorite team, the nearby Cincinnati Reds, and he married his childhood sweetheart, Nevalee. Then in 1993 he was traded to the Yankees; as the heart and soul of the team during his nine years in New York, O'Neill won four World Series and became a fan favorite. O'Neill's most bittersweet series was in 1999, when his father was critically ill and died the day before the final game, and O'Neill's memories of this period are particularly moving. This autobiography is more about relationships than events, and entire years in early in O'Neill's career are summed up in a sentence or two. Unlike his former teammate David Wells, this does not have a bad word to say about anyone (including Wells) or anything connected to baseball. While his fans may have expected some fireworks from the fiery Yankee, O'Neill proves himself to be a dedicated player devoted to his family and baseball.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: William Morrow
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0060524057
• ISBN 13: 9780060524050
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256