Behind the plate
Subtitle: a catcher's view of the Braves dynasty
By: Javy Lopez with Gary Caruso
Contributors: Caruso, Gary
Publisher: Triumph Books
Published: 2012
Place of publication: Chicago, Ill
Language: eng
Number of pages: 197
ISBN-13: 9781600786532
Subjects: Baseball players; TRAVEL / United States / South / South Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV); SPORTS & RECREATION / Baseball / History; Atlanta Braves (Baseball team); BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Sports; Biography
Description: "Popular Atlanta Braves catcher Javier "Javy" Lopez opens up in this autobiography to tell his amazing story, from learning to play baseball on a neighborhood basketball court to his record of 42 home runs in a season by a catcher. The product of a lower-middle-class background in Puerto Rico, Javy had to overcome numerous hardships-not the least of which was a language barrier-to fulfill his destiny as one of the most accomplished catchers of the modern era. He tells of bumps along the way to success, including why he overstated his signing bonus as well as the time in the minors when he cried during an all-night meltdown due to his struggles on the field. But he went on to be named MVP of the 1996 National League Championship Series, and played on 12 of the Atlanta Braves' unprecedented 14 straight division-winning teams of the 1990s and 2000s. From his relationship with great teammates such as Greg Maddux and John Smoltz, to his failed comeback attempt with the Braves in 2008, this autobiography tells all about the handsome, warm, engaging Lopez and how he became one of baseball's most popular players"--