Pedro Gomez of ESPN was a beloved figure in baseball. His death from
sudden cardiac arrest on Feb. 7, 2021, unleashed an outpouring of
heartfelt tributes. He was 58, both a hard-nosed reporter and a smiling
ambassador of the sport. These 62 personal essays soar beyond sports to
delve into life lessons.
Pedro, a proud Cuban American, was known for his dramatic reporting from
Havana. Fully and fluidly bilingual, he did as much as anyone to bridge
the wide gap that had existed between U.S.-born players and the Latin
Americans now so important to the game's vitality and future growth. He
was also a family man who loved to talk about his three children,
Sierra, Dante and Rio, a Boston Red Sox prospect. Pedro was
universally known as a smiling presence who brought out the best in
people. His humanity and generosity of spirit shaped countless lives,
including one of his ESPN bosses, Rob King, who was so moved by
Pedro's advice to him--"Remember who you are"--that he printed up the
words and posted them on the wall of his office in Bristol. King is one
of a diverse collection of contributors whose personal essays turn
Pedro's shocking death into an occasion to reflect on the deeper truths
of life we too often overlook. Part The Pride of Havana and part
Tuesdays With Morrie, part The Tender Bar and part Ball Four, this
is the rare essay collection that reads like a novel, full of achingly
honest emotion and painful insights, a book about friendship, a book
about standing for something, a book about joy and love.
Former New York Times writer Jack Curry writes about Pedro's
passion for live music, and former Sports Illustrated writer Tim
Kurkjian brings alive spring-training basketball games with executives
like Sandy Anderson and Billy Beane and Pedro right in the mix.
Detroit manager AJ Hinch and formers Texas manager Ron
Washington both reveal that in their darkest hours Pedro gave them
some of the best advice of their lives.
Hall of Famers Dennis Eckersley, Tony La Russa, Peter Gammons, Ross
Newhan, Tracy Ringolsby and Dan Shaughnessy are among the
contributors. So are likely future Hall of Famers Max Scherzer and
Dusty Baker. Pulitzer-Prize-winning Washington Post war
correspondent Steve Fainaru, award-winning writers from Howard
Bryant and Mike Barnicle to Tim Keown, Ken Rosenthal and
Dave Sheinin also contribute. Rounding out the mix are current and
former ESPN stars including Rachel Nichols, Shelley M. Smith, Peter
Gammons, Bob Ley and Keith Olbermann.
This is a book to rekindle in any lapsed fan a love of going to the
ballpark, but it's also a wakeup call that transcends sports. To any
journalist, worn down by the demands of a punishing job, to anyone
anywhere, pummeled by pandemic times and the dark mood of the country in
recent years, these essays will light a spark to seize every opportunity
to make a difference, in your work and in the lives of people who matter
to you.
