At the Plate With… Ken Griffey Jr.

     At the Plate With Ken Griffey Jr. is a biography about the life of former major league baseball player, Ken Griffey Jr. The book was copyrighted in 1997 and was written by Matt Christopher. The book goes into the ups and downs Ken Griffey Jr. had while trying to make it to the big leagues. Ken Griffey Jr. was the son of former major leaguer Ken Griffey. Ken Griffey was a very accomplished baseball player which put high expectations on Jr. After signing a contract with the Seattle Mariners, Griffey Jr. or "The Kid" struggled in the minor leagues. After his rough first season he figured it out and went on to hit the 6th most home runs all time in the MLB. The main themes of the book are to never give up and make the most of your opportunities. 

     

     The book is told by chronologically going through Ken Griffey Jr's life and the events that led up to him being a Hall of Famer. Ken Griffey Jr. grew up in the same town as Stan Musial, a St Louis Cardinals great. Being the son of Ken Griffey put a lot of pressure and hype on Jr. After being a standout athlete in high school, he was selected with the first overall pick in the 1987 amateur draft. The Seattle Mariners selected him and sent him to one of their minor league affiliates. "The Kid's" first season in pro ball was a rough one, but he worked his was out of it and began to move through Seattle's farm system. When he broke the big leagues he was able to play alongside his father, Ken Griffey Sr. He showed why the Mariners drafted him first overall and won gold glove, silver slugger, and MVP awards. The intended audience for this book is teenagers interested in baseball. The book is a biography. The author rewinds all the way back to Ken Griffey Jr's childhood and goes through the life  of the famous baseball player all the way to his life after baseball. The author kept me interested by exploring the big events in his life and explaining how they got him to where he ended up. The author's style is using simple baseball terms so all teens interested in sports can follow along. It is effective because you don't have to know a lot about baseball to be able to understand it.

     This book made me understand how determined you have to be to get where you want. Ken Griffey Jr. was very determined and when things weren't going right he didn't quit and kept working. It made me realize how much hard work goes into being a major leaguer. My personal view is that people think they can be lazy and still be very successful at something. They think they can get by because of great ability or talent. I believe that you have to work hard to get what you want. It reminded me of the book I read last six weeks, Steriods - Pumped up and Dangerous. Players use steroids to enhance performance without having to work for it. 

     I enjoyed this book because I really like baseball. I would have liked it if the author would have had some Q&A with Ken Griffey Jr. himself. I would recommend this book to kids my age who are interested in baseball.

     Ben Kurio

     12/15

     Rating: *** 3/5