MMO Book Review: "I'm Keith Hernandez"

Former New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals star first baseman Keith Hernandez wrote a memoir titled, “I’m Keith Hernandez,” a tell-all book that takes you along his surprising, gritty, eye-opening, and sometimes seedy journey, from his childhood to the minor leagues and finally the major leagues.

I was able to get an advanced copy of the book, which releases today, and found it to be a fascinating story of a well-regarded career that has just enough of Keith’s endearing quirkiness that’ll keep you turning the pages.

Keith bounces back and forth between telling his story of coming up through the St. Louis Cardinals organization and never before told stories of his childhood with his brother, Gary, and his father/instructor/former MLB prospect/coach/hardest critic, John.

It’s a wild ride for an 18-year-old who begins his baseball career travailing the minor leagues where Keith is confronted with rookie hazing, marijuana smoking, amphetamine use, and all the life’s lessons he picked up all those sometimes-brutal road trips on the way to the big leagues.

The illuminating story-telling gives the reader a look at the emotional roller-coaster it was for Hernandez to get to the big leagues, get sent to the minors multiple times, and then finally sticking and becoming the MVP caliber player and the defensive first-bagger he trained for his entire life.

Hernandez, known for his quirkiness and self-deprecating humor, as illustrated by his recent growth and popularity on Twitter, really comes out in the book from him partying at Roger Waters’ house, to him telling his manager he might have crabs, and how he endeared himself to the baseball world as a color commentator during Mets broadcasts.

If you’re looking for a book about the 1986 Mets or the 1982 Cardinals, this is not for you. But if you’re looking for a book that gives you a unique look into the personal life of a baseball great, complete with some incredible insights from legends like Lou Brock and Ted Williams, then “I’m Keith Hernandez” is a must read book you’ll be proud to add to your library. This is what we’ve been waiting for, it’s literally Keith Hernandez unplugged.