The Captain

The Journey of Derek Jeter

By: Ian O'Connor

Narrated by: Nick Pollifrone

Every spring, Little Leaguers across the country mimic his stance and squabble over the right to wear his number, 2, the next number to be retired by the world’s most famous ball team. Derek Jeter is their hero. He walks in the footsteps of Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, and Mantle, and someday his shadow will loom just as large. Yet he has never been the best player in baseball. In fact, he hasn’t always been the best player on his team. But his intangible grace and Jordanesque ability to play big in the biggest of postseason moments make him the face of the modern Yankee dynasty, and of America’s game.

In The Captain, best-selling author Ian O’Connor draws on extensive reporting and unique access to Jeter that has spanned some 15 years to reveal how a biracial kid from Michigan became New York’s most beloved sports figure and the enduring symbol of the steroid-free athlete. O’Connor takes us behind the scenes of a legendary baseball life and career, from Jeter’s early struggles in the minor leagues, when homesickness and errors in the field threatened a stillborn career, to his heady days as a Yankee superstar and prince of the city who squired some of the world’s most beautiful women, to his tense battles with former best friend A-Rod. We also witness Jeter struggling to come to terms with his declining skills and the declining favor of the only organization he ever wanted to play for, leading to a contentious contract negotiation with the Yankees that left people wondering if Jeter might end his career in a uniform without pinstripes.

Derek Jeter’s march toward the Hall of Fame has been dignified and certain, but behind that leadership and hero’s grace there are hidden struggles and complexities that have never been explored, until now. As Jeter closes in on 3,000 hits, a number no Yankee has ever touched, The Captain offers an incisive, exhilarating, and revealing new look at one of the game’s greatest players in the gloaming of his career.

©2011 Ian O'Connor (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

At least he pronounced Jeter correctly

The content of the book was excellent and very well done. I am more of a Red Sox fan than a Yankees fan and I have a new found respect for Derek Jeter.

Nick Pollifrone doesn’t have a foreign accent but I would question if he is American. He has no idea how to look up pronunciation keys for baseball names but he also butchered the name of the captain of the 1980 Gold Medal winning Hockey team. At what point does he ask for help? At what point does somebody hear the hack job and do something about it? It was so bad and frequent it took away from my enjoyment of the book.

I generally get baseball books with my audible credits and this was by far the worst narration I have ever experienced.

As expected from the captain

I am more than satisfied being able to hear one of the greatest ball players biography. I am so glad that I grew up in the decades that he was the captain of my team. I can only imagine the amount of people that look up to him in this manner as I do. His book Why is everything that I expected , great job guys.

Great story! Narrator?

Narrator would have benefited from watching an episode or two of baseball tonight to get some very popular names pronunciations correct!

Good listen for all baseball fans.

I imagine all baseball fans would enjoy to listen to this book. Even if you "hate" the Yankees, it's hard to dislike Jeter the man. I didn't notice any issues with the narration as others have mentioned. It was a very easy listen, just as sports biographies should be.

Great listen but...

Just have someone with a baseball background review it first. I can’t believe how many times Player’s names were pronounced wrong. Meinkowitz? Witasik? Do better!