The Closer - (Cal Ripken Jr.'s All Stars) by Cal Ripken (Paperback)

About the Book

"Danny Connelly, the Dulaney Orioles' back-up pitcher, must step up to the plate and out of his brother's shadow to become the dependable closer his team needs."--

Book Synopsis

The final book in the out-of-the-park series by legendary short-stop and veteran sportswriter Cal Ripkin!

Danny Connolly is a back-up pitcher with the Dulaney Orioles. He knows what that means: not good enough to start. When he does get into games, he hasn't exactly been the shut-down reliever the team needs.

To make matters worse his older brother, Joey, is a lights-out high school lefty with a 90-mph fastball who's attracting lots of attention from college recruiters and major league scouts. It's bad enough that Danny's parents seem to fawn over Joey, but now, as his big brother's mound exploits draw more and more attention, Danny's starting to get the why-aren't-you-as-good-as-Joey comments from the Orioles, too.

Lonely and frustrated, Danny embarks on a secret project designed to make his family and teammates sit up and take notice. Aided by a mysterious stranger with an uncanny knowledge of the aerodynamics of a flying baseball, he attempts to learn a new pitch--a pitch no one has ever seen before called "The Terminator."

The clock is ticking as the championships approach. If Danny's audacious plan works he'll be the talk of the league--and more importantly the dependable closer the Orioles desperately need.

Perfect for!
★ Little League players
★ Reluctant Readers
★ Baseball card collectors
★ Baltimore Orioles fans

Review Quotes

PRAISE FOR HOTHEAD

". . . just the ticket for readers who've worked their way through Dan Gutman and Matt Christopher but are still a little shy of Matt de la Pe a and Carl Deuker. "--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

PRAISE FOR HOTHEAD

"Written with Ripken's obvious knowledge of the game, Conor's story rings true, with plenty of good baseball action. If Conor's not always in good spirits, the novel is, with likable characters, lively baseball action and the usual dreams of playing in the big leagues-in Conor's case, at Camden Yards. Ripken and Cowherd, like Conor and his Babe Ruth League Orioles, make a winning team. "--Kirkus

About the Author

Cal Ripken, Jr. was a shortstop and third baseman for the Baltimore Orioles for his entire career (1981-2001). Nicknamed "The Iron Man" for his relentless work ethic and reliability on the field, Ripken is most remembered for playing a record 2,632 straight games over 17 seasons. He was a 19-time All-Star and is considered to be one of the best shortstops professional baseball has ever seen. In 2007 he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Since his retirement, Ripken has worked as President and CEO of Ripken Baseball, Inc. to nurture the love of baseball in young children from a grassroots level. His Cal Ripkin Baseball Division is a division of the Babe Ruth League and welcomes players ages 4-12. Cal currently lives in Maryland with his wife and two children.

Kevin Cowherd has been a writer for the Baltimore Sun since 1987, is nationally syndicated by the Los Angeles Times - Washington Post news service, and is the author of Last Call at the 7-Eleven, a book of selected writings published by Bancroft Press. In 1990 he was honored by the American Association of Sunday and Feature Editors for excellence in feature writing. He currently writes a sports column and blog for the Baltimore Sun. He is also a humorist, and an experienced Little League coach. He lives with his wife and three children near Baltimore.