Little, Brown has acquired world rights to Yankee pitcher Mariano Rivera's memoir, The Closer. The book, which was acquired by executive editor John Parsley from the athlete's representatives at SFX Baseball and Relativity Sports, is planned for spring 2014. Simultaneous to the English edition, LB will also a release a Spanish and audio edition of the title, with Little, Brown Books for Young Readers planning a children's edition for fall 2014.
Rivera, who has announced that he intends to retire after his forthcoming season with the Yankees, is considered one of the greatest relief pitchers to have played the game. The book will cover his impoverished childhood in Panama through his signing with the Yankees and his reign on the mound. Speaking to the book, LB said Rivera will "reveal details and stories of the championship teams of which he’s been a part; the pressure of playing for a team and a city as epic as New York for his entire career—not to mention the pressure of being the closer for such a team; the rivalries...the experience of being a Latino baseball player in the United States; and what it is like to maintain deeply Christian values in professional athletics."
Parsley, who is also editing, said the book will be for all fans, not just Yankee ones and that Rivera will, in his first book, "finally open up to the world, showing how passion for the game, dogged hard work, commitment to leadership and excellence, and his faith have made him a world champion, future Hall of Famer, and Yankee legend."
