Audiobooks by Erik Sherman

Daybreak at Chavez Ravine: Fernandomania and the Remaking of the Los Angeles Dodgers

Fernando Valenzuela was only twenty years old when Tom Lasorda chose him as the Dodgers' opening-day starting pitcher in 1981. Born in a remote Mexican town, the left-hander had moved to the US less than two years before. He became an instant icon and there hasn't been a player since who created as many Dodgers fans. After the Dodgers' move to Los Angeles in the 1950s, relations were badly strained between the organization and the Latin world. Mexican Americans had been evicted from their homes in Chavez Ravine, LA-some forcibly-for well below market value so the city could sell the land for a new stadium. For a generation of working-class Mexican Americans, the Dodgers became a source of great anguish. However, that bitterness toward the Dodgers vanished during the 1981 season when Valenzuela attracted the fan base the Dodgers had tried in vain to reach for years. El Toro, as he was called, captured the imagination of the baseball world. A hero in Mexico, a legend in LA, and a phenomenon throughout the US, Valenzuela did more to change that tense political environment than anyone in the history of baseball. A new fan base flooded Dodger Stadium and ballparks around the US whenever Valenzuela pitched in a phenomenon that quickly became known as Fernandomania, which continued throughout a Dodger career that included six straight All-Star game appearances.

Erik Sherman (Author), Asa Siegel (Narrator)

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After the Miracle: The Lasting Brotherhood of the '69 Mets

The inside account of an iconic team in baseball history: the 1969 New York Mets—a consistently last-place team that turned it all around in just one season—told by '69 Mets outfielder Art Shamsky, Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver, and other teammates as they reminisce about what happened then and where they are today. The New York Mets franchise began in 1962 and the team finished in last place nearly every year. When the 1969 season began, fans weren't expecting much from "the Lovable Losers." But as the season progressed, the Mets inched closer to first place and then eventually clinched the National League pennant. They were underdogs against the formidable Baltimore Orioles, but beat them in five games to become world champions. No one had predicted it. In fact, fans could hardly believe it happened. Suddenly they were "the Miracle Mets." Playing right field for the '69 Mets was Art Shamsky, who had stayed in touch with his former teammates over the years. He hoped to get together with star pitcher Tom Seaver (who would win the Cy Young award as the best pitcher in the league in 1969 and go on to become the first Met elected to the Hall of Fame) but Seaver was ailing and could not travel. So, Shamsky organized a visit to Tom Terrific in California, accompanied by the #2 pitcher, Jerry Koosman, outfielder Ron Swoboda, and shortstop Bud Harrelson. Together they recalled the highlights of that amazing season as they reminisced about what changed the Mets' fortunes in 1969. With the help of sportswriter Erik Sherman, Shamsky has written After the Miracle for the 1969 Mets. This is a book that every Mets fan—and every baseball fan—must own.

Art Shamsky, Erik Sherman (Author), Jonathan Todd Ross (Narrator)

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Kings of Queens: Life Beyond Baseball with '86 Mets

In 1986, the bad guys of baseball won the World Series. Now, Erik Sherman, the New York Times bestselling coauthor of Mookie, profiles key players from that infamous Mets team, revealing never-before-exposed details about their lives after that championship year...as well as a look back at the magical season itself. Darryl Strawberry, Doc Gooden, Keith Hernandez, Lenny Dykstra, Mookie Wilson, Howard Johnson, Doug Sisk, Rafael Santana, Bobby Ojeda, Wally Backman, Kevin Mitchell, Ed Hearn, Danny Heep, and the late Gary Carter were all known for their heroics on the field. For some of them-known as the "Scum Bunch"-their debauchery off the field was even more awe-inspiring. But when that golden season ended, so did their aura of invincibility. Some faced battles with addiction, some were traded, and others struggled just to keep their lives together. Through interviews with these legendary players, Erik Sherman offers fans a new perspective on a team that will forever be remembered in sports history.

Darrel J. Caneiro, Erik Sherman (Author), Darrel J. Caneiro (Narrator)

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Mookie: Life, Baseball, and the '86 Mets

They said it was the “Curse of the Bambino.” They said “the bad guys won.” Now one of baseball’s all-time good guys, New York Mets legend Mookie Wilson, tells his side of the story—from the ground ball through Bill Buckner’s legs that capped the miraculous 1986 World Series Game Six rally against the Boston Red Sox to the rise and fall of a team that boasted such outsize personalities as Darryl Strawberry, Keith Hernandez, Dwight Gooden, Gary Carter, Lenny Dykstra, and Davey Johnson. Growing up in rural South Carolina in the 1960s, Mookie took to heart the lessons of his father, a diligent sharecropper who believed in the abiding power of faith—and taught his son the game that would change his life. When Mookie landed in Shea Stadium in 1980, the Mets were a perennial cellar-dweller overshadowed by the crosstown Yankees. But inspired by Mookie’s legendary hustle, they would soon become the toast of New York. And even when their off-field antics—made famous by a contingency of the team called “the Scum Bunch”—eclipsed their on-field successes, Mookie stayed above the fray. In 1986, the Mets were a juggernaut, winning 108 games during the regular season and edging the Houston Astros for the National League pennant following a grueling 16-inning Game Six classic. In the World Series against Boston, in an epic at-bat that led to the Buckner error, Mookie would ignite a fire under the Mets, helping to force a Game Seven. New York would win to become World Champions. In an era when role models in sports were hard to come by, some tarnished by their own hubris and greed, Mookie Wilson remained the exception: a man of humility and honor when it mattered the most. WITH A FOREWARD BY KEITH HERNANDEZ

Erik Sherman, Mookie Wilson (Author), Ruffin Prentiss (Narrator)

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The Everything Leadership Book

Your mission: Create a vision and turn it into reality. Your challenge: Compel any group of people to help you achieve success. Your solution: The Everything Leadership Book, 2nd Edition has the tips and techniques you need to change your management style into true leadership. This valuable resource includes practical advice on leadership techniques, as well as guidance on what separates the leaders from the followers. Learn how to exude self-confidence, become a role model, and make a difference at work and in your community. Completely revised and updated, this guide features the latest insider tips on how to:Communicate with peers in and out of the office, Stimulate, excite, and motivate any group, Delegate responsibility, Manage from within, Build a productive team, Define the difference between management and leadership. Being in charge can be intimidating, even for the most seasoned leaders. Whether you're climbing the ladder of success or have already made it to the top, this indispensable guide helps you focus on your strengths and goals so you can take the reins with confidence!

Eric Yaverbaum, Erik Sherman (Author), Mark Warner (Narrator)

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