The 33-Year Old Rookie (IRB #4)

With his body weakening, his age rising, and his doubts growing, Chris Coste was fighting against the odds to do what he loved. His amazing story is highlighted in his autobiography, The 33-Year-Old Rookie, and explains his ascension on the baseball hierarchy. Coste's motivation behind creating his book: spreading the story of his amazing battle to save his career and become a major league baseball player. Coste's life goes beyond simply being a good enough athlete to reach the big leagues, but a rare display of perseverance and determination, despite the dwindling his window of athletic opportunity, that can inspire anyone to follow their dreams. Coste achieves this through his connections to the past, telling tremendous recollections of his first meeting with Charlie Manual, the Phillies' manager, and his first time playing catcher. Another effective strategy Coste uses in his book is a unique structure, placing his first Major League Baseball experiences in the first chapter and then moving back to his days in elementary school to begin his life's timeline. This excites readers and helps them in keeping a result or ending point in mind throughout the book. When reading, I found myself questioning what limits there are on what I can do, disregarding the negative responses people give me when presenting ambitious goals. Coste's book is able to provoke these thoughts, with an accurate depiction of his rollercoaster-esque career and the focus on victory despite many conflicting factors. It is a book I will surely recommend to others and remember when facing strong competition or battling the giants that face my hopes and dreams.