Alou

Growing up in a tiny shack in the Dominican Republic, Felipe Alou never dreamed he would be the first man born and raised in his country to play and manage in Major League Baseball—and also the first to play in the World Series. In this extraordinary autobiography, Alou tells of his real dream to become a doctor, and an improbable turn of events that led to the pro contract. Battling racism in the United States and political turmoil in his home country, Alou persevered, paving the way for his brothers and scores of other Dominicans, including his son Moisés. Alou played seventeen years in the Major Leagues, accumulating more than two thousand hits and two hundred home runs, and then managed for another fourteen years—four with the San Francisco Giants and ten with the Montreal Expos, where he became the winningest manager in franchise history. Alou’s pioneering journey is embedded in the history of baseball, the Dominican Republic, and a remarkable family.

“Sometimes the people who don’t crave attention are the ones who deserve it the most. That’s Felipe Alou. He is one of the best and most caring teammates I ever had. I learned from him what leadership is all about and what it means to be a man. I admired him greatly, first as a fan, then as a teammate, and now, most important, as a friend. Felipe has lived a Hall of Fame life, and in Alou you’ll learn why.”—Joe Torre“It’s an honor to have Felipe Alou as my friend and especially to have him in my career and in my life as a mentor. He blazed a trail for Latin Americans that few men could’ve accomplished, and he did it with class and character. His story, and what he overcame and achieved, will embarrass and enlighten, sadden and inspire, anger and uplift. Felipe Alou is one of the best ambassadors for baseball and an even better ambassador for the human race.”—Reggie Jackson“If Alou was only about Felipe Alou’s legendary baseball career as a player and manager it would be an important read, but it’s much more. Alou not only captures an extraordinary life; it delivers compelling insights into life’s realities. As the first to go from the Dominican Republic to Major League Baseball—both as a player and a manager—Felipe Alou opened the way for his brothers Matty and Jesús, his fellow countrymen, and for scores of other Latin Americans. If you don’t know much about Felipe Alou, this book will convince you that he is as special as anyone who has ever worn a Major League uniform. For those of us who know and admire him, reading Alou makes us appreciate that he is even greater than we imagined.”—Tony La Russa“Felipe Alou played with Willie Mays and managed Barry Bonds. He played a Major League Game in the same outfield with his two brothers, and then saw his son become a Major League star in his own right. He was the first Dominican born and raised to make it to the Major Leagues, opening the door for scores of others. Felipe Alou has a rich and vivid story to tell, and here it is.”—Bob Costas“The big, sprawling, international baseball life of Felipe Alou is a grand story all its own. But Alou becomes much more than a baseball book in the hands of coauthor Peter Kerasotis. His storytelling skills give Alou the depth and cultural richness that take you beyond the diamond.”—Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated senior writer, three-time National Sportswriter of the Year, and best-selling author“I was a Minor League manager when I heard the booming voice and felt the huge persona that is Felipe Alou, and I thought I was in the presence of a baseball god. Then I got to know this remarkable man, a man who made my path to managing in the Major Leagues easier when he didn’t have to.”—Buck Showalter

Felipe Alou serves as special assistant to the general manager for the San Francisco Giants. He is an inductee in both the Canadian and the Latino Baseball Hall of Fame and lives with his wife, Lucie, in Boynton Beach, Florida. Peter Kerasotis is an author and journalist who has won ten Associated Press Sports Editor awards, six Football Writers Association of America awards, and seven Florida Sports Writers Association awards. Pedro Martínez is a Hall of Fame pitcher who, like Felipe Alou, is a native of the Dominican Republic. Bruce Bochy is a former Major League Baseball player who managed the Padres for twelve seasons and most recently managed the San Francisco Giants for thirteen seasons, during which he led the Giants to three World Series Championships.