From Publishers Weekly
As every Yankee fan knows, the New York right fielder was devoted to his father, Chick, who he describes as "my childhood hero, my pal, and my mentor." It was Chick who imbued his son, the youngest of six children, with the love of all sports, particularly baseball. It was also his father's hard work, O'Neill writes in this sentimental memoir, that created an idyllic childhood for the youngest O'Neill, when summers in Columbus, Ohio, were filled with baseball games coached by his father and where winter brought hockey games on a homemade ice rink in the family backyard. Life for the youngest O'Neill was so ideal that he was drafted by his favorite team, the nearby Cincinnati Reds, and he married his childhood sweetheart, Nevalee. Then in 1993 he was traded to the Yankees; as the heart and soul of the team during his nine years in New York, O'Neill won four World Series and became a fan favorite. O'Neill's most bittersweet series was in 1999, when his father was critically ill and died the day before the final game, and O'Neill's memories of this period are particularly moving. This autobiography is more about relationships than events, and entire years in early in O'Neill's career are summed up in a sentence or two. Unlike his former teammate David Wells, this does not have a bad word to say about anyone (including Wells) or anything connected to baseball. While his fans may have expected some fireworks from the fiery Yankee, O'Neill proves himself to be a dedicated player devoted to his family and baseball. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Stellar Yankee right fielder Paul O'Neill, now retired, weaves his life in baseball with his father's direction, training, and example. Chick O'Neill, who died just before the final game of the 1999 World Series, made his youngest son into the player and the man that he is. O'Neill is not a writer, and even with coauthor Rocks' help, he tends to express himself in phrases that sound like cliches, except that he so fiercely believes them. O'Neill cannot find anything but good to say about his teammates and George Steinbrenner. His own dark-browed competitiveness and intensity--Lee May called him Ordeal O'Neill--comes at least in part from being the youngest of six, four of them older brothers. His career in the minors, with Cincinnati, and finally with the Yankees is outlined from a very personal point of view, and he closes with a warm appreciation for Yankee fans, not the least of which were the Right-Field Faithful who sent him off with a cry of "Paulie! Paulie!" in 2001. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book Description

Paul O'Neill was the undisputed heart and soul of the four-time World Series–winning New York Yankees from 1993 to 2001. A champion and an icon, he was a dedicated, intense athlete who not only wore the trademark pinstripes with pride, he bled blue and white. O'Neill epitomized the team's motto of hard work and good sportsmanship, traits instilled in him by the man who was his friend, confidant, lifelong model, and biggest fan: his dad, Chick O'Neill.

Paul O'Neill has rarely spoken publicly about the significant role his father played in his baseball career. But now, in Me and My Dad,he speaks from the heart about the man who inspired in him a love for the game and a determination to always play his best. For some, baseball is more than a game -- it's a way of life. Chick O'Neill was one of those people. Paul recounts how his father, after serving as a paratrooper in World War II, pitched in the California minor league, until he discovered that his true passion was his family. Later he was devoted to his son's dream of becoming a professional ball player and was always there -- from coaching Little League to being in the stadium when Paul played for the Cincinnati Reds and the New York Yankees.

In Me and My Dad, Paul also remembers the highlights of his amazing career: being called up to the majors by the Reds, his first World Series, being traded to the Yankees -- and taking part in their phenomenal four World Series wins. He also reflects on his father's untimely death during the 1999 World Series and the farewell tribute given to him by his fans during his last game in Yankee Stadium.Paul O'Neill's memories treat us to Yankee stories, hometown tales, and valuable insights into what has made him the person he is today, all of it shaped by his relationship with his father.


About the Author
Paul O'Neill was a right fielder for the New York Yankees. A frequent announcer and commentator on the YES Network, he lives in Cincinnati, Ohio. Burton Rocks is the author of three previous sports-related books. He lives in Stony Brook, New York.

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
Overcome with emotion, Paul O'Neill couldn't step to the podium during his father, Chick's, funeral in October 1999. But nearly four years later, O'Neill -- a former star outfielder with the New York Yankees and the youngest of Chick and Virginia O'Neill's six children -- has delivered a touching eulogy to his father in his autobiography, Me and My Dad.

O'Neill proves as adept at spinning a charming and rich yarn as he was at getting a dramatic hit when his team needed him most. Me and My Dad reads as if it were told around the fireplace, and O'Neill's descriptions of Sunday morning family breakfasts and the dank hallway running behind Fenway Park's "Green Monster" are impressively evocative.

O'Neill regularly recalls his days with the New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds, but Me and My Dad is mostly about O'Neill's worship of his father, a former minor league pitcher who loved baseball almost as much as his family. The famously self-critical O'Neill never inherited his father's sunny optimism -- every 0-for-5 day left O'Neill wondering if he'd ever get another hit -- but the elder O'Neill's supportive ways not only filled his son with the belief he could succeed at baseball's highest level but also prepared Paul for fatherhood.

O'Neill writes, "There may be no greater gift than having someone else believe [a dream] with you." Indeed, Me and My Dad will move anyone who has ever been lucky enough to experience a father's unconditional love and support. Jerry Beach

ANNOTATION

One of the most beloved baseball players of all time shares the poignant story of his career and his greatest inspiration--his father. O'Neill treats readers to Yankee lore, hometown stories, and valuable insights into what makes him the person he is today.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Paul O'Neill was the undisputed heart and soul of the four-time World Series-winning New York Yankees from 1993 to 2001. O'Neill epitomized the team's motto of hard work and good sportsmanship, traits instilled in him by his friend, confidant, lifelong model, and biggest fan: his dad, Chick O'Neill.

In Me and My Dad, O'Neill writes from the heart about the man who inspired in him a love for the game and a determination to always play his best. O'Neill remembers the highlights of his own amazing career: the Cincinnati Reds calling him up to the majors, his first World Series, being traded to the Yankees — and taking part in their recent championship wins. He also reflects on his father's untimely death during the 1999 World Series and on the farewell tribute his fans gave him during his last game in Yankee Stadium.

About the Author:Paul O'Neill was a right fielder for the New York Yankees. A frequent announcer and commentator on the YES Network, he lives in Cincinnati, Ohio. Burton Rocks is the author of three previous sports-related books. He lives in Stony Brook, New York.

FROM THE CRITICS

The New York Times

The book demonstrates a profound lesson for anyone about what a child can accomplish with a parent's steadfast love. — Andrea Cooper

Publishers Weekly

As every Yankee fan knows, the New York right fielder was devoted to his father, Chick, who he describes as "my childhood hero, my pal, and my mentor." It was Chick who imbued his son, the youngest of six children, with the love of all sports, particularly baseball. It was also his father's hard work, O'Neill writes in this sentimental memoir, that created an idyllic childhood for the youngest O'Neill, when summers in Columbus, Ohio, were filled with baseball games coached by his father and where winter brought hockey games on a homemade ice rink in the family backyard. Life for the youngest O'Neill was so ideal that he was drafted by his favorite team, the nearby Cincinnati Reds, and he married his childhood sweetheart, Nevalee. Then in 1993 he was traded to the Yankees; as the heart and soul of the team during his nine years in New York, O'Neill won four World Series and became a fan favorite. O'Neill's most bittersweet series was in 1999, when his father was critically ill and died the day before the final game, and O'Neill's memories of this period are particularly moving. This autobiography is more about relationships than events, and entire years in early in O'Neill's career are summed up in a sentence or two. Unlike his former teammate David Wells, this does not have a bad word to say about anyone (including Wells) or anything connected to baseball. While his fans may have expected some fireworks from the fiery Yankee, O'Neill proves himself to be a dedicated player devoted to his family and baseball. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

O'Neill capped eight years with the Cincinnati Reds by starring from 1993 to 2001 as right fielder for the Yankees. In an emotional story dedicated to his late father, Charles (Chick) O'Neill, who died in 1999, Paul relates how his Dad shaped his life and career-coaching, critiquing, and encouraging this intense, hard-driving ballplayer. He folds into the account his impressions of managers, fellow players, and life in the major leagues and the World Series. With principal appeal to libraries around New York and in Ohio, this father-and-son story may also fit in YA collections.-Morey Berger, St. Joseph's Hopital Lib., Tucson, AZ Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews