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SPORTS PUBLISHING INC. www.SportsPublishingInc.com
Page ii
1999 Sports Publishing Inc. All rights reserved.
Production manager: Susan M. McKinney Cover design: Scot Muncaster Photos: The Associated Press and the Texas Rangers
ISBN: 1-58261-048-7 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 99-61947
SPORTS PUBLISHING INC. SportsPublishingInc.com
Printed in the United States.
Page iii
Contents
1 A Bold Prediction
1
2 Igor the Magnificent
5
3 An Enduring Friendship
11
4 The New Clemente
19
5 Trouble in Paradise
29
6 Finding the Way Home
35
7 A Monster Year
45
8 Together Again
55
Statistics
61
Page iv
Juan Gonzales, center, and teammate Ivan Rodriquez talk with Puerto Rico's first lady, Maga Nevarez de Rosello, about relief efforts after Hurricane Georges. (AP/Wide World Photos)
Page 1
Chapter One A Bold Prediction
In January of 1998, Texas Rangers manager Johnny Oates made his second trip to Vega Baja, Puerto Rico to see the little town where two of his superstars, Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez and Juan Gonzalez, grew up.
The first time, he went with a group of Rangers officials. They were shown the nicest parts of town. The second time, he took his wife, Gloria, and traveled on his own because he wanted them both to get a sense of the different world from which the superstars came.
Page 2
They got a different view all right. They saw the not-so-pretty streets of the poor town. They passed by drug deals and ramshackle homes.
From out of the bleary backdrop, an old man hurried across the street when he saw Oates wearing a Rangers hat.
"Juan Gonzalez will hit 63 home runs this year," the man said, flashing a toothless smile. "I guarantee it."
When Oates told the story, he added his own finish: "And, you know, the funny thing is, he's capable of it."
A month later, Juan Gonzalez was sitting alone in a tiny Chinese restaurant in Port Charlotte, Florida, where the Rangers hold spring training. He carefully shoveled a plate of rice into his mouth as he listened to the story.
At the end, he broke into a big smile, which slowly spread across his tanned face and curled the ends of his mustache.
Page 3
The man's prediction and his manager's embellishment tickled Juan because all the pieces were in place for him to have a big season.
After a strong finish to 1997, Juan resisted the urge to play winter ball in Puerto Rico. A year earlier, he injured his thumb in winter ball and missed a month of the Rangers' season. Instead, he spent the offseason working out daily with a personal trainer. When he reported to spring training, he was the healthiest he'd ever been and in the best shape of his career, too.
That's why he smiled.
"I know the key is to stay healthy and work hard," Juan said. "The rest will take care of itself, whether my future is to hit 50 home runs or more or break a record. I know that I have the possibility to hit a lot of home runs and drive in a lot of runs, but the big thing is to stay healthy.
Page 4
"When I'm healthy and positive, anything is possible. I want to play 162 games and see what happens. If I'm healthy, I have a big feeling about a big year."
The only thing Juan didn't know is just how big a year it would turn out to be.
Page 5
Chapter Two Igor the Magnificent
On October 16, 1969, the same day that the New York Mets officially became "The Amazing Mets," by completing a World Series upset of Baltimore, another amazing thing happened in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico.
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