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Mariano Rivera: From Panama Fishing Village to World Series Champion
In 1969, Mariano Rivera was born in a poor Panamanian fishing village, but he would go on to become a thirteen-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion. He holds two MLB records and many other awards, yet when asked to describe his job, his humble reply was, “I get the ball, I throw the ball, and I take a shower.”
After he retired, he devoted himself to philanthropic work and his churches. He and his wife, Clara sponsor college sponsorships, a foundation to provide underprivileged children with educations, and a number of other projects that help others.
In 2019, Mariano was honored by President Trump with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest non-military award in the United States. That same year he was unanimously voted into the national Baseball Hall of Fame.
It Began in a Fishing Village
In the fishing village where he grew up, many families did not have running water, electricity, or indoor bathrooms. The Rivera family had electricity and running water, but they used an outhouse.
And everything smelled like fish.
As a youngster, he played baseball and soccer with his cousins, and he really liked soccer over baseball until the day he was hit in the eye with a soccer ball. He had temporarily lost his vision and left that game behind.
He discovered that he had good aim when they played a game they had made up where they cut holes in cardboard and threw rocks from a distance through the holes.
He played for a team in Panama called the Cowboys. He was so good that two of his teammates spoke to a scout. This skinny pitcher would become one of the greatest of all time 
at his position and would help lead the New York Yankees to an era of great success.
Mariano Rivera has led a life that is full of adventures, conquests, victories, and humanitarian outreaches. You can read about his start, his baseball career, and where he is today in All About Mariano Rivera by Jorge Iber and Raquel Iber published by Blue River Press 2020. Included in the contents you will find quotes, a glossary, timelines, and an index. Pick up your copy to day here or wherever fine books are sold.
About the Authors
Jorge Iber is an Associate Dean at Texas Tech University. As a professor, he focuses on the social significance of the history of Latinx people in US sports. He has written eleven books for children and adults with several books on baseball, including Mike Torrez: A Baseball Biography (McFarland 2016)
Raquel Iber is a retired elementary school teacher. She grew up in New Jersey, and is a huge fan of the Yankees and Mariano Rivera.
From the precocious fourth grader to Hi-Lo level eight graders, students will enjoy the All About…series! These titles offer a diverse range of topics and are great resources for school reports or leisure reading. Each title has a Lexile number and F&P rating. These books include 55+ illustrations and a timeline, glossary, index, bibliography, and teacher guide. 
Roberto Clemente Baseball Icon
Roberto Clemente wasn’t always a baseball icon. He fought hard to become the Pittsburgh Pirates star player.
Born August 14, 1934 in Puerto Rico, the youngest of five children, he was American and Puerto Rican. Those were the days of the Great Depression. Life was not easy during the depression, but thankfully, both of Roberto’s parents were bringing in money, so the family of seven always had food.
Getting from Puerto Rico to Pittsburgh where he played baseball for the Pirates did not happen overnight. You can follow his journey in All About Roberto Clemente. 
Here are some Clemente Fun Facts
- As a youngster, Roberto played baseball with items such as rag balls, stick bats, and burlap sack gloves.
- He and his friends would take water to the field workers to earn money for baseball tickets.
- His baseball hero was Monte Irvin.
- He played softball with an amateur Puerto Rican team called Sello Rojo.
He was later recruited to a professional team in Puerto Rico called Cangrejeros de Santurce.- US scouts were impressed with his skill and he was selected by the Pirates.
- He practiced English by listening to movies and repeating what the actors said.
Be sure to download your free Teachers Guide. It includes Common Core Standards, Sample Questions, and Activities
All About Roberto Clemente was written by Andrew Conte who is the founding director of the Center for Media Innovation at Park University. He has worked as an investigative reporter for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and has won multiple national and statewide awards for his work. The Pennsylvania Society of Professional Journalists has recognized Andrew three times with the Spotlight Award, its annual prize for investigative reporting, and the Press Club of Western Pennsylvania has given him its annual top reporting prize four times. He is the author of the best-selling book Breakaway: The Inside Story of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Rebirth and the Silver Benjamin Franklin Award-winning book, The Color of Sundays. Andrew is a graduate of Dickinson College and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. He lives near Pittsburgh.
Bryan Janky is the illustrator for All About Roberto Clemente. He attended college at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, where he obtained a degree in illustration. Bryan has always focused his skills and efforts towards becoming a children’s book illustrator. Aside from illustrating, Bryan draws caricature portraits and designs customized resumes.
Information in this article was taken from All About Roberto Clemente by Andrew Conte published by Blue River Press December 2016.