Catching Heat: The Jim Leyritz Story. This item is unavailable.Catching Heat: The Jim Leyritz Story

Most people remember me for two events, both of which tested my faith in different ways. I controlled one; the other, I did not. I was in control of the home run I hit in the 1996 World Series against the Atlanta Braves, which turned the Series around for the New York Yankees and eventually led them to their first world championship in eighteen years. I was not in control of the 2007 car accident in which I was involved that resulted in the tragic loss of a woman's life . . . I decided that I would not let my life be defined by either of these moments. This is my story.

 So begins Jim Leyritz's dramatic tale Catching Heat, a thrilling spectacle of professional and personal highs and lows that take fans behind the scenes of life on the road, in the locker room, and ultimately to the defendant's seat in a courtroom.

From a struggling player fumbling through the Minors and finding resilience during disappointing trades to speaking his truth when others wouldn't, Leyritz evolved into the epitome of a 'clutch' player when it came to leading teams to victories when it really counted. Well beyond a successful sporting career saga, Jim's story is an inspiring example for anyone who wants to pursue a dream or learn life's lessons--both hard and hallowed--from a man who knows what it is like to live his.

Jim Leyritz, aka "The King,"(Ft. Lauderdale, FL) is a former major league catcher/infielder/designated hitter and World Series champion who played for 11 seasons with the New York Yankees and five other teams. Today, he gives back much of his time and resources to numerous charitable organizations, including the Jorge Posada Foundation, a charity supporting children with Craniosynostosis (with which Jim's youngest son is afflicted), and the ALS Association, which combats Lou Gehrig's Disease (which Jim's brother-in-law suffered from). Dedicated to charities benefiting children, Jim is the executive founder of Home Run for Hope, a charity launching in 2011, designed to assist and empower children who have lost a parent though tragedy, war, or natural disaster. Jim is also a proud member of Flamingo Road Church and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He is a devoted father and primary parent for his three young sons. www.jimleyritz.com. Douglas B. Lyons (New York, NY) is a criminal lawyer. He has spoken about baseball and his research at the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the Smithsonian Institution, and many meetings--national and regional--of the Society for American Baseball Research, of which he is a member. Among his prior books are autobiographies of Red Sox broadcaster Joe Castiglione (Broadcast Rites and Sites: I Saw It on the Radio with the Boston Red Sox), and softball legend Eddie Feigner (From an Orphan To a King). Jeffrey Lyons (New York, NY) is one of America's most respected film and theater critics and is the author of 101 Great Movies for Kids. He has reviewed more movies--some 12,500--than anyone in any medium. He is also the coauthor (with brother Douglas Lyons) of three books of baseball history and trivia, including Out of Left Field, Curveballs and Screwballs, and Short Hops and Foul Tips.