{"product_id":"088902913x","title":"From worst to first: The Toronto Blue Jays in 1985","description":"\n\u003cp\u003e It was not an unusual play, at least for me.  \u003cbr\u003e I was just blocking the plate, trying to save a run in a scoreless tie.  \u003cbr\u003e Nothing heroic.  \u003cbr\u003e Nothing foolish.  \u003cbr\u003e Just trying, as I had since joining the Jays in 1981, to remind a runner that in any game against Toronto, home plate belonged to Buck Martinez, and no one else.  \u003cbr\u003e It’s a play that gets me hit on more occasions than I have time to count. I’ve been run over, knocked down, and even (several times) knocked out; but I’ve always escaped unscathed, unhurt, determined more than ever to protect that very private piece of turf I call my own.  \u003cbr\u003e That’s just the way I feel about home plate.  \u003cbr\u003e My teammates know this. The players with the other clubs know it. I’d even guess that most baseball fans who have ever seen me play know it too.  \u003cbr\u003e It’s not just home plate, it’s \u003ci\u003emy \u003c\/i\u003ehome plate.  \u003cbr\u003e The only trouble on that fateful night in Seattle’s Kingdome, was that somebody had apparently \u003cbr\u003e forgotten to tell Phil Bradley.  \u003cbr\u003e From spring training to season end, Martinez writes about the players, the coaches, the key games and the emotion of the team winning its first championship.  \u003cbr\u003e Buck’s story is sprinkled with first hand commentaries: the Bell-Kison incident, both crucial series against the Yankees, the best game the Jays ever played and post season games down to the final out.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eCategories:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul class=\"category-tree\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBiographies \u0026amp; Memoirs\u003cul class=\"category-tree\"\u003e\u003cli class=\"category-tree\"\u003eMemoirs\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eBook details\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/strong\u003e Martinez, Buck.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e paperback\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEdition:\u003c\/strong\u003e First Edition\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/strong\u003e Fitzhenry \u0026amp; Whiteside\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/strong\u003e English\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 179\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/strong\u003e 9780889029132\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Fitzhenry \u0026 Whiteside","offers":[{"title":"Used - Acceptable","offer_id":49318284361918,"sku":"088902913X-5","price":24.47,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0640\/9689\/5166\/files\/81TZ52GHP9L.jpg?v=1792158490","url":"https:\/\/shop.sustainablebooks.com\/products\/088902913x","provider":"Sustainable Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}