Pali Coach Authors New Baseball Book

Steeped in World Series frenzy, few are focusing on baseball’s greater lessons such as its metaphors of life: ‘step up to the plate’ and ‘three strikes, you’re out..’ But Palisades High junior varsity baseball coach David Kloser, author of ‘Stepping Up to the Plate: Inspiring Interviews with Major Leaguers,’ is a man who emphasizes lessons the game teaches and those lessons can be applied to life ooff of the baseball diamond. ‘I’m sure I’m no different from any other coach who feels that sports are a great character builder for kids,’ Kloser says. ‘I played at UC Berkeley, so I have somewhat of an understanding of the pressures of the game. Because I’ve always wondered how Big Leaguers overcome adversity, heckling, dealing with the different personalities of their teammates and so on, I decided to write a book about it. I wanted it to be something that adults, parents and kids can share to learn about the intrinsic values of baseball.’ Starting in Spring Training of 2003 and into part of the 2004 season, Kloser, who interviewed more than 300 current and former Major League players from all 30 Major League teams (and some Hall of Famers), created his book, ‘Stepping Up to the Plate: Inspiring Interviews with Major Leaguers.’ Without the expertise of having a background in writing or journalism, it took vision, passion, and persistence to make his dream a reality. Among the players Kloser interviewed are Alex Rodriguez, Curt Schilling, Albert Pujols and Jeff Bagwell. He also has quotes and stories from other notables including Randy Johnson, Ken Griffey Jr.and Hideo Nomo, as well as such former players as Fernando Valenzuela and recent Hall of Fame inductee Paul Molitor. ‘These Major League ballplayers have probably been playing baseball since Little League, which, in my opinion, makes them experts in their field,’ Kloser says. ‘I wanted to make their wisdom available to anyone.’ This quote, from Yankee outfielder Bernie Williams, opens the book and encapsulates its overall theme, ‘I believe every individual is born with a talent. The secret in life is to find out what it is, and once you find it, give it 100 percent.’ To learn more about Kloser or purchase the book, visit www.SteppingUpToThePlate.com.