Chris Coste dreamed of playing major-league baseball from the age of seven. But after eleven grueling years in the minors, a spot on a major-league roster still seemed just out of his reachuntil that fateful call came from the Philadelphia Phillies in May 2006. At age thirty-three (going on eighty), Coste was finally heading to the big time.The 33-Year-Old Rookie is like a real-life Rocky, an unforgettable and inspirational story of one mans unwavering pursuit of a lifelong goal. Beginning in a single-parent home in Fargo, North Dakota, and ending behind home plate on the flawless diamond of the Phillies Citizens Bank Parkwhere fans and teammates call him Chris Clutch because of his knack for getting timely hitsthis intimate account of Costes baseball odyssey is a powerful story of determination, perseverance, and passion. For eleven seasons, Coste hustled, fought, and gritted his way to his breakthroughand never lost faith in his abilities. Along the way, he gained the affection and admiration of baseball fans from Ottawa and Scranton to various Mexican and Venezuelan cities. Battered by years spent behind a catchers mask, and faced with bracing realitiesthere were bills to pay, and his young daughter was entering first gradeCoste decided to give it one last shot in 2006. But that year, during the Phillies major-league spring training, Coste was demoted to the minors at the last minute to make room for a utility outfielder, despite having hit a blistering .463 and earning the trust of the teams pitchers. Later that season, though, Coste finally got the call-up, and he hit .364 during the Phillies furious battle to nail down the final postseason berth.Coste takes us through the 2006 spring training seasonwith its pulse-quickening moments and close callsand into his first season as a major-league catcher with the Phillies. From tense stretch-run games that kept Phillies fans on the edge of their seats to moments of intimate personal reflection, Costes saga offers baseball aficionados an inside look at a remarkable life and career. In this stirring, wry, and candid look at the life of a professional baseball nomad who never surrendered his dream, we savor the sometimes bittersweet fruits of victory against seemingly insurmountable odds.From the Hardcover edition.