The story of the 1988 Los Angeles Dodgers is one of the great stories in the history of major league baseball, culminating with the World Series heroics of Kirk Gibson. On the surface, the success of those Dodgers is attributable to Gibson, Orel Hersheiser, Tommy Lasorda, and a host of other players who, in ways large and small, contributed to achieving the ultimate prize. But there is a back story-maybe even the real story-that until now has been unknown to all but a handful of local citizens. It is spring, and as the new season mixes memory and desire, in the little Hispanic community of El Sereno-less than 10 miles from Dodger Stadium-a mysterious old man arrives. He calls himself Gómez, but in another place and time, others added an epithet: Gómez the god. In this unlikely place, amongst ordinary people, something unusual is happening, the consequences of which will extend to a magical night in October, when, on that hallowed hill above Chavez Ravine, the impossible happened. "I met Gómez on the day we buried our father." So the story begins, and with ten simple words it is evident that Gómez the god is more than a good book. With the really good ones you know right away.
About the Author: Little is known about Mark Loweree, and what is known would not suggest he could write a book of any merit, let alone a good book about Mexican-Americans. As the name suggests, Mark is a gringo: a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, raised in Newport Beach white boy. Mark himself evades the subject of authorship, claiming that a Muse gave him the story-the complete story, from beginning to end-in the autumn of 2000, while listening to a song by Andrea Bocelli. Inspecting Mark's prior literary achievements, we see that he was the sports editor for his high school newspaper, and that in the early 70's he anonymously penned bad topical poetry for his college newspaper. That's it. That's the sum total of his prior literary credits. Therefore, as unlikely as it is that Gómez the god was divinely inspired, when the editors inspected all the possibilities, they concluded that supernatural intervention was not only possible, but necessary. We invite you to draw your own conclusions. Comments from the Cast: This book introduces a new icon of Latina Womanhood, Carmen Salazar. Beautiful, vivacious, clever and witty, Carmen is at once the embodiment of all that is Latina, and at the same time a True Original. My only criticism of this book is not enough Carmen! Carmen Salazar I don't know if this book is a great book; but it is a good story, and I liked it. Humberto Sánchez If every life has a defining moment, for me that moment began in April of 1988-the day 'Gómez the god' showed up-and ended on a magnificent, impossible evening in October. I will never forget the people with whom I shared those days. I love them more than words can express. Alex Morales I only read it because I have nothing better to do. Mrs. Estella Cortez