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One Line Drive: A Life-Threatening Injury and a Faith-Fueled Comeback
Daniel Ponce de Leon's hard-fought journey to Major League Baseball and recovery from a near-death injury, followed by his astonishing big league debut, will inspire readers to trust God in all circumstances.The path you take to achieving your dreams is not always easy. Daniel Ponce de Leon, an acclaimed pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, overcame many challenges to get to the Major Leagues. Drafted four times, he spent a long four years climbing his way up through the minors before finally reaching AAA, only one step away from the Major Leagues. Then, Daniel's dream was almost shattered when he was struck in the head by a line drive. Spending weeks in the hospital and months recovering from a large epidural hematoma, skull fracture, brain swelling, and hemorrhaging, Daniel held on to his belief that he would one day realize his dream.Fourteen months later, and fully recovered, he made his first Major League start, becoming the fifth pitcher in modern Major League history to throw seven innings of no-hit ball in his first outing. MLB.com referred to it as one of the greatest debuts in Major League Baseball history.In One Line Drive, Daniel retells his remarkable journey, sharing how he never would have made it without his faith in God and the support of family and friends. Full of grit, determination, and faith, Daniel's story is an inspiring reminder to keep pressing on regardless of any setback or disappointment.
225 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 9, 2021
11 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
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May 15, 2021
This book, written by St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Daniel Ponce de Leon is about how his life changed after being hit in the head by a line drive by the Iowa Cubs’ Victor Caratini on May 9, 2017. In an instant, his life changed forever. He had no idea that almost dying that day would be a gift from God. He writes that as strange as it sounds, the injury he suffered was, in some ways, the best thing that has happened in his life. He now thinks of his injury as a wake-up call. It showed him just how far he had to go to grow in his journey as a Christian.
The book takes us through that horrific incident – he had a large epidural hematoma and skull fracture, the hematoma being what turned it into a life-and-death situation, his recovery, his battle to make it to the major leagues – his path took him through four colleges and five minor league towns - and his transformation and the spiritual growth that took place during that period.
Daniel’s head absorbed the full force of the impact of the batted ball, with excessive bleeding taking place on the inside of his skull near his brain. If it wasn’t for the quick decisions and actions of trainer Scott Ensell, Daniel could have died.
Daniel credits his dad, with whom he has always had an extremely close relationship, for instilling a faith him that he has been able to call on countless times. He had a great family life as he grew up. But his path to professional baseball was a winding, pothole-filled, roller-coaster ride of ups and downs that would ultimately test his perseverance, patience, confidence, and faith.
The Cardinals selected Daniel in the ninth round of the 2014 MLB draft. He started the season playing for the Peoria Chiefs, the Cardinals Single-A team. He writes of the long bus rides, low pay and other conditions that players face in the lower levels of the minor leagues,
He also writes of being a Christian man, unmarried and living with his girlfriend Jenn, and preparing to have a child. Often times, he was reminded of how his pitching performance mirrored the issues in his personal life. He writes of how long it took him to tell Jenn that he loved her. It was only after they met with a church counselor for two months that they decided to get married. They now have three children.
His professional journey took Daniel from Peoria, to Springfield in Double A, Memphis in Triple A and eventually to being called up to the major leagues and making his first start, a brilliant performance of seven innings of no-hit, shutout ball.
He was impacted by, and would take as his own a prayer that stated “Fill me with Your Holy Spirit; make me more like Christ; I am at Your disposal.” He writes that though he’s been knocked down many times, it is his faith that is the only reason that he has been able to get back up. His purpose with this book and his life is to help others understand that God wants to be a part of their lives as well.
The book takes us through that horrific incident – he had a large epidural hematoma and skull fracture, the hematoma being what turned it into a life-and-death situation, his recovery, his battle to make it to the major leagues – his path took him through four colleges and five minor league towns - and his transformation and the spiritual growth that took place during that period.
Daniel’s head absorbed the full force of the impact of the batted ball, with excessive bleeding taking place on the inside of his skull near his brain. If it wasn’t for the quick decisions and actions of trainer Scott Ensell, Daniel could have died.
Daniel credits his dad, with whom he has always had an extremely close relationship, for instilling a faith him that he has been able to call on countless times. He had a great family life as he grew up. But his path to professional baseball was a winding, pothole-filled, roller-coaster ride of ups and downs that would ultimately test his perseverance, patience, confidence, and faith.
The Cardinals selected Daniel in the ninth round of the 2014 MLB draft. He started the season playing for the Peoria Chiefs, the Cardinals Single-A team. He writes of the long bus rides, low pay and other conditions that players face in the lower levels of the minor leagues,
He also writes of being a Christian man, unmarried and living with his girlfriend Jenn, and preparing to have a child. Often times, he was reminded of how his pitching performance mirrored the issues in his personal life. He writes of how long it took him to tell Jenn that he loved her. It was only after they met with a church counselor for two months that they decided to get married. They now have three children.
His professional journey took Daniel from Peoria, to Springfield in Double A, Memphis in Triple A and eventually to being called up to the major leagues and making his first start, a brilliant performance of seven innings of no-hit, shutout ball.
He was impacted by, and would take as his own a prayer that stated “Fill me with Your Holy Spirit; make me more like Christ; I am at Your disposal.” He writes that though he’s been knocked down many times, it is his faith that is the only reason that he has been able to get back up. His purpose with this book and his life is to help others understand that God wants to be a part of their lives as well.
May 21, 2021
Inspiring story of faith and courage.
May 14, 2021
As a dedicated lifelong Cardinals fan I really wanted to read this and give it a great rating. The best I could do was give it a mediocre three stars. Perhaps if it had not been a two person collaborative writing it would have felt more cohesive. In addition I think more attention to Ponce’s fight to rehabilitate himself following the injury was needed or change the title. It wasn’t necessary to give an inning by inning report of his first major league game or of two large pieces of the other games. I wholly appreciate his faith based journey and felt he explained it well. I just wish there hadn’t been so much game detail and more healing descriptions (again see title). A likable but not memorable book although I think Ponce is a really good pitcher and look forward to his return to the mound soon following latest arm injury.
April 25, 2021
After suffering what could have been a life threatening injury as a pitcher, Daniel Ponce De Leon delivers a beautiful testimony. His story is filled with ups and downs as he fights his way back to playing the game he loves. After his injury, Daniel had a lot of time to think and pray. He came to realize his relationship wasn't where it needed to be. He began to get into and study God's Word and work on his prayer life. His faith began to grow by leaps and bounds when he turned both his personal and professional life over to God. Although it wasn't always easy and things didn't always happen the way he wanted, Daniel refused to let his faith waiver. An amazing comeback! A man blessed to be a Christian, a son, a husband, a father, a friend, and a MLB player! A must read!!
Daniel Ponce de Leon's hard-fought journey to Major League Baseball and recovery from a near-death injury, followed by his astonishing big league debut, will inspire readers to trust God in all circumstances.
The path to achieving your dreams is not always easy. Daniel Ponce de Leon, a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, overcame many challenges to get to the major leagues. Drafted four times, he spent a long four years climbing his way up through the minors before finally reaching AAA, only a step away from realizing his goal. Then, Daniel’s dream was almost shattered when he was struck in the head by one line drive. Spending weeks in the hospital and months recovering from a large epidural hematoma, skull fracture, brain swelling, and hemorrhaging, Daniel held on to his belief that he would one day pitch again at the highest level.
Fourteen months later, and fully recovered, he made his first major league start, becoming the fifth pitcher in modern major league history to throw seven innings of no-hit ball in his initial outing. MLB.com referred to it as one of the greatest debuts in Major League Baseball history.
In One Line Drive, Daniel retells his remarkable journey, sharing how he never would have made it without his faith in God and the support of family and friends. Full of grit, determination, and faith, Daniel’s story is an inspiring reminder to keep pressing on regardless of any setback or disappointment.
Daniel Ponce de Leon's hard-fought journey to Major League Baseball and recovery from a near-death injury, followed by his astonishing big league debut, will inspire readers to trust God in all circumstances.
The path to achieving your dreams is not always easy. Daniel Ponce de Leon, a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, overcame many challenges to get to the major leagues. Drafted four times, he spent a long four years climbing his way up through the minors before finally reaching AAA, only a step away from realizing his goal. Then, Daniel’s dream was almost shattered when he was struck in the head by one line drive. Spending weeks in the hospital and months recovering from a large epidural hematoma, skull fracture, brain swelling, and hemorrhaging, Daniel held on to his belief that he would one day pitch again at the highest level.
Fourteen months later, and fully recovered, he made his first major league start, becoming the fifth pitcher in modern major league history to throw seven innings of no-hit ball in his initial outing. MLB.com referred to it as one of the greatest debuts in Major League Baseball history.
In One Line Drive, Daniel retells his remarkable journey, sharing how he never would have made it without his faith in God and the support of family and friends. Full of grit, determination, and faith, Daniel’s story is an inspiring reminder to keep pressing on regardless of any setback or disappointment.
March 29, 2021
In One Line Drive, Daniel Ponce De Leon opened about his rise to becoming a major league baseball pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was drafted four times and he worked hard to overcome his challenges and to play in the major leagues. He began the book by sharing the day his life forever changed. He was playing in the minor league for the Memphis Redbirds at the Principal Park in Des Moines, Iowa. It was located at 1 Line Drive he would later discover. He was pitching and he threw a fastball and it didn’t travel the path he intended it too. When the batter hit the ball, it flew and it struck him in the head right above his eye. He tried to raise his arms to try and catch and stop the ball but he was unable too. He also turned his head to try and deflect some of the impact. This event was referred to as a one-line dive when the ball struck him. He had glasses on and amazingly they didn’t even break. He did suffer from internal bleeding and he did go unconscious. Though he doesn’t remember much about the event. He will describe what others witnessed when the horrible event occurred. He explained how he had to have life threatening surgery and the recovery process. He revealed how this event taught him a valuable lesson about how life and how precious it truly is. He also shared how God protected him and how his dad was the one who first introduced him to Jesus. He walked readers through his comeback and how he eventually made it onto the major leagues. He also opened up about his college life and how he met his future wife there.
I would recommend this awesome book to anyone who loves baseball and also loves a good comeback story. I immensely loved how inspirational this autobiography was and how the book had an overall message about trusting God through your circumstances, no matter how good or bad and how critical it is to have faith. He strongly encouraged readers to read Hebrews 11 and learning about faith and how we can apply it to our daily living. I liked how he shared how he had to overcome his injury and how he chose to keep striving and going after his dreams of playing in the majors. I also appreciated how open he was in having a child out of wedlock and how he struggled with telling his girlfriend that he loved her and it took a couple therapy session to become the first time, he told her that he loved her. I liked how honest, he was in explaining why it took so long for him to say those words and how women want to hear them. I also enjoyed how he connected to his faith and how he came closer to Christ and readers will be able to be inspired through his story.
"I received this book free from the publisher, Hachette Book Group/Faithwords for my honest review.”
I would recommend this awesome book to anyone who loves baseball and also loves a good comeback story. I immensely loved how inspirational this autobiography was and how the book had an overall message about trusting God through your circumstances, no matter how good or bad and how critical it is to have faith. He strongly encouraged readers to read Hebrews 11 and learning about faith and how we can apply it to our daily living. I liked how he shared how he had to overcome his injury and how he chose to keep striving and going after his dreams of playing in the majors. I also appreciated how open he was in having a child out of wedlock and how he struggled with telling his girlfriend that he loved her and it took a couple therapy session to become the first time, he told her that he loved her. I liked how honest, he was in explaining why it took so long for him to say those words and how women want to hear them. I also enjoyed how he connected to his faith and how he came closer to Christ and readers will be able to be inspired through his story.
"I received this book free from the publisher, Hachette Book Group/Faithwords for my honest review.”
May 3, 2021
Very inspirational! Also, an easy read, it held my attention, I enjoyed the book.
March 19, 2021
This is a good memoir for baseball lovers. Ponce de Leon's story is full of ups and downs, successes and failures. His greatest challenge came when he was pitching in Triple A and was hit in the head by a line drive. Potentially life threatening with possible cognitive impairment, Ponce de Leon attributes his survival to prayer. He knows everything that happens, good or bad, happens for a reason and he realized this injury was a wake up call from God that changed his life.
This well written memoir follows his rocky career, playing with college teams and in the minor leagues. He shares the experiences of so much travel, the frustrations, and his spiritual journey. He'd be called up to the Cardinals one week then demoted back to Triple A the next. He persevered, always doing his best.
Ponce de Leon realizes God has given him a platform as a professional athlete and he wants to motivate, inspire and encourage others. There will be disappointments. There will be failures. Work hard and stay humble, he advises. As of this writing, his position in the Cardinals pitching rotation for this season was uncertain.
The book is well written and good inspiration for aspiring athletes.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.
This well written memoir follows his rocky career, playing with college teams and in the minor leagues. He shares the experiences of so much travel, the frustrations, and his spiritual journey. He'd be called up to the Cardinals one week then demoted back to Triple A the next. He persevered, always doing his best.
Ponce de Leon realizes God has given him a platform as a professional athlete and he wants to motivate, inspire and encourage others. There will be disappointments. There will be failures. Work hard and stay humble, he advises. As of this writing, his position in the Cardinals pitching rotation for this season was uncertain.
The book is well written and good inspiration for aspiring athletes.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.
March 9, 2021
This book is a book younger athletes need to read about how after a line drive hit the author in the head and fought for his life, came back to baseball and made it to the major leagues.
The story is not just about his injury, but his struggles with his Christian faith, along with dealing with the up and down days of being sent between the major and minor leagues in baseball. Even if you are not a Christian, readers will enjoy this ride (there is not much Christian quotes or Bible verses in it).
Younger athletes will learn from the setbacks and how he overcame them to still believe in himself and his dream.
For an in depth review, visit my page at : https://lancewrites.wordpress.com/202...
The story is not just about his injury, but his struggles with his Christian faith, along with dealing with the up and down days of being sent between the major and minor leagues in baseball. Even if you are not a Christian, readers will enjoy this ride (there is not much Christian quotes or Bible verses in it).
Younger athletes will learn from the setbacks and how he overcame them to still believe in himself and his dream.
For an in depth review, visit my page at : https://lancewrites.wordpress.com/202...
February 26, 2022
Good read from what seems like a very good guy. If you like/follow baseball, especially Cardinal baseball, it will probably be better to you than just an average baseball person. I loved reading about other players that I like/respect and that they're as good as I'd hoped they'd be in real life.
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December 15, 2021Daniel Ponce de Leon’s tough journey to the MLB and near death injury has inspired many readers to trust in God in all circumstances, from the beginning to his astonishing big league debut and beyond. He overcame many challenges to get into the league and became an acclaimed pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals. He climbed his way up through the minors league finally before almost reaching AAA, his dream of playing in the MLB were almost gone forever when he was hit in the head by one line drive. Daniel spent weeks in the hospital and months after recovering from all of his injuries. Fourteen months later, he finally had made his debut into the Major League. He went down in modern history for becoming the sixth pitcher to ever throw seven innings with a no-hit ball in his first outing. He was deemed as one of the best debuts to MLB in history. Daniel preaches in his book that he would have never accomplished his dreams without his faith in God and the support of his family and friends. His story is a very inspirational reminder to keep pushing forward no matter of any setback or failure. Furthermore, as I critically look deeper into the book, the author was very effective on persuading his audience about his compelling story from beginning to end. By using immense imagery I was able to further understand the issues presented to me. I do strongly believe the audience would appreciate reading the book or listening to it as an audiobook because it gives a sense of persistence no matter the circumstance. In conclusion, I did enjoy listening to this audiobook because it informed me of how heroic and inspirational Daniel was.
April 3, 2021
It is no secret I am a baseball fan. I am also a fan of any athlete who uses his/her platform to talk about a relationship with Christ. One Line Drive combines those things. It is an autobiographical story that shows how God got the attention of Daniel Ponce De Leon. I really appreciated the honesty Ponce De Leon has as he shares his book - his story is full of ups and downs. There were times when I had a hard time putting the book down because of the great details and excitement that the plot had built up. Tom Zenner did a great job of helping Daniel Ponce De Leon write his story.
Librarians who are considering placing One Line Drive in their k-12 Christian school library should be aware of the fact that Daniel and his wife had a child together before they were married. It is not a major plot point but Daniel does discuss it and talks about how it is outside of God’s design. There is also one incidence of alcohol consumption which is quite minor considering the story is a sports story. I would place it in my library. The book may be an encouragement to an athlete who has been sidelined by an injury.
I received a complimentary copy of One Line Drive. This is my honest review.
Librarians who are considering placing One Line Drive in their k-12 Christian school library should be aware of the fact that Daniel and his wife had a child together before they were married. It is not a major plot point but Daniel does discuss it and talks about how it is outside of God’s design. There is also one incidence of alcohol consumption which is quite minor considering the story is a sports story. I would place it in my library. The book may be an encouragement to an athlete who has been sidelined by an injury.
I received a complimentary copy of One Line Drive. This is my honest review.
July 7, 2021
Lots of baseball lingo but given good context so it was an easy read. Although the book does talk to his injury, the book is more about his path to the majors. As he mentions in the book, he avoided talking about his injury to the media to focus on his talent as a player. As such, the book is more about the call up to the majors and the back and forth to the minors in the process. He’s also focused on faith as part of the story. Easy read.
February 23, 2025
Powerful story about faith and perseverance. I really enjoyed the behind-the-scenes details about life in the minors. The writing style wasn’t great - understandably since Ponce isn’t a professional writer by trade, but it did lessen the reading experience for me a bit.
May 19, 2021
Really interesting to hear Ponce de Leon’s story of a moment I remember watching in horror. His story is fascinating and inspiring.
May 24, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book about St. Louis Cardinals pitcher, Daniel Ponce de Leon's journey from injury to playing in the Majors with the St. Louis Cardinals!!!
June 4, 2021
This was very good book and I would definitely recommend this book to my friends who like St. Louis Cardinals baseball.
June 5, 2021
Great story, appreciate hearing Ponce's faith. An easy read, I would recommend for young athletes!
June 17, 2021
If you are a baseball fan, especially a STL Cardinals fan, you will enjoy this book very much!
July 7, 2021
I actually have never read an auto-bio so that was an adjustment. Very detailed. Overall, liked it a loy.
July 31, 2021
Loved this story of faith, determination & baseball
November 17, 2021
loved it brought a new perspective on baseball and faith
February 17, 2022
Easy read and enjoyable for Cardinal baseball fans and followers of the Lord
May 21, 2022
Excellent book about over coming adversity and never giving up on your dreams. Very inspirational. Pulling for you always!!!!
October 9, 2022
Interesting story of near tragedy and the faith overcoming that one line drive. Worth the read.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews