Jim Bouton: Ball Four

[JRJohnson6]

I am about 75% though Jim Bouton's "Ball Four". This book preceded me by 12years, but I am enjoying it immensely. I'm trying to find as much info about Bouton as I can. I would love to hear what others think about this book, and even more so what people think about Bouton. I would especially like to hear from those who remember him playing and remember the book coming out. I know that it was a very controversial book for it's time. I would love to hear about the initial reaction from the book. I had recently posted this request in the "What are you reading now thread", but didn't get a lot of response. Anyone out there who remembers the book coming out or anyone who has opinions/facts about Bouton please respond. Thanks.

[riverfrontier]

I saw Jim Bouton pitch once in unusual circumstances. He was making a comeback in 1978, and was pitching for the Richmond Braves in an exhibition game against the Atlanta Braves in old Parker Field in VA. He pitched well, but Atlanta eventually won. Interesting sidenote: Ted Turner was the third base ump for that game.
I hadn't read 'Ball Four' at the time of the game, so it was only later that I realized just who he was.

[Los Bravos]

It would be really difficult to overstate how important this book is to me, as a Baseball fan and as a person.

My history with it goes back to 1979. I read the long article he wrote for Sports Illustrated detailing his comeback and was really intrigued. I went looking for, and found, a hardcover copy of Ball Four (and also his follow up I'm Glad You Didn't Take It Personally) at my local public library.

A year or two later, when the 10th anniversary edition Ball Four (With Ball Five) came out, I picked that up. I still have it, probably the most dogeared hardcover in my library. I also have a used but quite nice original copy, which is cool because the revised edition's photos omitted the pic of him in Crazy Guggenheim mode, which I always really liked.

A truly great, human book about a guy who played the game for a while and never stopped loving it, even though he never let it completely define who he was.

[Maxx]

I've read the book over 100 times. The first time was about 18 years ago when I was in high school. I still have the original edition that I borrowed from the library and never returned--after checking it out about 10 times. It sits by my bed, and I'll just read a few random pages to get a good laugh before I fall asleep.

[vptpt]

I've read that book about a million times, give or take a few. Last Christmas I got a signed copy, made out to me with my name and it says "Smoke 'em inside". My favorite present ever! You can order one from his website, and I think it's no additional charge to get it signed.

[Dodgerfan1]

I've read the book over 100 times. The first time was about 18 years ago when I was in high school. I still have the original edition that I borrowed from the library and never returned--after checking it out about 10 times. It sits by my bed, and I'll just read a few random pages to get a good laugh before I fall asleep.


I've read that book about a million times, give or take a few. Last Christmas I got a signed copy, made out to me with my name and it says "Smoke 'em inside". My favorite present ever! You can order one from his website, and I think it's no additional charge to get it signed.

I agree this is a great book, but if you've guys read this book that many times, you might want to get out of the house sometime and mix in a REAL ballgame, now and then. :crazy

[Pete Rose Rounding Third]

I love Ball Four. Reread it several times, especially the part about the bench coaches yelling advice at Bouton while he pitched. Funny stuff.

[Brian McKenna]

I believe it's the only sports book on the Modern Library's list of top 100 books of the 20th century.

[Los Bravos]

it says "Smoke 'em inside". :laugh I've told that story to more than one card dealer wondering why I was looking for cards of guys like Gary Bell and Tommy Davis.

I was looking at a guy's '53 Bowman color set on the PSA registry a few weeks ago and noticed that he'd written "Take a hike, son." as his comment next to his Alvin Dark card.

That book is just full of memorable lines like that :lookitup

[JRJohnson6]

I think the coaching sayings from the book are my favorite. I am on a high school baseball coaching staff and I just have to laugh because I know every one of us are guilty of doing the exact same thing that Sal Maglie and Joe Schultz and countless others Jim Bouton talked about. Our pitching coach is very big on running, so I thought Bouton's view on that and opinions of others he has in the book were pretty funny.

"If I was running the ball up to the plate, I could understand running before I throw"

[SamtheBravesFan]

I own Ball Four, I'm Glad You Didn't Take It Personally and The Greatest Summer. I've read Ball Four once, and I should read it again, but a couple of stories stuck with me.

Bouton mentions something I knew from elsewhere: Braves outfielder Rico Carty kept all his valuables in his back pocket while playing because he didn't trust the clubhouse manager's valuables box.

And during an incident of sex, the lady in question says to her partner that was the best she's ever had, and a player who's hiding in the closet goes "Suuuuuuurrreeeeee..." and the rest of the players just say that at random times later. :laughs

The Greatest Summer was good too. It's about Bouton's comeback. He really lit the world on fire with the Savannah Braves, which was nuts.

[Erik Bedard]

My all-time favorite book, by a ton. I really need to read it again. I can barely remember some of the funniest parts.

[SamtheBravesFan]

My all-time favorite book, by a ton. I really need to read it again. I can barely remember some of the funniest parts.

How about that song the Astros players made up? :rofl:

[Calif_Eagle]

If you liked "Ball Four" you will definitely find it worth while to borrow "I'm Glad You Didn't Take It Personally" from a library or find a copy at a used book store; or via Amazon or E-Bay. It will give you some idea of the media firestorm that ensued when the book came out (as the title implies, virtually EVERYONE in both the baseball and sports media establishments did take it personally, as an affront to the dignity of the game, the sanctity of the clubhouse, & all were also tremendously bitter about the perceived shots at American baseball icon Mickey Mantle.) Players, Managers & Coaches of the day were largely unhappy too, especially many of those depicted in the book. RE: Mantle, its ironic that we all know now of the tremendous problems he, by his later own admission did have with drinking and carousing. The book IGYDTIP is VERY funny in places in its own right as well and is very much more biographical about Bouton too. Very informative. I highly recommend you get and enjoy a copy : ) I read mine (Ball Four) when it first came out, every chance I got; in junior high. In study halls I would put it in my electricity textbook for shop class and read it instead of studying lol "Just Zitz him and lets go pound some Budweiser!!!" - Joe Schultz 1969 Seattle Pilots Manager

[Los Bravos]

I've always loved Yogi's capsule review as reported in I'm Glad, that "Professional people wouldn't like the book." :laugh (Bouton: "Oh, yes, he did say that...")

All you need to know about Ball Four is that Roger Angell liked it and Roger Kahn didn't. That's as perfect an endorsement as I can imagine.

[janduscframe]

I thought part of the reason I liked the book is that I was a naive early in my teens when it came out, thinking I'd go to college, get married, have two kids and live in a house like Beaver Cleaver or just like major league baseball players did. It had a shock factor for me..Today, it's just a chuckle now and then when I page through it... recalling my youth...
However, I see it's still appealing to younger fans today as well. Now, where in the world did my copy of his follow up book go?

[Erik Bedard]

How about that song the Astros players made up? :rofl:

One of the funniest parts of the book, along with Bouton's descriptions of what people talk about in the bullpen. :rofl:

[abolishthedh]

I am about 75% though Jim Bouton's "Ball Four". This book preceded me by 12years, but I am enjoying it immensely. I'm trying to find as much info about Bouton as I can. I would love to hear what others think about this book, and even more so what people think about Bouton. I would especially like to hear from those who remember him playing and remember the book coming out. I know that it was a very controversial book for it's time. I would love to hear about the initial reaction from the book. I had recently posted this request in the "What are you reading now thread", but didn't get a lot of response. Anyone out there who remembers the book coming out or anyone who has opinions/facts about Bouton please respond. Thanks.

In answer to your question JRJ, the players before 1970 enjoyed their unblemished hero status. Nobody questioned whether the players were human beings, let alone fun-loving human beings, away from the field. It seems crazy today, but this was the case.

Bouton paid a heavy price for the book, as a player. He pitched less often in the 1970s, even when he was healthy, and I believe the coaches are largely to blame for that because the pitching coach and team managers he played for were afraid that it would create divisions within Bouton's teams if he played or pitched much. The whole situation was very political, in the office politics sense of the term.

The game was bound to change in this fashion, in retrospect.

[SDL]

No doubt the bet baeball book ever. I will confess that when I played on my radio station's softball team in 1978, I wore #56 in honor of the man.

The Baseball Establishment hated Boution for not being an ass-kisser; all [i]Ball Four[i/] did was show that ballplayers were *gasp* HUMAN.

Bouton must have done something right. Bowie Kuhn tried to make Bouton recant the book...

I may hate the Yankees, but I will make one exception: Jim Bouton

[hp246]

I remeber reading it when it first came out. I found it amusing and sad at the same time. I think it did more to destroy (for good or bad) the American sports hero than any other book.