Ball Four by Jim Bouton Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Ball Four
Book Review: I read this book every year. It is the first of its kind.
Summary: 5 Stars
I just finished Ball Four for the 25th time. I read it every year because it reminds me of why I love sports. Not for the superhumans, but for the humans who play them. There is more insight into pro sports, as well as American society, in this book than any I've ever read. It is especially poignant this year which saw Mr. Bouton finally invited to Old Timers' Day at Yankee stadium in response to his son Mike's op-ed piece in the New York Times. Jim's daughter Laurie was recently killed in an automobile accident, and I was saddened that I didn't know about it early enough to send him my condolences. Mike wrote in the Times that this year, his dad really needed this. Amazingly, the Yankees responded.They only let him pitch to one batter, (perhaps Sal Maglie convinced then he was throwing too damn much), but he wore 56, and Bulldog once again took the mound. And to celebrate I re-read the book that was my personal passage to adulthood. Jim Bouton is a true outsider, a revolutionary, and this book is a work of art and history.Book Review: I'm giving every kid on my Little League team a copy.
Summary: 5 Stars
I am a Little League coach in Orangeburg, South Carolina. I just read Ball Four, and next spring, I am giving a copy to every kid on my Little League team, of which I am the head coach. Well, not every player, just the pitching staff. I'm sure that the league offices up in Williamsport, Pennsylvania will reimburse me, because this is one book that no ten year old aspiring ballplayer, particularly pitchers, should be without. Within the book, Jim Bouton tells about the fundamentals of baseball in a way that I could never communicate. It covers everything, from what to do and what not to do in preparation for a pitching start to how to how to throw the knuckleball to how pitching can take a toll on your arm if you don't use the proper fundamentals (like Steve Barber, or Jim Bouton, for that matter). I only wish that this book was around when I was a youngster; I would have been a much better player. Jim Bouton has written a fine book about the ins and outs of baseball, and I'm sure that every parent of every kid on my team, as well as the team's sponsor (John Birch Society, Orangeburg Chapter), will be happy that the kids are taking home this educational and informative reading material.Book Review: Iconoclast on the Pitching Mound
Summary: 5 Stars
I read this book when it first came out. It was quite an eye-opener although it may seem tame by today's standards. There was, we were told, an unwritten (and in some cases WRITTEN) rule that what happens in the club house stays in the club house. Jim Bouton certainly trashed that maxim as well as a lot of other sacred icons in "Ball Four". In the process he became more famous for his writing than he ever was for his pitching. This book is actually a diary of a pitcher's season. Bouton was a flame-throwing pitcher for the Yankees but he blew out his arm when he was still relatively young. He attempted to come back as a knuckle ball pitcher with the Seattle Pilots (remember them?). Pitching on an expansion team in its' first year gave Bouton an interesting perspective. Afterall, his previous service in the majors involved pitching in the World Series for the almighty Yankees. He went from a great team to a lousy team; from being a very good pitcher to a slightly below mediocre pitcher. With this background, the author shares what it was like to be at the top and what it is like to be at the bottom. We go day to day through the season. Bouton critiques his various pitching performances as well as the rest of the expansion team. Much of the book is hilarious, especially the parts about his manager, Joe Schultz. It is, however, Bouton's comments about his former Yankee teammates that have ruffled so many feathers. For example, he ponders how many more home runs Mickey Mantle would have gotten if he hadn't come to so many games hungover. Well, so much for Bouton being invited to Old-timer's games at Yankee Stadium. Yet his book is tame compared to today's slash and burn sports reporters. Mickey actually comes across as a loveable hero rather than the tragic figure many later portayed him as.
Many people have tried to portray the life of a major league athlete. Most have made it too complicated or glamorous. Bouton's version still stands out as the best. He makes it sound like fun. You'll have fun, too, if you read "Ball Four".
Book Review: It doesn't get much better than this
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is still selling almost thirty years after it was originally published. That ought to tell you something.I first read it in 1975 as a rebellious teenager. I found, and continue to find, Bouton's independent streak and courage to be admirable. He refused to play along with the Neanderthals; he mouthed off to bosses; he loved the game and wanted to win and play well. The type of person who could hold the above against him is the sort that is currently being parodied in _Dilbert_ books.
One thing about this book is that it is hilariously funny. His account of his time with the old Portland Mavericks is as funny as his accounts of bullpen and locker-room humour. His style is highly readable and never boring.
And goddess, how he loves the game of baseball. And if you do, as well, and haven't read this book, you have a real treat ahead of you.
Book Review: It's evolved into almost a history book
Summary: 5 Stars
The amazing thing about reading Ball Four now, almost 30 years after it was first published, is how the game of baseball has changed. Bouton's book is almost a time capsule, illustrating what it was like when players didn't control the game and political correctness wasn't even a term. We need another Jim Bouton to describe life in baseball today. Do the Yankees still shoot beaver? Do players even worry anymore about getting back $600 apartment deposits if they're traded? Have greenies given way to andro? Even if a new Bouton surfaced, he couldn't be any funnier than the original. The image that never fails to crack me up is the one of Joe Pepitone giving a guy a hotfoot while being the victim of a hotfoot himself. Has Ken Griffey Jr. ever given anyone a hot foot? Does he even know what it is?