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Rating: 
Summary: candid, gutsy account of a very difficult career
Review: It's really hard to rate _Behind the Mask_ without dividing it into two categories: as a book about gay life, and as a baseball book. I found it interesting and valuable in both areas.Pallone, it must be remembered, came of age in the seventies, when the idea of being 'out' was difficult for anyone--much less a professional sports official. His story has the ring of truth and honesty, and would in particular be a good read for young people wrestling with sexual identity issues: it does not contain explicit sex scenes. Probably PG-13. Of special value is Pallone's own self-analysis; he has come to understand why he handled life the way he did, and the picture we see is of a man who has regrets about some things but is at peace. With regard to baseball, we get a lot of closeups of Pallone's colleagues. Like anyone else, some good, some not so good; some competent, some not so competent. The degree to which umpires will engage a vindictive streak to the detriment of the game truly stunned me, and I'm generally a defender of the officials. The politics and union/management wangling that go into deciding just who gets to be a big league umpire are laid bare. Pallone contends that he was fired for being gay, and I don't think he necessarily makes the case for this very well; while I wouldn't put it past the league owners, it's also possible that he was fired for being controversial, and that his revelation of his sexuality was simply the one more bit of awkward press that baseball didn't want. Either way, it took a lot of courage for him to pursue his career in the face of a lot of adversity, and I'd proudly shake his hand. A good read from either standpoint.
Rating:
Summary: candid, gutsy account of a very difficult career
Review: It's really hard to rate _Behind the Mask_ without dividing it into two categories: as a book about gay life, and as a baseball book. I found it interesting and valuable in both areas. Pallone, it must be remembered, came of age in the seventies, when the idea of being 'out' was difficult for anyone--much less a professional sports official. His story has the ring of truth and honesty, and would in particular be a good read for young people wrestling with sexual identity issues: it does not contain explicit sex scenes. Probably PG-13. Of special value is Pallone's own self-analysis; he has come to understand why he handled life the way he did, and the picture we see is of a man who has regrets about some things but is at peace. With regard to baseball, we get a lot of closeups of Pallone's colleagues. Like anyone else, some good, some not so good; some competent, some not so competent. The degree to which umpires will engage a vindictive streak to the detriment of the game truly stunned me, and I'm generally a defender of the officials. The politics and union/management wangling that go into deciding just who gets to be a big league umpire are laid bare. Pallone contends that he was fired for being gay, and I don't think he necessarily makes the case for this very well; while I wouldn't put it past the league owners, it's also possible that he was fired for being controversial, and that his revelation of his sexuality was simply the one more bit of awkward press that baseball didn't want. Either way, it took a lot of courage for him to pursue his career in the face of a lot of adversity, and I'd proudly shake his hand. A good read from either standpoint.
Rating:
Summary: Insightful, inspirational, and Touching
Review: This book should be on the shelf of every gay person in America who is in doubt of his or her sexuality. For you baseball fans, there is the inside story of the famed "Pete Rose" incident, but you don't have to be a baseball fan, or gay to enjoy this well written book. It's out of print, but well worth the time and effort to hunt it down or check it out of your local library.
Rating:
Summary: Insightful, inspirational, and Touching
Review: This book should be on the shelf of every gay person in America who is in doubt of his or her sexuality. For you baseball fans, there is the inside story of the famed "Pete Rose" incident, but you don't have to be a baseball fan, or gay to enjoy this well written book. It's out of print, but well worth the time and effort to hunt it down or check it out of your local library.
Rating: 
Summary: Intelligent and hard-hitting
Review: This intelligent and somewhat angry autobiography gives a candid look at baseball from the view of an umpire. Readers learn about seldom-reported areas as relations between players and umpires, how officials take command on the field, the coolie wages paid to minor-league umpires (and many players), and the loneliness that umpires experience from being on the road for months at a time. Mr. Pallone also tries to settle scores with the baseball establishment for having fired him, and with certain pro-union umpires that harassed him for having crossed the picket line during the bitter 1979 umpire's strike. But this book is also about Pallone's sexual identity, which he hid lest he get fired for being gay - as allegedly happened prior to the 1989 season. Many readers will sympathize with Pallone's insecurities and love for baseball, but might choose to fast forward through the brief descriptions of his romantic life. Pallone is straightforward about baseball, umpiring, plus his emotions both on and off the field. This is an intelligent and hard-hitting biography.
Rating:
Summary: Intelligent and hard-hitting
Review: This intelligent and somewhat angry autobiography gives a candid look at baseball from the view of an umpire. Readers learn about seldom-reported areas as relations between players and umpires, how officials take command on the field, the coolie wages paid to minor-league umpires (and many players), and the loneliness that umpires experience from being on the road for months at a time. Mr. Pallone also tries to settle scores with the baseball establishment for having fired him, and with certain pro-union umpires that harassed him for having crossed the picket line during the bitter 1979 umpire's strike. But this book is also about Pallone's sexual identity, which he hid lest he get fired for being gay - as allegedly happened prior to the 1989 season. Many readers will sympathize with Pallone's insecurities and love for baseball, but might choose to fast forward through the brief descriptions of his romantic life. Pallone is straightforward about baseball, umpiring, plus his emotions both on and off the field. This is an intelligent and hard-hitting biography.
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