Ball Four

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Summary: Baseball's 1970 version of the national enquirer
Review: I was a young kid when this book caused quite a stir among baseball players and fans. That was reason enough to buy it and read it. It was good, but only verified what many assumed went on behind the scenes, nothing I found totally shocking, I found a near mint copy of the original in a used book store today so I bought it and will sit down to read it again almost 30 years later, it is one of those instantly recognizable books that jogs your memory the minute you see it on a shelf. Contact me if you want to talk about it! [e-mail]

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Summary: One of My All Time Favorites
Review: "Ball Four" remains, over 20 years after I read it the first time, one of my all time favorites. I have read it in its entirety probably ten times and picked it up to read two to three page sections probably hundreds of times to get a quick laugh. And I never get bored with it. This book was written in an age where the mediocre players (like Bouton at that time) had to fight for every dollar and the owners were in control. There weren't the prima donnas of today, expecting to be worshipped like a deity despite a .225 batting average. And Bouton lays it all out; the clubhouse gags, the use of "greenies" (Pep Pills), "Baseball Annies" (Groupies) and the fights of salary negotiation when you're an end-of-the-road pitcher who once was great (Bouton). You'll be shocked at the annual salaries that are fought over in this book! His admission of Mickey Mantle's love of alcohol got him chastised and ostracized, but Mickey's health problems at the end of the life showed Bouton wasn't lying. A great book for sports fans everywhere. I only wish they would reissue this book with Bouton's follow-up "I'm Glad You Didn't Take It Personally" included, which describes Bouton's trials and tribulations after "Ball Four" was released.

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Summary: The second funniest baseball book ever written!
Review: I was glad this anniversary edition was released! I had "loaned" my first copy of "Ball Four" to my cousin back in the '70s and never got it back!

I got to be a teamate of Jim a few years back with Little Ferry in the Metropolitan Baseball League in NJ. Jim's a great guy and when I told him so, he agreed with me! <g>

The Book is a "must read" for baseball fans.

The only baseball book better than this is Leo Durocher's "Nice Guys Finish Last!"

When you read Durocher's book, you will realize the greatest character in baseball history was probably Dizzy Dean!

Read both! (They never get old!)

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Summary: Funny inside observations on the game of baseball
Review: I loved this book. Jim Bouton is a funny man and his witty observations on behind-the-scenes baseball are fantastic. It's definitely a baseball classic. Enjoy the baseball and try to ignore Bouton's politics. Some of his political pronouncements are just downright silly.

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Summary: Best baseball book ever
Review: I enjoyed reading Ball Four so much that I contacted Jim Bouton and conducted an interview with him. Take a look at my website.

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Summary: I read this book every year. It is the first of its kind.
Review: 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.

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Summary: I expected more...
Review: With all the uproar this book caused in 1970 when it came out, I expected more. More controversy. More about Mickey Mantle. More about loose morals on the road. Jim Bouton is a funny guy, there's little question of that. From the book, I get the tone that he's quite an egotist as well. He has many self-depricating remarks in the book, but after a while, I came to believe he thinks too highly about himself. There are some great stories about "beaver shooting" and other games that ballplayers play that I thought were hilarious. As well, seeing behind the scenes of a baseball season was neat. But I wanted more of the scandalous stuff.

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Summary: We chose Ball Four for "This is Baseball"
Review: Three weeks ago the best sport's radio program of Venezuela "This is Baseball" started a new section called "The Literature in Baseball". This program is directed for the laureated baseball commentator, Mr. Duilio Di Giacomo, one of the truly greats of our country and a former nine years-tenure pro baseball commisioner. He is in company of the young and well informed journalist, Rubén Martín. As a real fan of this radio show I have collaborated with baseball's information to the point than Mr. Di Giacomo asked me to help him in the production of the new segment. We feel very proud in the selecting of Jim Bouton's "Ball Four" as the first best seller taking into account. We have delighted to the radio listeners with this deep, insightful, penetrating, funny and beautiful book which described the American society of that time (1969) through our beloved passtime: baseball.

The next Thursday (september 10) the last analysis of this book is going to be launched and We are very interested in the Jim Bouton's e-mail to express our admiration for this book and, at the same time, to express our condolences for Laurie's . We are going to read for our radio listeners the Baseball America article about Jim Bouton's comeback to Yankees all-timers day and the circumstances around his returning.

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Summary: The greatest sports book of all time.
Review: I just finished reading Ball Four and along with Catcher in the Rye (not the Uecker one)it is the only book I haven't been able to put down, except to sleep and go to work. Funny, poignant, informative it is truly a masterpiece. If you haven't read this book, DO IT NOW!

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Summary: This Book Will ALWAYS Be In My Library. It Is A CLASSIC>
Review: I could write forever about this book. I first read it when it came out in 1970 and I've gone through two or three copies by now. At one point I came across a copy Bouton had pre-autographed, and someone stole it a party. I wish I had it today. I have read this book so many times I have lost count, and it cracks me up every time. "Hiya blondie, how's the old tomato?" has got to be one of the best throwaway lines I've ever heard. Not to be missed though are the numerous human interest stories in the book, the ones that really made the book what it is. Bouton has a very keen power of observation and an unparalled knack for storytelling. I'm sure Leonard Schechter fit in the equation somewhere, but since Bouton has experienced the thrills of winning in the World Series to pitching for the now lost in time Seattle Pilots, no one is more uniquely qualified to comment like he does. Like another reviewer said, I've read this book so many times over the years I feel l! ike I know Bouton well, but I'd bet there's still more to him than we know. It would be great fun to kill a few beers with him, order take out from the bullpen phone and shoot some beaver. "Hey Gelnar, c'mere a minute. Up there near the Section 23 sign. Check the rack on that broad." "Yeah, surrrrrre."