Perfect I'm Not: Boomer on Beer, Brawls, Backaches, and Baseball

Rating:
Summary: Keep Crying, Sox Fans
Review: 3 reviews, 2 from people who obviously have not read the book and are Yankee-haters. The simple fact is, David Wells is a flake, but he's also a winner. He's the kind of guy that many a baseball fan would like to share a beer with, and I mean the regular fans, not the luxury box-sitting, shrimp cocktail-eating and leave in the 7th inning to beat the traffic "fans". The stories are about Wells' experiences, not what the media has spun to represent their own points of view and axes to grind. I applaud him for speaking his mind. There is going to be fallout from it, from people who object to the way that he portrays events, to the players and fans of cities and teams he has lit into, and he'll have to live with that. I appreciate his candor. He's no role model, certainly. And reading about his experiences, a sane, rational and sober person will conclude that it is not the way to make it to the major leagues. But it is how he chooses to live his life and as long as he's not hurting anyone I say "hoist another one, Boomer".

Rating:
Summary: Fat cowardice
Review: A bunch of boring baloney. Wells is an overweight, cowardly lush who's taking back much of what he said here. If there hadn't been all the controversy surrounding the accuracy of what he said, no one would give this tripe even a look. Save your money.

Rating:
Summary: Boomer! Boomer!
Review: As a Yankee fan I watched Boomer in 97-98 and now in the present 02-03, yet I always wondered just how exaggerated the stories were of his off-the-field life. This book proves that most stories written about him not concerning baseball were far from embellished. The stories are interesting and at times funny, and it was a bit of a surprise to read the parts where he explains the magnitude of the back pains he played through. Those who say pitchers have it easy because they don't play everyday like position players do should see how it feels to take a cortisone shot in their back routinely. Though baseball is the center of attention in the book, many stories of what players do off the field are brought to the forefront, which I commend Wells for. Baseball players do not always act like the quasi-icons people perceive them as. I guess I could understand why he was fined for the book (mainly, the part where he writes he was hungover when he pitched his perfect game), yet it seems unfair that Wells was fined the amount he was (I think $100,000) while players who throw punches in a brawl get suspended a few games and are fined only a couple of thousand dollars (looks like the Yankees are more stern when dealing with matters of discipline than Major League Baseball). Overall the book was great and I'd recommend it to any fan of the Yankees or of baseball.

Rating:
Summary: Good, Bad, Ugly -- all that and a lot more Boomer
Review: At times he comes off as a long, lost best friend and at others he is a self-inflated, self-absorbed ass. He is a colorful character providing illuminating stories from the earliest days of playing rookie ball and Venezualan winter ball with beer guzzling, tail chasing future MLB players including Pat Borders, Cecil Fielder, Rob Duecy, and Todd Stottlemyre to the later days as a member of the Yankees. Wells is a good pitcher with a booming personality who pitched for some great teams and of course will always be remembered for his May 17, 1998 perfect game. His career numbers do not support his own assessed value (4.04 ERA, 1 year with at least 20 wins) but his book will stay on the top shelf of my collection of baseball books.

I found myself laughing out loud over and over again. Steroid and cortisone stories aside, Wells adds candid insight into the managerial and GM activities from every team he played for (up to the end of the 2002 season). Inside observations are made on notable managers (Cito Gaston, Sparky Ansderson, Davy Johnson, Joe Torre, and Jim Fregosi) and GMs ("stand" Pat Gillick, Gord Ash, Jim Bowden, Ken Williams, and Brian Cashman). Wells also includes colorful stories of two of the most notoriously hated and loved baseball owners of the last 50 eyars -- Marge Schott and George Steinbrenner.

It was odd to read the momentum praise and glory of the '98 Yankees who won 114 games without any mention of the record-tying 116 wins by the '01 Seattle Mariners . By failing to mention this incredible milestone, he appeared to be protecting the legacy of the 114 win NY team. He should have mentioned the 116 win Seattle team and emphasized the fact that the NY team went on to finish like champions by winning the world series. Wells also slights some players by limiting praise to his favorite teamates. For example, the contribution of Alfonso Soriano and Roger Clemens in NY is clearly understated. Huge character, raging hair band air guitar junkie, and pure attitude live in the pages of this book, making it a worthy read for any baseball fan.

Rating:
Summary: PERFECT I'M NOT
Review: Being a lifelong baseball fan, I read anything I can get my hands on regarding it. I personally found this book extremely entertaining and very enjoyable. David Wells has much to tell about his rise to the top of AMERICAS GAME. He brought me on a wild ride from the beaches of southern California to the bars in Manhattan. His writing about baseball is excellent as well. If you are a fan, READ IT. If the boring RED SOX had a few characters like Wells, maybe it could spark them to winning something.

Rating:
Summary: Boomer's book
Review: Being a Yankee fan, I had to read the book just to see what Boomer had to say. I didn't regret it. It was very well-written and was hilarious...whether most of it was true or not we'll never know, but it was a great book anyway. I would recommend it to Yankee fans, baseball fans, and anyone who has thought of reading it.

Rating:
Summary: Great stuff
Review: Boomer shows he has great stuff both on the mound AND at the typewriter! (With an assist from Chris Kreski.) The Cone stuff is great, as is the rest of the book. Can't figure out why the Yankee front office was so upset, nothing really inflammatory here, just lots of good natured laughs. Bottom line is this, Boomer is a loveable ne'er-do-well and we need characters like him to remind us all... it's only a game!
And if you like stories of loveable ne'er-do-wells, I also recommend NO ONE'S EVEN BLEEDING and DELANO.

Rating:
Summary: pretty cool
Review: Finally, a baseball player who doesn't just speak in boring cliches! The guy has opinions, and funny anecdotes, and he's not afraid to keep it real. Awesome book, I smiled all the way through it.

Rating:
Summary: Loved it
Review: Got this as a birthday gift last week and thought it was great. My brother has already stolen it from me and he keeps laughing out loud as he reads it. If you're a Yankee fan, you HAVE to read the stuff about 1997 and 1998 and 2002. I'd definitely have given it 5 stars, except there's a photo of Boomer's big naked ... in there... not pretty.

Rating:
Summary: Great Read
Review: Great baseball (auto)biography. Fun to read and not just about the game but about life around the game. There are moments when you cannot help but laugh out loud. Read this book. It explains why Boomer is Boomer.

Recommend: The Last Commissioner - Fay Vincent, Catcher in the Wry - Bob Uecker, Zim - Don Zimmer, anything by Yogi, Moneyball