RIP Jim Bouton Yankee 20 game winner and author of Ball Four

Jimbo was back in the day. Fine pitcher, tho, for a while. I remember one year the Yanks bullpen was so bad that he and Downing were the main starters, and on their second day off after starting, each would come out of the bullpen to pitch relief. Read Ball Four when it came out, and although he trashed some of my heroes, I thought it was a good book and probably spot on.

a bit like Seaver in his motion and delivery, as I recall. Man, where does this time go? I had no idea he was struggling with the mind killer. May he RIP

all time favorite books.

Considering how public players' lives are now with social media, it's interesting to think about how his book was really the first 'inside the clubhouse' view of the game...and how he was blackballed for a long time because of it.

"The older they get, the better they get when they were younger." - Jim Bouton. RIP

In comment 14496286 mfsd said:

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Considering how public players' lives are now with social media, it's interesting to think about how his book was really the first 'inside the clubhouse' view of the game...and how he was blackballed for a long time because of it.

It absolutely was the first "inside the clubhouse" book and, yes, he was reviled in many quarters for doing that.

As a pitcher, he had only two really good seasons, '63 and '64, but they were two very good seasons. He was an All-Star in '63 and pitched well in both World Series those years. RIP.

Lived in my hometown. Tried to comeback as a knuckleballer. Quite the character.

the first adult book I ever read. I was probably 10 or 11. When I re-read it years later I was amazed my parents didn't take it away from me. I guess they thought it was just another one of the many baseball books I read like "Hammerin Hank of the Braves"...lol.

He also did the sports on one of the local stations for several years - I think channel 2. Had a good sense of humor. RIP.

he was special. When he first came up, he used to chat with us fans in the RF bleachers. He was genuine and open and not patronizing. I believe that he invited members of his first 'fan club' to his home.

Eventually I believe he reinvented himself as a knuckleball pitcher.

On many levels, he was one-of-a-kind.

RIP

special player and author. Thanks for the memories on and off the field. RIP. God bless. Prayers to him and his family.

both are great, though of course Ball Four is sort of on another level. In the sequel he mentioned the book "The Glory of Their Times," also a great book.

Bouton really, really loved baseball. A lot of people didn't like him, didn't approve of what he did, but nobody could argue with his love of the game.

While playing for the independent minor league Portland Mavericks, owned by Kurt Russell's dad

I was working at a synagogue in Teaneck, NJ as a youth director. It had a gym that had a basketball court/pool. He knew the AD and would come down to shoot some hoops. it was in the mid 90's. Weird dude. Didn't say much. I remember coming away thinking this is the guy that created all that hoopla?

RIP

" shooting beaver " Remember that?

made me a MLB fan for life. Rest easy Bulldog !!!

He was also a sports anchor for a local NYC TV station for a while. Funny guy.

RIP

where he retreated somewhere inMA and I think made jewelry

obit.

The Pete Rose quote is my favorite.


Bulldog - ( New Window )

I have a home in the Berkshires and saw Jim at several local benefits etc. A very nice and humble guy. Even though I grew up idolizing Mickey Mantle, I had no gripe against Jim's accounts of the Yankees team in Ball Four. I also vividly remember the year he won 21 games and earned his stripes on the Yankee team. Sorry to learn of his passing.

In 1970 I was serving as an Army medic in Vietnam. At that time my mother-in-law (a real peach) got her hair styled in the same hair salon in Wyckoff NJ as Jim Bouton's wife. My mother-in-law got a copy of Jim's book "Ball Four," and asked Jim Bouton's wife to get it signed by Jim. Jim signed and inscribed the book: "Smoke em inside." If you read the book, you understand the significance of the quote. My wife sent the book to me in Vietnam.

I read and reread that book. It was a piece of home and gave me something additional besides my wife's letters to anchor me.

Mr.Bouton was certainly an accomplished man. What he did for me might sound less significant than some of his other accomplishments, but from the perspective of a 22 year old kid in a dark place, he was a giant (small g).

I still have and treasure the book.

May you rest in peace Mr. Bouton.

he once said that baseball teams should hire Johnny Sain as their pitching coach and then let Sain hire the manager. In Bouton's opinion, Sain made that much of a difference and the manager made that little of a difference.

In comment 14496819 Medic36th said:

Quote:

In 1970 I was serving as an Army medic in Vietnam. At that time my mother-in-law (a real peach) got her hair styled in the same hair salon in Wyckoff NJ as Jim Bouton's wife. My mother-in-law got a copy of Jim's book "Ball Four," and asked Jim Bouton's wife to get it signed by Jim. Jim signed and inscribed the book: "Smoke em inside." If you read the book, you understand the significance of the quote. My wife sent the book to me in Vietnam. I read and reread that book. It was a piece of home and gave me something additional besides my wife's letters to anchor me. Mr.Bouton was certainly an accomplished man. What he did for me might sound less significant than some of his other accomplishments, but from the perspective of a 22 year old kid in a dark place, he was a giant (small g). I still have and treasure the book. May you rest in peace Mr. Bouton.

Great story, thanks for sharing

Shredded bubble gum in a pouch so that kids could pretend they were chewing tobacco.

Quite the player and Yankee always like him ...

In comment 14496819 Medic36th said:

Quote:

In 1970 I was serving as an Army medic in Vietnam. At that time my mother-in-law (a real peach) got her hair styled in the same hair salon in Wyckoff NJ as Jim Bouton's wife. My mother-in-law got a copy of Jim's book "Ball Four," and asked Jim Bouton's wife to get it signed by Jim. Jim signed and inscribed the book: "Smoke em inside." If you read the book, you understand the significance of the quote. My wife sent the book to me in Vietnam. I read and reread that book. It was a piece of home and gave me something additional besides my wife's letters to anchor me. Mr.Bouton was certainly an accomplished man. What he did for me might sound less significant than some of his other accomplishments, but from the perspective of a 22 year old kid in a dark place, he was a giant (small g). I still have and treasure the book. May you rest in peace Mr. Bouton.

Awesome story....Thank you for your service.