Jim Bouton turns 74 today. Odd that two of the most controversial players who ever lived were born on March 8th- Dick Allen turns 71 today. Jim Bouton had a couple good years with the Yankees in the 1960’s before arm troubles slowed his career. He is best known for his tell all book “Ball Four” a diary of his 1969 season in which he spent with the expansion Seattle Pilots [the next year they moved to Milwaukee to become the Brewers} and the Houston Astros.

“Ball Four” is one of my favourite baseball books and I’ve read hundreds of baseball books. “Ball Four” when it came out was the most controversial book of its day [for sports} It told how things were, how the players were, what they did off the field, what they talked about, their adventures and misadventures. A lot of people hated Jim Bouton. There was a thinking at that time no one wrote about what really happened. The writers hung out with the ballplayers, they weren’t telling any tales. Jim Bouton blew the lid off of all that forever.  I do not know how many times I’ve read this book. I’d guess 20-25 times. I think I pretty much have it memorized. If I don’t read it every year at this time its at least every two springs. Its a ritual. Bouton would write a few more books but nothing was like “Ball Four.”

I remember when I got my first copy of the book. I was 9 years old. Some of the language in the book not appropriate for a 9 year old but my grandma who bought the book for me was not a baseball fan and didn’t know what the book was about. I can remember taking it home and hiding it under my mattress! When no one was around I would read it. I still have that copy of “Ball Four” but its falling apart. I think I have a total of 5ive copies now. As soon as I finish this post I am going to go dig out a copy and start reading. The guys that Jim Bouton wrote about have become folk heroes to me. Joe Schultz the Pilots manager, Harry “The Hat” Walker his manager when he was traded to Houston in mid-season. Everytime I read about the Phil Linz harmomica incident on the Yankees bus I laugh so hard that tears come out of my eyes. He writes about his teammates, his past teammates. No book I’ve ever read- and I think this is the key to why I love this book- no book I’ve ever read-made me feel like “THIS IS WHAT IT IS LIKE TO BE A MAJOR LEAGUE BALLPLAYER” like this great book. This book I think captures it perfectly. The ultimate selling point back then had to be Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn’s reaction to the book. He called it “detrimental to baseball.” Bowie Kuhn was the ultimate stuffed shirt. If he didn’t like it-it HAD to be a great book. It is. The New York Public Library named “Ball Four” one of the Books of the Century.