Jim 'Bulldog' Bouton, gave me, my dad and brother a lot of joy when he pitched.
Fantastic black & white pic of Bulldog Bouton, Tyler. Wow, that pic brought back memories. Great article although sad. Thank you, Tyler.
Fantastic black & white pic of Bulldog Bouton, Tyler. Wow, that pic brought back memories. Great article although sad. Thank you, Tyler.
4
Bouton was such a great character himself that I read "Ball Four" without even being a sports fan. He was a great sports news broadcaster and I loved to watch his perception of the sport when he appeared on TV. He just seemed so hip as compared to almost everyone else in sports.
4
Get a load of this Bouton story:
About 15 years ago, I was at Jacob's Pillow, one of country's greatest institutions devoted to the study and performance of modern dance. This was almost 25 years after I ran into Bouton on the campus at Columbia and asked him to wait for me to run home to my university housing to get a Yankee game ball for him to sign.
I still have the ball.
Anyway, that night at Jacob's Pillow, we were no more than five minutes into an outdoor performance when I -- a dance and baseball fan -- noticed Bouton among those in the dance company.
Jim Bouton. Modern dance? Wow!
What a life. Pitched at Yankee Stadiun and danced at Jacob's Pillow.
I remember telling myself that, while I was tempted to approach him afterwards as I would have done after a baseball game, this was a night he had chosen to be a dancer, and an elegant and graceful one at that. I watched quietly as this incredible man walked off with the other members of the company.
I'm still glad I resisted the temptation to ask for an autograph.
About 15 years ago, I was at Jacob's Pillow, one of country's greatest institutions devoted to the study and performance of modern dance. This was almost 25 years after I ran into Bouton on the campus at Columbia and asked him to wait for me to run home to my university housing to get a Yankee game ball for him to sign.
I still have the ball.
Anyway, that night at Jacob's Pillow, we were no more than five minutes into an outdoor performance when I -- a dance and baseball fan -- noticed Bouton among those in the dance company.
Jim Bouton. Modern dance? Wow!
What a life. Pitched at Yankee Stadiun and danced at Jacob's Pillow.
I remember telling myself that, while I was tempted to approach him afterwards as I would have done after a baseball game, this was a night he had chosen to be a dancer, and an elegant and graceful one at that. I watched quietly as this incredible man walked off with the other members of the company.
I'm still glad I resisted the temptation to ask for an autograph.
11
As a Red Sox fan, I never wanted to see Jim Bouton on the mound at Fenway Park. However, about 25 years ago, when I was involved in a major event in Albany, New York, and Marge Champion was our special guest, her escort was Jim Bouton. I had a great time talking to him, although he made fun of me for being a Red Sox fan. At the end of the night, he remarked that I took it all in stride "for a Red Sox fan."
I remember having read "Ball Four" when it first came out. I was a young, female baseball fan, and I was shocked at its contents. All that behind-the-scenes, raw, inside-baseball talk! I re-read it after meeting him at the event and didn't find it shocking at all--just great fun.
So sorry to hear that he is suffering. He has had a wonderful life on so many levels and has contributed so much to the baseball world, as well as to the western Massachusetts/eastern New York community. We salute you and what you've done. Even us Red Sox fans.
I remember having read "Ball Four" when it first came out. I was a young, female baseball fan, and I was shocked at its contents. All that behind-the-scenes, raw, inside-baseball talk! I re-read it after meeting him at the event and didn't find it shocking at all--just great fun.
So sorry to hear that he is suffering. He has had a wonderful life on so many levels and has contributed so much to the baseball world, as well as to the western Massachusetts/eastern New York community. We salute you and what you've done. Even us Red Sox fans.
7
What a tragedy. I grew up in Seattle, and "Ball Four" is a loving homage to a baseball team that was "one and done" - the Seattle Pilots fled to Milwaukee after a single season - on April Fools Day! His book is funny, honest and acerbic - and this is indeed sad news - https://johnrieber.com/2013/09/17/ball-four-baseballs-most-controversial...
7
So sad. I must have read Ball Four five times.
4
Thank you, Kepner, for finding and writing this story. It is so gracefully done and is special to many of us, I am sure.
8
June is designated Aphasia Awareness Month. I am disappointed that this reporter was not aware that Aphasia, which affects over 2.5 million Americans, is the name for acquired language impairments such as that experienced by Mr. Bouton. It is frustrating to the aphasia community that news stories rarely use the word, preferring to dramatically but inaccurately describe people's language skills as as having been "wiped out." Many people with aphasia hear the word for the first time when they are diagnosed with it.
9
Interviewed him as a sports writer. Just a bright guy. Talked with him again years later at a book signing. He's an engaging and fun fellow. I not entirely joke when I say "Ball Four" was the best book ever written. Certainly, I read it more than any other. Spurred me to keep a journal my last two years in high school. As an homage to Bouton, the title of a baseball book I wrote came from a Johnny Sain anecdote in Ball Four.
5
I remember when "Ball Four" came out and Bouton was treated as an outcast because, according to his detractors. he had defamed the legend and public perception of the great Mickey Mantle, and other lesser Yankee stars. He had exposed the fact that these grown men were still at heart little boys, able to continue their boyish antics because they were MLB players. The only problem with this censorship was Jim spoke the truth, not only about the Yankees, but himself as well. I read an article last year about Tom Seaver's weakening physical condition. It's difficult as we grow older, as do our boyhood heroes, as we all succumb to the ravages of time. Hang in there, Jim, you still have fans out here rooting for you now as we did back then.
6
I'm not sure how honest he was about himself. He talked about players sleeping around but not about his own infidelity.
" Think about what remains, not what is lost" has become my mantra as I deal with my own progressive demyelinating brain disease.
Thanks for this article.
Thanks for this article.
19
Growing up in the late 60s and early 70s, there were three things that transformed me into a lifelong reader: MAD Magazine, the Tarzan novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and "Ball Four" by JIm Bouton. And lucky for me, all three were readily available in my local public library! God bless those librarians and God Bless Jim Bouton!
19
Prompted by my use of the phrase "cute - like an iguana", I was just talking about this book this week with a colleague in his 30s who has loved it too. Good writing, true wit, and bountiful humanity is ageless and timeless. Thank you for this wonderful article - it makes a fellow proud to be an Astro.
2
I met Jim Bouton when I was volunteering for McGovern For President in 1972 in Bergen County, New Jersey. I was only 17 at the time, but Mr. Bouton came over to me and explained the importance of what we were doing even in the face of impending defeat. He also put me in touch with people organizing against the Military Draft (which was looming for me) and with those opposed to the Viet-nam War. Mr. Bouton had a great influence on me. And I have never forgotten a Major League Athlete and well known celebrity talking to me, almost like a father son talk. He energized my commitment to be involved in politics that endures to this day. Thank you Mr. Bouton, from a grateful 17 year old now turning 62!!
44
A deeply moving, beautifully written piece about two marvelous people. I am grateful.
15
Batted against Jim in the semi-pro Met League in Northern NJ way after he retired. He must have got me out cause I can't recollect getting a hit.
You would think he was just another washed up player trying to relieve his glory years and losing the dignity that went with it. But no, his love of the game and joy of being on the field was palpable and transcended any melancholy one would have felt for him.
God bless Jim, keep throwing that knuckler.
You would think he was just another washed up player trying to relieve his glory years and losing the dignity that went with it. But no, his love of the game and joy of being on the field was palpable and transcended any melancholy one would have felt for him.
God bless Jim, keep throwing that knuckler.
18
A wonderful story offered at a a time of great difficulty and strife for us all. Even as he suffers through illness, Jim Bouton brings a smile to our collective faces. He's the kind of American we all aspire to be: a person of truth, dignity, courage, kindness, strength and good humor. That's real baseball. That's real America. That's real Jim Bouton. Thank you for sharing him and his wonderful wife with us.
13
I read Mr. Bouton's book and "The Glory of Their Times", the other best sports book ever written, about the same time, or so it seems from a distance of 50 or so years. They always seemed simpatico to me; the old-timers were in some ways just as willing to tell the "truth" about life as a man playing a child's game for money as were Mr. Bouton and his mainly unknowing comrades and literary subjects. I've read Ball Four many times and its never lost its freshness. It's funny, frank and absolutely poignant in a unique and beautiful way. In some ways, it cemented my special love for baseball the same way my first hearing of Jimi Hendrix did for music.
I remember him more as a member of ABC's irreverent Eyewitness News Team, than Channel 2's. He fit right in.
Mr. Bouton spoke at Colgate while I was there in the mid-70s. For some inane reason, I missed his talk. But as I was walking into the campus pub later that night, he was walking out with a small group. I paused and he paused, a smile creasing his face. I smiled back but for some reason, I said nothing. Here was my "literary hero" and a Yankee to boot but I was too shy to speak. Then we both turned and walked on. I've been kicking myself ever since.
God Bless you Jim Bouton. It was a wonderful thing you
I remember him more as a member of ABC's irreverent Eyewitness News Team, than Channel 2's. He fit right in.
Mr. Bouton spoke at Colgate while I was there in the mid-70s. For some inane reason, I missed his talk. But as I was walking into the campus pub later that night, he was walking out with a small group. I paused and he paused, a smile creasing his face. I smiled back but for some reason, I said nothing. Here was my "literary hero" and a Yankee to boot but I was too shy to speak. Then we both turned and walked on. I've been kicking myself ever since.
God Bless you Jim Bouton. It was a wonderful thing you
13
Jim Bouton greatest gift as a writer was introspection. He was willing to admit who he was for good and bad. Going public with his latest struggles is one more chapter from a good author and a good man. And thanks to Tyler for sharing the story.
6
I was probably 14 or 15 years old in the mid 1970s when i went to the library and took out Ball Four. I could not put it down. Being from ny i would watch Jim do the local sports reports on the 6 oclock news. I have always loved to hear him being interviewed or to read a column he wrote. I remember watching the ball four tv show. Best wishes to you Mr. Bouton
6
I think Ball Four is one of only several books I read cover to cover in high school. Thanks for the wonderful yarns.
5
I was 13 when I read "Ball Four" for the first time. That was in '75 and I have re-read it several times as an adult. It's easily the best sports book I've ever read. He captured the alternating feelings of insecurity and elation that pitchers experience in a way that still rings true in spite of the may ways baseball has changed over the years.
One of the best things about "Ball Four" has nothing to do with baseball. It is an excellent chronicle of the different ways a diverse group of young men handled a very stressful job amid the cultural upheaval of the late 60s.
I hope Jim is comforted by the knowledge that his observations about sports and, more importantly, human nature have influenced many readers. Hang in there, Jim... and don't forget to "Smoke 'em inside."
One of the best things about "Ball Four" has nothing to do with baseball. It is an excellent chronicle of the different ways a diverse group of young men handled a very stressful job amid the cultural upheaval of the late 60s.
I hope Jim is comforted by the knowledge that his observations about sports and, more importantly, human nature have influenced many readers. Hang in there, Jim... and don't forget to "Smoke 'em inside."
8
As a kid, I remember watching Jim Bouton's cap often falling off his head when he threw a fastball. Funny, but that's what I remember most whenever he pitched at the old Stadium.
Later on, he put together an "All Star" Basketball team and played charity events around the city, one of which my dad brought me to.
It was the first time I actually met Jim Bouton and he autographed a baseball I had in my pocket. Still have it.
Somewhere in between that time I read "Ball Four".
Fast forward to the late 1990's, guess who is in the seat next to me on a flight to Atlanta?
He was generous, talkative, candid and still had that bit of an understandable chip on his shoulder.
Ever since that brief one on one time together, I came to admire him as a person and I always will.
He is a memorable part of my youth and my very best thoughts and good wishes are with the Boutons.
Later on, he put together an "All Star" Basketball team and played charity events around the city, one of which my dad brought me to.
It was the first time I actually met Jim Bouton and he autographed a baseball I had in my pocket. Still have it.
Somewhere in between that time I read "Ball Four".
Fast forward to the late 1990's, guess who is in the seat next to me on a flight to Atlanta?
He was generous, talkative, candid and still had that bit of an understandable chip on his shoulder.
Ever since that brief one on one time together, I came to admire him as a person and I always will.
He is a memorable part of my youth and my very best thoughts and good wishes are with the Boutons.
10
I met Jim at a networking event 9 years ago. He had sold the Big League chew franchise and was discussing how to succeed--after learning many failures--in business and how he became an enthusiast of Old-Time Throwback (like turn of the 20th Century) baseball and that there were clubs in Western Massachusetts that had games played the old way with dead balls and old equipment, which he preferred to modern MLB. Regrettably, I never got to one of those games. However, I did get a picture taken with him and an autographed copy of Ball Four "The Final Pitch", an updated version with epilogue published in 2000, with the inscription: "Smoke 'em inside". Jim is a heck of a guy and I wish him the best.
7
Lovely piece about an extraordinary guy. Ball Four was stunningly refreshing for its honesty. And how it humanized baseball players, who mostly then -- and now -- spouted nothing but one dimensional cliches, when they said anything at all. As if what they were doing needed the protection of Omertà. Thanks to Jim for ripping the cover off of that silly silence.
It's a terrific book. May the coming years be kind to the Boutons
It's a terrific book. May the coming years be kind to the Boutons
9
Only just read Ball Four last month. Picked it up and couldn't put it down. Humanised the game for me and made the people so real... particularly Jim himself. To have shared his dreams and disappointments with us was very brave and to take on the establishment even braver... and then his strength in dealing with life's blows....
Seems he is facing his present adversity with the bravery and strength.
I wish we had crossed paths earlier.
Best wishes from far way and down under.
Jerry
Seems he is facing his present adversity with the bravery and strength.
I wish we had crossed paths earlier.
Best wishes from far way and down under.
Jerry
5
I play in a 55 & over baseball league in Albany,NY.
One night a little over 4 years ago I made the drive up from Dutchess County. I arrived as the game was about to start and one of my teammates pointed out to the mound. He said that Jim Bouton was pitching against us.
Unfortunately for Jim we were putting the ball in play and his team was doing a poor job at catching the balls they should have .
Jim pitched a few innings and came over and shook all of our hands before heading back to Great Barrington. He was quite a gentleman.
It's one of those nights I will never forget. I still have a photo of him on the mound.
One night a little over 4 years ago I made the drive up from Dutchess County. I arrived as the game was about to start and one of my teammates pointed out to the mound. He said that Jim Bouton was pitching against us.
Unfortunately for Jim we were putting the ball in play and his team was doing a poor job at catching the balls they should have .
Jim pitched a few innings and came over and shook all of our hands before heading back to Great Barrington. He was quite a gentleman.
It's one of those nights I will never forget. I still have a photo of him on the mound.
7
At a doubleheader in the mid 1960s, I was walking around the lower deck doing nothing. The top of the first of the second game. Just walking from the 297 right field foul pole to the 301 left field pole. Then doing it again until an usher gave me the business. Not sure why I was loner at 12 years old but I enjoyed going to old Yankee Stadium by myself. I'd go to Parkers Grocery under my grandmother's apartment get a bologna hero and a swiss cheese hero, supplies for the double header and wash them down with a Harry M. Stevens flat warm soda. My single purchase inside the stadium on my tight budget. Well, on my third trip between the bullpens near home plate in a box seat with an empty seat next to him was Jim Bouton. He pitched a great game in the opener and there he was in a suit, in a seat, just like a fan. I didn't have a score card but I had a Bic pen I always carried just in case. I found some kind of paper on the ground and picked it up and scooted over to the empty seat, plopped into it and didn't say a word. Needed to know if he was angry or not. He turned to me and smiled, I told him how good his pitching was that day and how I felt when the Yankees won. An usher saw me and made a move but Bouton gave him its an alright gesture. Jim talked to me for a bit and thanked me for the compliment, signed my paper, said he was waiting for someone who was going to sit in my seat. I said thank you, Mr. Bouton, and went away happy as a loon.
14
That picture of him on the mound is all it takes to bring up the feelings of a world gone by - youth, baseball, the Yankees, the early sixties, before it all turned. One vignette in his book still sticks with me - I think he was making a comeback and they had him start and he had a really good game and when they took him out, he enjoyed "the cool of the evening", the satisfaction of having done a good piece of work, at the end of a summer day. Nowadays I'll be done mowing the lawn as the sun is going down and I just stop and look around at the sky, at the clean lawn, at the orangeing sky and think, not entirely without irony, "the cool of the evening".
8
I was a senior in high school and absolutely baseball crazy when Ball Four came out. After years of reading baseball books that were variations of the "aw shucks, I'm just happy to be in the big leagues" theme, I was stunned to read about a hung over Mickey Mantle and major leaguers as peeping Toms at the Shoreham Hotel in Washington. Forty six yeas later I'm still a baseball fan but my perception of big league athletes is completely different. It's just a game.
2
I met him on a plane once. He was an affable guy. Easy with a laugh and a smile.
I told him he looked remarkably like Zbigniew Brzezinski.
He laughed and said people tell him that all the time.
It was a memorably business travel moment. Just two people, on a plane from somewhere to somewhere else, sharing snippet of time.
I told him he looked remarkably like Zbigniew Brzezinski.
He laughed and said people tell him that all the time.
It was a memorably business travel moment. Just two people, on a plane from somewhere to somewhere else, sharing snippet of time.
6
I am sorry that this happened to Jim Bouton, one of my all time favorite writers, but thank God he has Ms. Kurman there beside him. A very well written piece.
4
He was so great to watch when he pitched. The article is so much about his wife whom remains strong and leads Mr. Bounton's with class and grace.
5
I saw Bouton at an anti Vietnam war rally. Probably 1966/67. I was a cop on crowd control. His presence made me think. What's he doing here. Made me look into the war and finally I too came to the conclusion that this was not a good war.
17
Jim Boutin's baseball card with Al Downing is one of my favorites. Best wishes to this good couple.
3
The story of these baseball men, and their journey, parallels the story of our male, boomer lives...Godspeed (please), to us all.
2
Like many others here, Ball Four was a Bible of sorts to me growing up in Brookllyn in the '70s. A passage in Ball Four that takes on added poignancy now is Jim speculating on what a great old man he would turn out to be, regaling his juniors with tales of his glory days. As a broadcaster I recall Jim more on WABC Eyewitness News along with Roger Grimsby, Rosanne Scamardella nnd Geraldo, which he wrote about in the sequel "I'm Glad You Didn't Take It Personally", not so much on CBS. He appears in the accompanying photo to be in good spirits and in remarkably good physical shape and that is a blessing. All the best Jim.
4
Great story with more substance than just baseball. A tribute to a terrific relationship and a reminder of the precariousness of aging. I met him in Atlanta and regretted I didn't bring my copy of Ball Four to autograph. Hang tough Jim. You're an inspiration from coast to coast.
3
I met Jim Bouton back in 1984. He gave me his business card, which was a baseball card, but with business info on it. At the time I didn't have a business card, but needed one, and instantly knew a baseball card would work for me, even though I'm not an athlete, but a musician. So I asked him where he had his cards made and he told me, "I own the company -- it's called Big League Cards. Call the office tomorrow and we'll set you up."
The next day I called and was informed that Mr. Bouton had given my name to the person who answered the phones, and that if I called to order cards that they were to give me my first 100 cards for free.
I was so impressed. It was clear that they didn't need to "sell" me on the idea -- I was all in -- but was a nice gesture and made me a loyal customer for many, many years.
Thirty-three years later my business card is still a baseball card, though after Jim sold his company and then they discontinued making cards, I had to order from a different company. But I never forgot that kindness of Jim himself arranging for my first 100 cards to be free.
And I love what Barbara says: You have to focus more on what he can do, rather than what he can't do. And then you adjust."
Wise words to live by. Thank you for this lovely article.
The next day I called and was informed that Mr. Bouton had given my name to the person who answered the phones, and that if I called to order cards that they were to give me my first 100 cards for free.
I was so impressed. It was clear that they didn't need to "sell" me on the idea -- I was all in -- but was a nice gesture and made me a loyal customer for many, many years.
Thirty-three years later my business card is still a baseball card, though after Jim sold his company and then they discontinued making cards, I had to order from a different company. But I never forgot that kindness of Jim himself arranging for my first 100 cards to be free.
And I love what Barbara says: You have to focus more on what he can do, rather than what he can't do. And then you adjust."
Wise words to live by. Thank you for this lovely article.
10
Oh Tyler, did you READ Ball Four? Coming of age tale? Poignant?! Are you kidding! The book was about his decline after he left the Yankees. He was a pariah in baseball after he wrote that book. Did you do any background research at all! In re-writing that story, you did a colorful bad boy - and a wild chapter of baseball history - a very great disservice.
What fiction are u peddling?
3
Time Magazine and the New York Public Library would disagree. I won't tell you why. Do some research yourself.
2
Gina
He is a good man. He is an introspective man. He is a man who played a child's game and viewed it with a touch of understanding most of the men who played the game with him never did. The Mick did not speak with him for years but well before his death he and Jim laughed together when reminiscing over good times.
He is a good man. He is an introspective man. He is a man who played a child's game and viewed it with a touch of understanding most of the men who played the game with him never did. The Mick did not speak with him for years but well before his death he and Jim laughed together when reminiscing over good times.
He is still beloved in Portland as a Portland Maverick. An independent team of rebels that welcomed Jim with open arms.
3
In September 1964 I was eleven years old and in Hackensack Hospital. Some guy walked in and asked If anyone in the room had heard of Jim Bouton. As a Yankee fan, I began rattling off his stats. A moment later Bouton was in the room and we were talking together. I still have the ball he autographed just for me. We should have won the !964 series.
11
What a well-written, highly
-illustrative piece.
What a great wife too..
Loved the comment on focusing on what's remaining and then the final quote.
Strokes = brutal.
Empathy.
-illustrative piece.
What a great wife too..
Loved the comment on focusing on what's remaining and then the final quote.
Strokes = brutal.
Empathy.
3
Bless you, Jim Bouton. You broke the barrier with "Ball Four" and took the hits for it. Thank you for bringing reality to the surreal expectations we use to demand of our sports heroes, of heroes in general. Men and women of greatness are not always great. They are human. They are by their nature suppose to make mistakes. They do, and it makes them all the more endearing to us.
DD
Manhattan
DD
Manhattan
5
What a lucky man to have such a devoted and tender spouse. It must be challenging for her. But despite his difficulties and frustration, he looks happy. I feel both bad for them and good for them.
My Ball Four story: I read it in the 6th grade, glimpsing a world that was familiar to me -- I studied baseball cards so closely that 50 years later I can still remember players' batting averages - and at the same time glimpsed an adult world of jealousy and sex and disappointment that humanized the people whose faces were on the cards.
My older brother, who teased me constantly, saw me reading Ball Four on the couch and, assuming it was a little kid's book, grabbed it from me and started reading it aloud in a little kid's voice. But then he couldn't put it down, making me wait until he was done before I could finish it.
I listened to the audio book a few years ago, and Bouton was a fresh reader, laughing out loud at his own writing. I was laughing with him.
I am grateful to him for sharing his life.
My Ball Four story: I read it in the 6th grade, glimpsing a world that was familiar to me -- I studied baseball cards so closely that 50 years later I can still remember players' batting averages - and at the same time glimpsed an adult world of jealousy and sex and disappointment that humanized the people whose faces were on the cards.
My older brother, who teased me constantly, saw me reading Ball Four on the couch and, assuming it was a little kid's book, grabbed it from me and started reading it aloud in a little kid's voice. But then he couldn't put it down, making me wait until he was done before I could finish it.
I listened to the audio book a few years ago, and Bouton was a fresh reader, laughing out loud at his own writing. I was laughing with him.
I am grateful to him for sharing his life.
7
Great piece, Tyler. I was a reporter for the Paris-based IHT in 1995, on vacation in the Berkshires, when I happened into a restaurant in Gt. Barrington and saw Bouton standing at the bar. I approached him, identified myself as a journalist, and he gave me a long interview, even invited me over to his house right then and there for some further conversation. When I got back to Paris I wrote it up for the Sports section, "25 Years After 'Ball Four,' Baseball's Leper Is Still Talking." The "Leper" was a referençe to the label given to Bouton by Dick Young after the book was published. I found Bouton to be an extremely open, funny, engaging guy, and obviously comfortable with the press. And I'm old enough to remember the 1964 World Series and Bouton's distinctive pitching motion. Thanks again for this article!
7
I loved Bouton the pitcher who was much better than his won-loss record and I loved Bouton the author, who happened to write a minor masterpiece. Its tone, bemused, comic and authentic influenced every decent sports book that came after it. Bouton the rebel was part of his age, so long gone as to feel like another country.
We should all appreciate what we have in the here and now, each next step of the way.
We should all appreciate what we have in the here and now, each next step of the way.
7
“You need to learn that the person is still that person, and you have to focus more on what he can do, rather than what he can’t do,” she said. “And then you adjust.”
So insightful - so brilliant. My mom and sister - both amazing special ed teachers - pushed the bar daily finding their kids' talents and capabilities. For my sister's class, you could see the enormous difference from day 1 of school, when her kids looked "handicapped", to the end of year school talent show, when they were simply happy kids singing and dancing their hearts out.
By understanding his capabilities instead of disabilities - Mr. Bouton has the very best in love and understanding at his side.
So insightful - so brilliant. My mom and sister - both amazing special ed teachers - pushed the bar daily finding their kids' talents and capabilities. For my sister's class, you could see the enormous difference from day 1 of school, when her kids looked "handicapped", to the end of year school talent show, when they were simply happy kids singing and dancing their hearts out.
By understanding his capabilities instead of disabilities - Mr. Bouton has the very best in love and understanding at his side.
6
Ball Four happened to appear on the bookshelf of my home in Pennsylvania when I was 12. I read it and I loved it. I don't know why -- I mainly stray to Jane Austen and other 19th century fiction -- but it was and is a great book for a young person growing up and learning the world has a lot of different and fun points of view. It's probably my only reading on American baseball and I wish Mr. Bouton and his family best wishes and thanks!
8
It's worth noting that approximately 40% of non- demented elderly patients had cerebral amyloid angiopathy at autopsy. So it is highly prevalent in the general population and asymptomatic.
4
I was very saddened to read of the challenges that Jim Bouton is facing. I officiated at Jim and Paula's wedding 35 years ago. They lived in Teaneck, New Jersey, then. I remember Jim as an articulate and highly intelligent man who spoke with self-confidence and clarity. But there was more. I invited him to speak before my congregation, the Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County, on ethics in sports. He told me that he usually receives an honorarium of $3,000, but for me, there would be no charge. And he did. Paula was working with people who faced personally challenges of the own, and it is inspiring to see that she has continued to dedicate her professional life to those in need.
Life has many tragedies, and I sincerely hope that they find comfort in their love and devotion to one another in the years ahead.
Life has many tragedies, and I sincerely hope that they find comfort in their love and devotion to one another in the years ahead.
10
On a few occasions, as the PA Announcer for the NJ Jackals of the indie Can-Am League, I had the pleasure of introducing Jim and his dad, George, as the ceremonial first pitcher. Or in their case, ceremonial battery. A couple of years later, I ran into Jim at Jacobs Pillow, a performing arts venue in the Berkshires. He graciously gave me a few minutes to chat and fondly reminisced about those "first pitch" catches with his dad. I am saddened to learn of his condition and wish him clarity and strength. He is truly one of the good guys.
3
I never read Jim's memoir but his daughter Laurie Bouton was two years ahead of me in our neighborhood elementary school and best friends with the older sister of a friend of mine. I remember her as spunky, kind and pretty, with her father's eyes. That was a great community, and a great time, to grow up.
By the 1980s all our lives were so different…like Laurie's, my parents divorced and like her I moved to a smaller home in the same town to live with my mom. The town's four grade schools converged into one at the middle- and high-school levels, but kids from the two East Hill schools splintered off into at least half a dozen regional schools by our tweens—in fact, our neighborhood grade school was renovated as condos shortly after I graduated—and as a result both kids and parents lost the continuity and sense of community we'd all enjoyed.
We weren't close, but it brought me to tears to learn here that Laurie died so young and so long ago. Reading that here, I searched for other info and it got me thinking about those days and all the wonderful people in that community. Even later there was a parallel in our lives, she studied acting with Lee Strasberg and I with Uta Hagen.
Hopefully the current self-driving car technology will move past cameras to react to what's happening around the curve or just over the rise, which is what we'd need to prevent such crashes as the one that took her young life. Best wishes to her dad, and belated condolences to her family for their loss.
By the 1980s all our lives were so different…like Laurie's, my parents divorced and like her I moved to a smaller home in the same town to live with my mom. The town's four grade schools converged into one at the middle- and high-school levels, but kids from the two East Hill schools splintered off into at least half a dozen regional schools by our tweens—in fact, our neighborhood grade school was renovated as condos shortly after I graduated—and as a result both kids and parents lost the continuity and sense of community we'd all enjoyed.
We weren't close, but it brought me to tears to learn here that Laurie died so young and so long ago. Reading that here, I searched for other info and it got me thinking about those days and all the wonderful people in that community. Even later there was a parallel in our lives, she studied acting with Lee Strasberg and I with Uta Hagen.
Hopefully the current self-driving car technology will move past cameras to react to what's happening around the curve or just over the rise, which is what we'd need to prevent such crashes as the one that took her young life. Best wishes to her dad, and belated condolences to her family for their loss.
4
I read Ball Four in high school and to this day it ranks among the best books I've ever read. Best wishes to you Mr. Bouton.
3
We knew Jim Bouton and especially his wonderful wife Paula when they lived in New Jersey. She helped us as our therapist with our Adopted Daughter, which we will never forget! Both of them are really great people!!! Our heart goes out to them as they process through this debilitating disease...
Love to Both
Risë & Alan
Love to Both
Risë & Alan
4
"Ball Four" is THE book about modern baseball. I hope Mr. Bouton knows he will always be remembered. I will remember him and his courage to write the book. My best to him and his wife. My dad had a stroke and suffers from memory loss. It stinks and is unfair! But luckily we have family and we can endure. Thank you for sharing your story with us.
3
At 21 our spinal discs start deteriorating. At about 40 our minds begin their downhill course. I suspect in the Bouton era a Mediterranean diet was the last thing the ballplayers would eat with thoughts of fending off future cardiovascular hazards. In fact with all the adulation I suspect many of the players felt nearly indestructable, particularly the younger ones. Hope Jim can find a meaningful way through his remaining years. It appears he is making every effort to do that. Life is full of surprises.
4
I was 11 when we lost that heartbreaking series, causing predictable adolescent boy trauma. I was 17 when I read 'Ball Four', to be followed by Dave Meggyesy's book and then Pete Gent's with the predictable rebellious youth's dramatic awakening in the face of shattered images of boyhood heroes. We're mostly in our 60s now and we live in a very different place than the freer, more joyous and more hopeful time in which we came of age. Narcissism has replaced incisive wit, melodrama has replaced in-game tensions, and the DH is the bane of mankind. We remember you Jim, and we have the hardcover too!
2
Bouton kept the aging Yankees in the '64 series against a much better Cardinals team. He has lead a full and good life. Concentrate on that, and not his current condition.
4
all your life you grip a baseball until you find out it is the other way around.
50
My older brother, who aspired to be a sports writer, but got that rinsed out of him working in Western PA when he found it entailed covering HS wrestling and deer hunting season, gave me Ball Four and Semi Tough when I was really quite young. Those remain, to this day, two of my favorite books ever.
It says a lot that Ball Four got Bouton blackballed, but it remains a yuge influence on guys like Gary Cohen, Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez. Keith, I'm sure, could write quite the tell all himself.
I wish the Boutons well. This was a beautiful, bittersweet piece. Well written by Tyler Kepner.
It says a lot that Ball Four got Bouton blackballed, but it remains a yuge influence on guys like Gary Cohen, Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez. Keith, I'm sure, could write quite the tell all himself.
I wish the Boutons well. This was a beautiful, bittersweet piece. Well written by Tyler Kepner.
51
God Bless Jim Bouton and his wife. I was one of the regular cast in the CBS TV series of Ball Four playing Rayford Plunkett, a releif pitcher. Jim was many things but always the lead, the reason we were all there and the star and just a great guy, we forgot that he had been one of the very best Major league pitchers and sports stars because he was "just one of us" and there was Ben Davidson in the mix too. Man this breaks my heart that he has to go through this. You are in our prayers Jim.
55
Fantastic guy. Once gave him a ride from the airport to a talk he was giving. His honesty is refreshing and I'll never forget that ride.
23
Thanks for this piece. I enjoyed watching the Yankees on our black & white TV on WPIX . Bouton was just plain fun to watch. I wish him and his wife all the best.
11
I was in 8th grade when I read Ball Four. I was pointing out some of the more unsavory passages to a few of my classmates when Sister Mary Katherine insisted I bring the book to her in the middle of our religious studies class. I admit, I did close the book so she couldn't see exactly what we were tittering about. I bought another copy a few years ago which still sits on my bookshelf....think I just might have to dust it off and have another read.
21
Jim Bouton was a keen observer and a very funny, perceptive writer, and Ball Four is the best sports book ever written, as far as I am concerned. It has been an absolute shame the way the Yankees treated him afterwards-- just one more good reason to hate the Yankees, I guess.
20
I remember Jim Bouton doing Sports on WCBS while I was growing up. A very likeable guy. I'm sorry for his struggle.
16
I loved watching Bouton, #56, pitch while he fell off the mound and I enjoyed his sportscasts on Channel 2. However, my first read through of Ball Four was one of the most memorable eye opening moments I experienced. He humanized baseball icons in a way that did not diminish my adoration for them, only made me like them even more. Jim Bouton is smart, funny and provocative, somewhat of a renaissance man. I wish for him and his wife to have many more good days than bad. He is truly one of a kind.
25
I discovered Ball Four during my junior year in high school. For me, growing up in Houston, it was more personal as he was traded to the Astros right around the 1969 All-Star break and was instrumental in helping Houston chase a division title. His descriptions of interactions with legends like Joe Morgan and Jimmy Wynn are just priceless, along with his recollections of just surviving in the major leagues. It remains one of my absolute favorite books. I wish him and his family well and a special wish for "The Unsinkable Molly Brown." Getting old sucks and I am reminded of Joe Schultz's famous expletive...I just can't repeat it here.
10
Yes, Joe Schultz's famous expletive--deserves to be in the Oxford English Dictionary.
4
May you keep on hitting the strike zone for many more years, Jim. An inspirational story with a lovely, devoted couple at its center.
22
I was, and still am, a Jim Bouton fan, admiring him as both as player and as a writer. The Yankees, not so much.
The '64 World Series was just perfect.
"It ain't over till it's over." as your late team mate, Lawrence Berra noted...
The '64 World Series was just perfect.
"It ain't over till it's over." as your late team mate, Lawrence Berra noted...
6
Poor Yogi was fired after losing that series and the Cardinal manager Johnny Keane was hired. Didn't win the series that next year either. Wishing Jim and his wife all the best and I admire her attitude about focusing on what they still have and not on what is being lost.
2
Thank you so much for this thoughtful piece. I remember very well the '64 World Series and Jim Bouton's performance, pitching a complete game in his first start and then a near-complete game in his second win. His book "Ball Four" is a classic. I wish Jim Bouton and Paula Kurman well.
9
I had the pleasure of meeting Bouton and Ms. Karman a few years ago. I did not know about his condition, but they are dealing with this situation with great gallantry, and as ever, his brave openness.
10
Ball Four, possibly, not being a big fan of almost any sport, the only "sports" book I ever read. I vaguely remember that I enjoyed reading it and having recollected it now, I may reread it.
4
Wonderful story about a great couple. I watched Jim Bouton from his first days with the Yankees and love his writing. His wife's message in this article is beautiful and can be applied to all of us in one or another way. Thank you, Mr. Kepner, for writing this piece. You're doing so well what George Vecsey did for so many years and I appreciate both of you for calling our attention to the exceptional human beings who happen to be ball players.
23
I remember Jim Bouton when I was working at a law firm and he was trademarking the gum "Big League Chew". He was there quite often. I didn't know much about baseball but he didn't care.
4
Wow. What a great human interest piece, I feel I'm halfway there… I am!
8
Thanks for the invitation to reread Ball Four. When it was published, I had a huge argument with my dad over both the credibility and significance of the book. He saw it more from the view of the outraged MLB establishment. I however, a new college graduate of course knew better. I think the argument degenerated into the merits of the Viet Nam war as well. For me, hooked on baseball, it was a breath of fresh air from the inside of the locker room, to the dugout to the field. Thanks for grabbing the 56 on his glove. I can still see it on his back in the pinstripes.
21
Did everyone notice the unusual credit on that photo? Good work.
2
Thanks for the update on Bouton. I read an article on Bouton (I think in the Times) in which he discussed how the passing of his daughter made him look at others in a different way. He related that earlier in his life when he saw a stranger with an hard expression or serious demeanor, he would often assume the worst about the person's intentions or attitudes. After losing his daughter, he himself would often drift away in thought about his daughter and then realize his brow was furrowed or he wore a sad or angry look. With this realization, more often, he began to assume the best about people notwithstanding his initial impressions. This stayed with me since the moment I read that article and comes to mind in similar situations.
Regarding the baseball of it, I was 9 when Bouton beat the Cardinals twice in the World Series a season after the Yanks were clobbered 4-0 but the Traitorous LA Dodgers (not that I remembered any of that but my family is from Brooklyn and never said a kind word about the Dodgers). After that painful 7 game loss to the Cards, things continued downhill for Bouton and the Yanks through by childhood. The bright spot for the Yanks over those 10 years was Mel Stottlemyre who somehow compiled a 164-139 record on some pretty awful baseball teams.
Finally, I see he's still got his LS glove on from when he played ball based on the number "56" and the tag. Even we less talented players hang on to these important parts of personal history.
Thanks for the article.
Regarding the baseball of it, I was 9 when Bouton beat the Cardinals twice in the World Series a season after the Yanks were clobbered 4-0 but the Traitorous LA Dodgers (not that I remembered any of that but my family is from Brooklyn and never said a kind word about the Dodgers). After that painful 7 game loss to the Cards, things continued downhill for Bouton and the Yanks through by childhood. The bright spot for the Yanks over those 10 years was Mel Stottlemyre who somehow compiled a 164-139 record on some pretty awful baseball teams.
Finally, I see he's still got his LS glove on from when he played ball based on the number "56" and the tag. Even we less talented players hang on to these important parts of personal history.
Thanks for the article.
27
So sorry to read about Bouton's condition. I was at some of his first games at Yankee Stadium in the early 60's. Imagine, a ballplayer who wasn't afraid to say that education was a great thing. I used Ball Four and the "sequel," I'm Glad You Didn't Take It Personally, in a sociology paper comparing the socialization of baseball players and football players, for which I referenced Jerry Kramer's Instant Replay. Got an A.
Yes, Mel Stottlemyre could've been Greg Maddux if he'd gotten onto a strong team. A brilliant pitcher who should be in the Hall of Fame if you look past wins and losses and at how great a pitcher he was, and how hard he worked. 152 complete games, 40 shutouts. Those numbers dwarf the numbers of, say, Pedro Martinez, whose plaque should be titled The Best 6-Inning Pitcher in History. If Mel had been babied like Pedro, he could've pitched another 7 or 8 years and won a whole lot more games.
Yes, Mel Stottlemyre could've been Greg Maddux if he'd gotten onto a strong team. A brilliant pitcher who should be in the Hall of Fame if you look past wins and losses and at how great a pitcher he was, and how hard he worked. 152 complete games, 40 shutouts. Those numbers dwarf the numbers of, say, Pedro Martinez, whose plaque should be titled The Best 6-Inning Pitcher in History. If Mel had been babied like Pedro, he could've pitched another 7 or 8 years and won a whole lot more games.
11
I loved seeing that battered old glove.
2
PS, thanks to Nathaniel Brooks for that great picture of Bouton tossing a baseball. The setting and Jim's expression captures the beauty and feeling of the game.
4
Maybe because I first read it at the classic impressionable age of 14 - but Ball Four has stayed with me ever since. When I listened to the audiobook over 40 years later, I realized I still knew some passages verbatim. (Bouton narrates the book, which makes it even better.) I wish him well on his future challenges.
30
I enjoy hearing the Mets trio of television broadcasters, Gary Cohen and the ex-Met greats Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling, reference some of the more bizarre episodes of Ball Four without going into details that would not get past censors. It’s easy to see that all three read the book many times, like me, like Annette. The pity is I can’t thing of a single baseball book written since Ball Four, including Hernandez’s, that is as honest (and consequently hilarious) as Bouton’s.
7
A wonderful piece about a remarkable, brave man. Thank you.
13
After about age 25, we are all declining. Some faster, some slower, but we are all declining. At first, its imperceptible and can be resisted by exercise, mental or physical. It takes different forms in each us, but the self-awareness of diminishing ability is inevitable. Age with grace, be grateful for the gift of life, embrace the gradual fading of the light. Hope that future generations will have benefitted from the contributions that you have made.
20
I had the great pleasure of working with Jim designing the cover of his book, Foul Ball. At the time, I reread Ball Four and we had a few good laughs about different parts of it. I also worked with Paula and Jim on some other design projects. I wish them both the very best.
10
What a well-written article. Thanks, Tyler, for superb and insightful writing.
38
This article has me thinking of the cruel part of the realities of life. So often we hear the phrase "The Golden Years", yet the reality is that these years are often challenging in that illnesses and trauma sprout. I wish for Mr. Bouton the best that real life has to offer.
7
Delightful writing to start the day.
Wonderful memories of Bouton mixed with wistful thoughts about the passage of time and its toll.
I move into my middle 60s this month.
Do watch the clip of The Tonight Show.
Nice intelligent contrast to today's insufferable late night.
Fifteen minutes of actual interview! And interesting.
Time to revisit "Ball Four" and enjoy again.
Thanks for this one.
Wonderful memories of Bouton mixed with wistful thoughts about the passage of time and its toll.
I move into my middle 60s this month.
Do watch the clip of The Tonight Show.
Nice intelligent contrast to today's insufferable late night.
Fifteen minutes of actual interview! And interesting.
Time to revisit "Ball Four" and enjoy again.
Thanks for this one.
30
This was a wonderful piece on a vivid man.
In 1961 or 62 he signed my glove when I slipped it under the chain link fence of the bullpen as I sat in the bleachers at Yankee Stadium. It meant the world back then...
On every team there's a guy with the ability to articulate the wonder and color of all the characters that surround him...So few actually step up and harness the energy and yes, courage to do so. Those of us of a certain age remember what a lot of flack he took for telling hard and often humorous truths. Thank you, Jim Bouton --and Leonard Shecter for urging him on so many years ago. And bless Jim Bouton and Paula Kurman in the Berkshires.
In 1961 or 62 he signed my glove when I slipped it under the chain link fence of the bullpen as I sat in the bleachers at Yankee Stadium. It meant the world back then...
On every team there's a guy with the ability to articulate the wonder and color of all the characters that surround him...So few actually step up and harness the energy and yes, courage to do so. Those of us of a certain age remember what a lot of flack he took for telling hard and often humorous truths. Thank you, Jim Bouton --and Leonard Shecter for urging him on so many years ago. And bless Jim Bouton and Paula Kurman in the Berkshires.
3
When I was a young writer and baseball fan, Ball Four was a huge inspiration to me. I guess I've read better books, but never one that I loved as much.
6
Thank you to Jim Bouton and his wife for allowing us into this difficult time in their lives.
13
One great aspect of Ball Four was how it laid bare the social structure of baseball, how individual value and the right to be heard was tied not to a person's character or the quality of their thought, but to performance on the field. What a pathetic and impoverished means of assessing another's worth. We humans can be really poor at evaluating ourselves and others, and this is as true in society today as it was in a 1960's locker room. I wish Mr. Bouton well as he engages this difficult condition. I hope he finds comfort knowing how much his book meant to so many.
9
Ball Four was the first book I fell in love with. Impossible to overstate the impact it had on me as a teenager. Its vocabulary and phrases have stayed with me today. Sorry to hear about Bouton's struggles. Praying for him to have peace.
9
Read Ball Four,there were mixed results,he was left out of old timer games and some ball players felt he violated locker rooms trust.The
loss of his daughter added on he carried some burdens.This probably wasn't great for his health.His wife seems to be a mature lady who has the love and tools to work with him.
loss of his daughter added on he carried some burdens.This probably wasn't great for his health.His wife seems to be a mature lady who has the love and tools to work with him.
3
I met Bouton once, at a book signing around 2000. As a writer and baseball nut, I was eager to meet him. To a question I asked, he made some snarky comments about the Yankees and I departed disappointed by the interaction. Well, people said that Hemingway could be a jerk, too. And Bouton's "Ball Four" is one of the best baseball books ever. I'm glad he still throws the knuckler. That he's throwing it against a wall, alone, says a lot. His wife seems like a fantastic person. May their days be happy! And nobody's perfect!
7
He and his wife walked up to our group at Cape May 30 years ago and were very kind and sweet with my friend's little boy building a sandcastle. I stammered, "J-J-Jim BOUTON?" They laughed that he'd be recognized there, but
I was so glad to tell him what the book meant to me. They were very normal, down-to-earth. I love Jim Bouton and I mean it.
I was so glad to tell him what the book meant to me. They were very normal, down-to-earth. I love Jim Bouton and I mean it.
12
Sorry to hear about this...."Ball Four" is one of the great sports books ever written.
3
Ball Four was terrific, pulling back the curtain and offering insight into how ML baseball players lived rather than the bowdlerized role models of the front office. In this article he (and Tyler Kepner) do the same--showing us, warts and all, what a challenging experience is really like. Thanks to both.
8
Watch the Tonight Show clip, linked in the article...what a brilliant humorist he is, holding his own with Johnny Carson, with excellent comic timing and great delivery. The Mantle joke is worth the wait. Time to reread Ball Four.
Courageous to reveal that he is suffering from a rare dementing illness and kudos to his wife for her tireless support.
Courageous to reveal that he is suffering from a rare dementing illness and kudos to his wife for her tireless support.
80
Thanks for pointing out the link to the Johnny Carson clip. That was great.
I grew up watching Satchel Paige when he played for the St. Louis Browns. I always enjoyed watching him and by that time he was throwing just about any pitch ever invented including the knuckle ball. Nothing like going to a good baseball game.
I grew up watching Satchel Paige when he played for the St. Louis Browns. I always enjoyed watching him and by that time he was throwing just about any pitch ever invented including the knuckle ball. Nothing like going to a good baseball game.
5
Thanks again, Jim, for your insights and help--we got an A. Wishing you all the best in your journey.