ol' interview with that Ball Four journalist Jim Bouton

Smoke 'em inside.

Love Bouton. I've probably read "Ball Four" close to 20 times, sometimes just picking it up and reading from anywhere I open it up. Yup, I'm one of those guys.

I once had to take a haughty English Lit class at UNC. First day, we had to go around the room and say who our favorite American author was. All the usual suspects. Hemingway. Faulkner. Steinbeck. On and on, everybody trying to one-up each other.

I wasn't going to lie on mine. Question gets to me: "Bouton."

TA: Huh?

Me: Jim Bouton. "Ball Four" 1969-70. One of the most important books of the 20th century (don't think it was on the Library of Congress list yet, though.)

Crickets.

First time I read it I was a freshman in high school. Dad gave me an old beat-up paperback from 1971. We had to do a paper and an oral dissertation. One of the projects involved the teacher taking the book, opening it anywhere, and asking you to explain the context of the passage. I remember very wide eyes and lots of "ums..." Still got an A. (Wheeeeee! An A in freshman high school English #bluefont)

I've interviewed Bouton twice. One of my personal highlights.

"One of the hardest things to do is to explain to your wife why she needs a penicillin shot for your kidney infection."

 

Love the book, but to give credit where it's due, there's a lot of Len Shecter in "Ball Four," too.

 

And "Gayle" Sayers.

 

From the ol' interview:

Closest Baseball Friends: ”Gary Belle, Steve Hovly, Tommy Davis, and guys from the minor leagues – Stu Livingstone, Roger Alexander, Larry Owens.”

It's Gary Bell. And Steve Hovley.

 

From the article: "Career Accomplishments: 1961 All-Star". Bouton debuted in MLB in 1962.

 

It wouldn't have been nearly as readable without Shecter's influence.

Brosnan's "The Long Season" remains the gold standard. And Jim wrote it. And Jim could really, REALLY write.

 

We have some comedians here. Thanks for that quality stuff ) and for the corrections 2.

 

But what was Bouton's entrance music?

 

Did you know Muhammad Ali played the Theme To Star Wars for his ring entrance music for his fight with Earnie Shavers at MSG?

Bernard Hopkins played My Way by Sinatra for the De La Hoya fight.

Klitschko used to play Simply The Best by Tina Turner but now uses Red Hot Chili Peppers Can't Stop. I suggested he use the Theme to Jaws for Haye but though he liked the idea, didn't use it.

 

Commas would help.

 

Do me next.

 

thought you were dead?