Jim Bouton Bücher

In his first diary since Ball Four, Jim Bouton shares his adventure to save Wahconah Park in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, a historic ballpark facing abandonment. The owner of the Pittsfield Mets planned to relocate the team, prompting Bouton and his partner to propose a locally owned professional baseball team and a privately restored ballpark at no cost to taxpayers. While the majority of Pittsfield's citizens supported the plan, it faced opposition from the Mayor, the Parks Commissioners, City Council members, the local newspaper, the largest bank, a powerful law firm, and a representative from General Electric. The “good old boys” resisted Bouton’s proposal, fearing it would undermine a rejected $18.5 million stadium plan. Bouton’s narrative reveals the mayor’s arrogance, media deception, and government corruption. After self-publishing his story, Bouton returned to Pittsfield, where a new mayor invited him to help raise $1.2 million, uncover a document tracing the city’s baseball history to 1791, and stage a vintage game broadcast live by ESPN. This unexpected journey ultimately involved the Massachusetts Attorney General. Bouton’s humor and remarkable storytelling shine through, making the tale both entertaining and hard to believe.

The beloved baseball classic now available in paperback, with a new prologue by Jim Bouton. When Ball Four was first published in 1970, it hit the sports world like a lightning bolt. Commissioners, executives, and players were shocked. Sportswriters called author Jim Bouton a traitor and social leper. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn tried to force him to declare the book untrue. Fans, however, loved the book. And serious critics called it an important social document. Today, Jim Bouton is still not invited to Oldtimer's Days at Yankee Stadium. But his landmark book is still being read by people who don't ordinarily follow baseball. For the updated edition of this historic book, Bouton has written a new prologue, detailing his perspective on how baseball has changed since the last edition was released.