Jim Bouton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jim Bouton |
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Bouton with the Seattle Pilots in 1969
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: March 8, 1939 Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
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| Died: July 10, 2019 (aged 80) Great Barrington, Massachusetts, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 22, 1962, for the New York Yankees | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 29, 1978, for the Atlanta Braves | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 62–63 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.57 | ||
| Strikeouts | 720 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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James Alan Bouton (born March 8, 1939 – died July 10, 2019) was an American professional baseball player. Jim Bouton played as a pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the New York Yankees, Seattle Pilots, Houston Astros, and Atlanta Braves between 1962 and 1978.
Beyond baseball, Bouton was a successful author. He also worked as an actor and sportscaster. He even helped create the popular bubblegum, Big League Chew.
Bouton played college baseball at Western Michigan University. After college, he signed his first professional contract with the Yankees. He was part of the team that won the 1962 World Series. He also played in the 1963 MLB All-Star Game. In the 1964 World Series, he won both of his games. Later in his career, he became known for throwing a special pitch called a knuckleball.
Jim Bouton wrote a famous baseball book in 1970 called Ball Four. This book was like a diary of his 1969 season. It also shared stories from his time with the Yankees, Pilots, and Astros.
Contents
Early Life and College Baseball
Jim Bouton was born in Newark, New Jersey. He grew up loving baseball, especially the New York Giants. His family moved a few times when he was young. They lived in Rochelle Park, New Jersey, and Ridgewood, New Jersey. Later, they moved to Homewood, Illinois.
In high school, Jim played baseball for Bloom High School. He was often called "Warm-Up Bouton" because he spent a lot of time on the bench. He didn't throw the ball super fast. Instead, he learned to get batters out by mixing up his pitches. He used regular pitches and a knuckleball he had practiced since he was a kid.
Bouton went to Western Michigan University. He pitched for the Western Michigan Broncos baseball team. His skills caught the eye of baseball scouts. A Yankees scout named Art Stewart signed him to play professionally.
Playing in the Major Leagues
Jim Bouton joined the Yankees in 1959. After playing in minor league baseball, he started his major league career in 1962. His strong will and determination earned him the nickname "Bulldog." By this time, he had a very powerful fastball.
Fans often noticed his cap flying off his head after he threw a pitch. He also wore uniform number 56. This number is usually given to players who are expected to play in the minor leagues. Bouton kept it as a reminder of how close he came to not making the team. He wore number 56 for most of his career.
In 1962, Bouton played in 36 games. He won 7 games and had a 3.99 ERA (Earned Run Average). He didn't play in the Yankees' 1962 World Series win. However, he was supposed to start Game 7. The game was delayed by rain, so another pitcher started instead.
Bouton had two amazing seasons after that. He won 21 games in 1963 and 18 games in 1964. He also played in the 1963 All-Star Game. In the 1963 World Series, he had a memorable game against Don Drysdale of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Bouton pitched very well, giving up only four hits.
Jim Bouton was a star in the 1964 World Series. He won both of his starts. He beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2–1 in one game. He won again 8–3 in another game. In his World Series career, he won 2 games and had a low 1.48 ERA.
The Yankees used Bouton a lot during these years. He started 37 games in 1964, which was the most in the league. This heavy use likely led to his arm problems later on. In 1965, an arm injury slowed down his fastball. He started throwing the knuckleball again to help his career last longer.
In 1968, the Yankees sold his contract to the Seattle Pilots. He played for the Pilots in 1969, mostly as a relief pitcher. He had a 2–1 record with a 3.91 ERA for the Pilots. Later that season, he was traded to the Houston Astros.
Writing Ball Four
Around 1968, a sportswriter suggested that Jim Bouton write a diary about his baseball season. Bouton agreed. The diary became his famous book, Ball Four.
The book shared his experiences during the 1969 season with the Pilots and Astros. Ball Four was special because it gave a very honest look at what life was like for professional baseball players. It talked about things that happened both on and off the field.
Because of the book, many players, coaches, and officials were not happy with Bouton. Some felt he shared too many secrets. For a while, he was not very popular in baseball circles.
Bouton's book helped him write another one called I'm Glad You Didn't Take It Personally. This book talked about how people reacted to Ball Four. It also covered his move from baseball to becoming a sportscaster in New York.
Life After Baseball
Jim Bouton stopped playing baseball in the middle of the 1970 season. He then became a local sports reporter for TV stations in New York.
In 1973, Bouton published a collection of stories about baseball managers. He also became an actor. He appeared in the movie The Long Goodbye in 1973. He also played the main role in a 1976 TV series called Ball Four, which was based on his book.
Over time, Ball Four became very popular. People loved its honest and funny look at baseball life. Bouton gave talks at colleges, sharing his experiences. He updated his original book several times, adding new stories and updates about the players.
Returning to the Game
Bouton tried to make a comeback in 1975. He played for the Portland Mavericks in a lower league. He won 5 games and lost 1. He took a break in 1976 to work on his TV show.
In 1977, he returned to baseball. He played in the minor leagues for the Chicago White Sox. In 1978, Ted Turner signed Bouton to play for the Atlanta Braves. After a good season in Double-A, he was called up to the Braves in September. He pitched in five games.
His journey back to the major leagues was written about in a book called The Greatest Summer. Bouton also wrote about his comeback in updated versions of Ball Four.
After his second time playing in the major leagues, Bouton continued to play semi-pro baseball. He also helped invent "Big League Chew", a popular shredded bubblegum. He wrote other books too, including a baseball novel called Strike Zone. His book Foul Ball is about his efforts to save a historic baseball stadium.
For many years, Jim Bouton was not invited to baseball events, like Old-Timers' Games, because of his book Ball Four. However, in 1998, his son Michael wrote a letter to the Yankees. This letter helped bring about a reconciliation.
In July 1998, Jim Bouton returned to Yankee Stadium. Wearing his familiar number 56, he received a huge cheer from the crowd. In 2001, he was honored by being inducted into the Baseball Reliquary's Shrine of the Eternals.
Personal Life
Jim Bouton had two children, Michael and Laurie, with his first wife, Bobbie. They also adopted a son named Kyong Jo, who later changed his name to David. Jim and Bobbie divorced in 1981.
Sadly, in 1997, his daughter Laurie died in a car accident at age 31. Bouton later married Paula Kurman. They had six grandchildren.
In 2012, Bouton had a stroke. It affected his memory and speaking abilities, but he was still able to move around.
Jim Bouton passed away at home on July 10, 2019, at the age of 80. He had been receiving hospice care for a brain condition.
Jim Bouton's Books
- Ball Four (many updated versions, including Ball Four: The Final Pitch)
- I'm Glad You Didn't Take It Personally
- I Managed Good, But Boy Did They Play Bad
- Foul Ball
- Strike Zone (with Eliot Asinof)
See also
- List of knuckleball pitchers
