Customer Reviews

Perfect I'm Not: Boomer on Beer, Brawls, Backaches, and Baseball

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I never liked David Wells, mostly because I only knew him as a Yankee player. That alone is generally enough to get me not to like someone. :) I wanted to check this out solely because of the "hype" surrounding the book. And after having read the book, I have to wonder if the negative press surrounding the book and some of it's "expositions" weren't self inflicted. Read the book. It's a wonderfully entertaining read. He talks about all the problems he had in his life early on, from his time in the minors, to the boredom in the bullpen (although his story about getting women in the stands to flash them is awesome) to his battles with team management, and lots on the Yankees. I also got a charge out of his comments on former Reds owner Marge Schott, and her dog.

I have to admit that this book goes on my recommend list. It was a funny read, and for a baseball fan like myself, gives me some insight into the mind of a baseball player. I really enjoyed it. The link here is for the hardback edition of the book. There is a paperback version scheduled for release, but it's not currently slated until Mar 1, 2004. The hardback is available now.

Oh, BTW, if you're someone who isn't into the liberal use of foul language, you might want to stay away from the book. It's not like every third word is f this or f that, but there is definitely more than a smattering of f-bombs and the like in the book.

I'm not sure why David Wells was slapped with a six-figure fine over this book. Most of the "controversy" appears to be caused by out-of-context quotes randomly selected by the press. The supposed negative statements about teammates Mike Mussina and Roger Clemens are spoken in the larger context of praising their baseball skills. The much-criticized "25 to 40 percent" statistic of ballplayers who use illegal steroids and performance-enhancing drugs ("10 to 25%" is the number in the edited book) is part of an enlightening discussion of how Jose Canseco went from being a minor-league toothpick, to a tree trunk with 462 career home runs (and a book deal of his own).

Anyway, this book is just plain funny. Most sports biographies are written by sportswriters: half of them by Dick Schaap, half by Peter Golenbock, and Catfish Hunter for some reason chose Armen Keteyian. Wells goes with comedy writer Chris Kreski, best known for William Shatner's non-fiction epics, and "Growing Up Brady". Kreski's also a lifelong Mets fan, which makes the book easier for me to read, certainly. His ability to recap baseball games is only adequate -- he makes some minor factual errors, misspells some of the player names Wells dictated into the tape recorder, and gives Wells an impossibly specific memory about old games ("Two hours and forty-eight minutes later, 49,328 screaming fans watched me ...") -- but gives Boomer plenty of jokes and cutting insights into the many peaks and valleys of his career.

Wells decries the corporate naming of Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, saying that to him, it'll always be the Jack Murphy Stadium of his youth. Which is a wonderful sentiment... and wrong, since it was actually called San Diego Stadium until Wells was 17.

Boomer doesn't use the space to get on a soapbox and preach about baseball. No diatribes about interleague play, or the wild card. Wells is more interested in topless girls in the stands during spring training. He's clearly having too much fun in the major leagues to worry about salary caps and the fate of small market teams. Who would you rather read, Wells meeting Metallica's Lars Ulrich and describing Joe Torre's shock at AC/DC lyrics, or Whitey Herzog's whining about salary arbitration.

For a quick spring-training read, it's hard to get more entertaining than "Perfect I'm Not". If nothing else, hopefully Boomer will get his penalty money back in additional sales. And then lose twice to the Mets this summer.

3 reviews, 2 from people who obviously have not read the book and are Yankee-haters. The simple fact is, David Wells is a flake, but he's also a winner. He's the kind of guy that many a baseball fan would like to share a beer with, and I mean the regular fans, not the luxury box-sitting, shrimp cocktail-eating and leave in the 7th inning to beat the traffic "fans". The stories are about Wells' experiences, not what the media has spun to represent their own points of view and axes to grind. I applaud him for speaking his mind. There is going to be fallout from it, from people who object to the way that he portrays events, to the players and fans of cities and teams he has lit into, and he'll have to live with that. I appreciate his candor. He's no role model, certainly. And reading about his experiences, a sane, rational and sober person will conclude that it is not the way to make it to the major leagues. But it is how he chooses to live his life and as long as he's not hurting anyone I say "hoist another one, Boomer".

This is an incredibly entertaining book. David Wells has a very funny style of telling stories and his personality comes through very well. He gives you an inside look into MLB but unlike most players, he talks about everything--the good and the bad. Forget about the 'controversy' surrounding the book, it's just a good, fun read whether those controversial statements are in it or not.

I would give it only 4 stars but gave it 5 because I saw that someone gave it 1 star just because he was a Red Sox fan.

At times he comes off as a long, lost best friend and at others he is a self-inflated, self-absorbed ass. He is a colorful character providing illuminating stories from the earliest days of playing rookie ball and Venezualan winter ball with beer guzzling, tail chasing future MLB players including Pat Borders, Cecil Fielder, Rob Duecy, and Todd Stottlemyre to the later days as a member of the Yankees. Wells is a good pitcher with a booming personality who pitched for some great teams and of course will always be remembered for his May 17, 1998 perfect game. His career numbers do not support his own assessed value (4.04 ERA, 1 year with at least 20 wins) but his book will stay on the top shelf of my collection of baseball books.

I found myself laughing out loud over and over again. Steroid and cortisone stories aside, Wells adds candid insight into the managerial and GM activities from every team he played for (up to the end of the 2002 season). Inside observations are made on notable managers (Cito Gaston, Sparky Ansderson, Davy Johnson, Joe Torre, and Jim Fregosi) and GMs ("stand" Pat Gillick, Gord Ash, Jim Bowden, Ken Williams, and Brian Cashman). Wells also includes colorful stories of two of the most notoriously hated and loved baseball owners of the last 50 eyars -- Marge Schott and George Steinbrenner.

It was odd to read the momentum praise and glory of the '98 Yankees who won 114 games without any mention of the record-tying 116 wins by the '01 Seattle Mariners . By failing to mention this incredible milestone, he appeared to be protecting the legacy of the 114 win NY team. He should have mentioned the 116 win Seattle team and emphasized the fact that the NY team went on to finish like champions by winning the world series. Wells also slights some players by limiting praise to his favorite teamates. For example, the contribution of Alfonso Soriano and Roger Clemens in NY is clearly understated. Huge character, raging hair band air guitar junkie, and pure attitude live in the pages of this book, making it a worthy read for any baseball fan.

Whether you're a fan of David Wells or not, this is a great inside look at the world of baseball. Baseball players are taught to say the same old cliches over and over again and shy away from anything that might be construed as controversial. Wells speaks his mind and tells you about the type of stuff that goes on behind the scenes... the goofing and practical jokes players play on each other, john smiley's way of handling marge schott, amazing behind the scenes quotes of George Steinbrenner, his take on steroids in baseball, and so much more. This book is not controversial like it was made out to be. Instead Wells just speaks his mind and tells you his experiences. Wells voice comes through perfectly and it's as if you're talking to him one-on-one in person rather than getting information through a media outlet. Excellent book.. a quick read but a great look into baseball behind the scens and into the career of David Wells.

Throughout all of its existence, the game of baseball has had quite a few entertaining characters. From Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb, to Bo Belinsky, Bill Lee, and Billy Martin, there has never been a shortage of entertaining personalities in our National Pastime. David Wells is no different. Actually, he IS different, in a very refreshing way. When you turn on ESPN to watch Sportscenter or Baseball Tonight and they recap a game, you can almost predict word for word what the postgame interviews are going to be about from all of the cleancut, wholesome jocks. It's all the same, bland, boring play of words. You never know what happens when the cameras are turned off and the media spotlight is off of these athletes, until David Wells came along. From growing up with Hells Angels and living homeless in the back of a pickup truck... to achieving success in baseball after he gave up... to the heartbreak of losing his mother... and triumphing over all of it, this is DEFINITELY an entertaining read. Whether you are a Yankees fan, Red Sox fan, Expos fan, or an Everett Aquasox fan, you will definitely enjoy the book. David Wells has lived a wild life along the way and is far from an angel, but let me know who is if you find one, because I'd like to extend my condolences for them living a monotonous life. Boomer has had quite a ride from the beginning up until now, and it was very enjoyable to read about this. I'm glad he wrote the book, because as a baseball fan, this is the only chance to know what goes on when the game is over. If there were a few more honest, outspoken characters like David Wells in the game of baseball, we would all be much better off. Love and applaud him, or hate and boo him, he definitely has made the great game of baseball a lot more fun in the time he has been a part of it. Definitely check this book out!

this is an interesting read, but if i had my "druthers", i would have preferred it if DW had left out the early chapters describing his youth, minor league experiences, etc. its important to remember that this is not social commentary, its a behind the scenes book about baseball - written by, arguably, the most colorful individual on the diamond today. if you like books that explore the "wild side" of sports life, you won't be disappointed here. if your after one that chronicles the day to day grind of an average ballplayer, replete with all the detail - this one isn't for you. also, this isn't a "yankee" book, so if you're a "pinstripe" hater you'll enjoy it too. don't expect much more than the meandering recollections of one of baseball's throwback heroes. you'll also learn that, despite the publicity that depicts wells as a party animal supremo, he is also a disciplined competitor who has endured his share of pain and hard work.

I enjoyed reading this book, it had many funny and enjoyable stories about his life both off the field and in the major leagues. I really don't know what all the controversy was about regarding this book, it didn't really appear to me that he was degrading the yankees, in the book he holds the organization with high regard as well as the fans. I really enjoyed the pictures in the book as well, and was only disappointed that I finished the book, I wanted to read more!

Finally, a baseball player who doesn't just speak in boring cliches! The guy has opinions, and funny anecdotes, and he's not afraid to keep it real. Awesome book, I smiled all the way through it.