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As a player, former hurler Jim Bouton did nothing half-way; he threw so hard he'd lose his cap on almost every pitch. In the early '70s, he tossed off one of the funniest, most revealing, insider's takes on baseball life in Ball Four, his diary of the season he tried to pitch his way back from oblivion on the strength of a knuckler. The real curve, though, is Bouton's honesty. He carves humans out of heroes, and shines a light into the game's corners. A quarter century later, Bouton's unique baseball voice can still bring the heat.

Review
A book deep in the American vein, so deep in fact it is by no means a sports book" —David Halberstam

"Ball Four is a people book, not just a baseball book." —Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, The New York Times

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First Sentence:
I signed my contract today to play for the Seattle Pilots at a salary of $22,000 and it was a letdown because I didn't have to bargain. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
bullpen tonight, good knuckleball, lefthanded hitter, overhand curve, player rep, knuckleball pitcher, fellow proud, first hitter, baseball establishment, diathermy machine, clubhouse man, ball four, clubhouse meeting, been pitching Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Joe Schultz, Tommy Davis, New York, Mike Marshall, Sal Maglie, Gary Bell, Fred Talbot, Marvin Milkes, Eddie O'Brien, Harry Walker, Ray Oyler, Steve Barber, Jim Bouton, Steve Hovley, Kansas City, World Series, Don Mincher, Mickey Mantle, Seattle Pilots, Johnny Sain, Norm Miller, Marty Pattin, Houston Astros, Red Sox, Gene Brabender New!
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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