Ball Four: The Final Pitch
The beloved baseball classic now available in paperback, with an updated epilogue by Jim Bouton When Ball Four was first published in 1970, it ignited a firestorm of controversy. Bouton was called a Judas, a Benedict Arnold, and a "social leper" for having violated the "sanctity of the clubhouse." Baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn attempted to force Bouton to sign a statement saying that the book wasn't true. Ballplayers, most of whom hadn't read the book, denounced it. The San Diego Padres burned a copy in the clubhouse. It was even banned by a few libraries. Almost everyone else, however, loved Ball Four, and serious critics called it an important document. Fans liked discovering that the athletes they worshiped were real people. Historians understood the value of the book's depth and honesty. Besides changing the public image of athletes, the book played a role in the economic revolution in professional sports. In 1975, Ball Four was accepted as legal evidence against the owners at the arbitration hearing that led to free agency in baseball, and by extension, in other sports. Today Ball Four has taken on another role-as a time capsule of life in the sixties. "It is not just a diary of Bouton's 1969 season with the Seattle Pilots and Houston Astros," says sportswriter Jim Caple. "It's a vibrant, funny, telling history of an era that seems even further away than three decades. To call it simply a 'tell-all book' is like describing The Grapes of Wrath as a book about harvesting peaches in California."
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
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 From the Back Cover: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 When Ball Four was first published in 1970, it hit the sports world like a lightning bolt. Commissioners, executives, players and sportswriters were thrown into a state of shock. Stunned. Scandalized. The controversy was front–page news. Sportswriters called Bouton a Judas, a Benedict Arnold and a "social leper." Commissioner Bowie Kuhn tried to force the author to sign a statement saying that the book wasn′t true. One team actually burned a copy of Ball Four in protest.And Bouton is still not invited to Oldtimers′ Day at Yankee Stadium. Fans, however, loved Ball Four and serious critics called it an important document. It was also very popular among people who didn′t ordinarily follow baseball, because Ball Four is not strictly a book about baseball, but one about people who happen to be baseball players. And it′s hilariously funny. For the twentieth–anniversary edition of this historic book, Bouton has written a new epilogue, detailing his career as an inventor, his battles with the Wrigley Company over bubble gum, his take on the Pete Rose controversy, and how baseball looks two decades after he changed its public image forever.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Buy New
Learn more about this copy
£ 19.89
Shipping:
FREE
Within United Kingdom
Other Popular Editions of the Same Title
Rosett..., 2001
Hardcover
Turner..., 2021
Hardcover
Sports..., 2000
Hardcover
Hungry..., 1990
Hardcover
Top Search Results from the AbeBooks Marketplace
Stock Image
Ball Four: The Final Pitch (Paperback)
Published by
Turner, United States
(2014)
ISBN 10: 1630260347
ISBN 13: 9781630260347
New
Paperback
Quantity: 10
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Paperback. Condition: New. Language: English. Brand new Book. 50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITIONNew York Public Library Book of the Century SelectionTime Magazine "100 Greatest Non-Fiction Books" SelectionNew Foreword from Jim Bouton's Wife, Paula 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. Following his death, Bouton's landmark book has remained popular, and his legacy lives on through its many readers, including those who don't ordinarily follow baseball. The 50th Anniversary of his historic book includes a touching and personal new forward by his wife, Paula Bouton. Seller Inventory # AAV9781630260347
Buy New
£ 19.89
Convert currency
Seller Image
Ball Four : The Final Pitch
Published by
Turner
(2014)
ISBN 10: 1630260347
ISBN 13: 9781630260347
New
Softcover
Quantity: 5
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Condition: New. Seller Inventory # 21450720-n
Buy New
£ 17.10
Convert currency
Stock Image
Ball Four The Final Pitch
Published by
Turner
(2014)
ISBN 10: 1630260347
ISBN 13: 9781630260347
New
PAP
Quantity: 15
Seller:
Rating
Book Description PAP. Condition: New. New Book. Delivered from our UK warehouse in 4 to 14 business days. THIS BOOK IS PRINTED ON DEMAND. Established seller since 2000. Seller Inventory # LQ-9781630260347
Buy New
£ 20.22
Convert currency
Stock Image
Ball Four: The Final Pitch
Published by
Wiley
(2014)
ISBN 10: 1630260347
ISBN 13: 9781630260347
New
Softcover
Quantity: > 20
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Condition: New. PRINT ON DEMAND Book; New; Fast Shipping from the UK. No. book. Seller Inventory # ria9781630260347_lsuk
Buy New
£ 21.52
Convert currency
Seller Image
Ball Four: The Final Pitch Paperback
Published by
Turner
(2014)
ISBN 10: 1630260347
ISBN 13: 9781630260347
New
Soft Cover
Quantity: 20
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Soft Cover. Condition: new. Seller Inventory # 9781630260347
Buy New
£ 19.95
Convert currency
Stock Image
Ball Four: The Final Pitch
Published by
Turner
(2014)
ISBN 10: 1630260347
ISBN 13: 9781630260347
New
Paperback / softback
Quantity: 5
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Paperback / softback. Condition: New. This item is printed on demand. New copy - Usually dispatched within 5-9 working days. Seller Inventory # C9781630260347
Buy New
£ 24.80
Convert currency
Stock Image
Ball Four The Final Pitch
Published by
Turner
(2014)
ISBN 10: 1630260347
ISBN 13: 9781630260347
New
PAP
Quantity: 15
Seller:
Rating
Book Description PAP. Condition: New. New Book. Shipped from UK. THIS BOOK IS PRINTED ON DEMAND. Established seller since 2000. Seller Inventory # LQ-9781630260347
Buy New
£ 25.78
Convert currency
Seller Image
Ball Four: The Final Pitch (Paperback or Softback)
Published by
Turner 4/1/2014
(2014)
ISBN 10: 1630260347
ISBN 13: 9781630260347
New
Paperback or Softback
Quantity: 10
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Paperback or Softback. Condition: New. Ball Four: The Final Pitch. Book. Seller Inventory # BBS-9781630260347
Buy New
£ 18.21
Convert currency
Seller Image
Ball Four : The Final Pitch
Published by
Turner
(2014)
ISBN 10: 1630260347
ISBN 13: 9781630260347
New
Softcover
Quantity: 5
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Condition: New. Seller Inventory # 21450720-n
Buy New
£ 17.49
Convert currency
Stock Image
Ball Four: The Final Pitch
Published by
Turner
(2014)
ISBN 10: 1630260347
ISBN 13: 9781630260347
New
Softcover
Quantity: 1
Seller:
Rating
Book Description Condition: New. A+ Customer service! Satisfaction Guaranteed! Book is in NEW condition. Seller Inventory # 1630260347-2-1
Buy New
£ 19.53
Convert currency