Probably few would remember this organization except for the fact that Jim Bouton was with the team. They only existed for one year, 1969, and then they were moved to Milwaukee to become the Brewers.

Now if you haven’t heard of the Seattle Pilots, don’t feel bad because I’d never heard of them either. When we catch up with Jim, he is with the Seattle Pilots expansion team, trying to learn how to throw a knuckleball in an attempt to resurrect and lengthen his career. Jim Bouton won two World Series games in 1964 with the New York Yankees, but in 1965 he developed arm troubles that turned the pitching phenom from a starter into a bullpen pitcher. It is interesting how the words honest and controversial seem to travel together like a Harley Davidson with a sidecar. This is probably the most controversial book and the most honest book ever written about baseball. Our thoughts are with the Bouton family today, as well as his many fans across baseball.“A ballplayer spends a good piece of his life gripping a baseball, and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time.” He was honored at last year’s Old-Timers Day and received one of the loudest ovations of the day. The tell-all story of Bouton’s 1969 season shined a light inside a Major League Baseball clubhouse, including stories of Mickey Mantle battling hangovers and having an assistant handle some of his autograph duties, causing a number of fake Mantle autographs to go into circulation.īouton was cast out by the Yankee franchise-and baseball as a whole-for years due to what Ball Four revealed, but the nearby Newark native was eventually welcomed back. He went 2-1 with a 1.48 ERA on the game’s biggest stage.īouton’s postseason success helped the Yankees win three pennants, but his most recognizable contribution to baseball came in 1970, when Ball Four was published. He shined brightest during the World Series, making three starts between the 19 Fall Classics. He went 55-51 with a 3.36 ERA (3.82 FIP), earning an All-Star selection along the way in 1963 despite not making his first start until May 12. Former Yankees pitcher and author of the groundbreaking book Ball Four Jim Bouton passed away on Wednesday at the age of 80 after a fight with a brain disease reportedly attributed to dementia.īouton pitched for the Yankees in parts of eight seasons from 1962-1969, making 197 appearances (131 starts) from 1962-1968.

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