"You see, you spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time".
Jim Bouton
We have had the pleasure of visiting with some special folks that played a role or were visible in our formative years such as Chuck McCann and Cousin Brucie. This time around we're grateful to someone from the sports world that made his mark in our part of the world as a member of the Yankees during our childhood, pitcher Jim Bouton.
Jim was very gracious in sitting down with us to share life in the NY/NJ area back then. In addition to his excellent career, Jim is known for what many claim to be one of the most notorious sports books ever written: Ball Four. A very controversial piece that shared with the public the honest side of the sport and it's players. In addition to us watching him pitch for the Yankees we saw him daily as a member of the trend setting news team.. WABC-TV's Eyewitness News...Grimsby/Beutel/Bouton/Rivera and Tex with the weather. Yes, Rivera as in Geraldo. Jim remembers Geraldo well when he made the grade with his notable investigative report on abuses at the Willowbrook State School.
Jim was born in Newark and lived in Englewood. As a kid growing up his favorite team was always the Giants and often he and his brother would take the train out to the Polo Grounds to see them play. Ironically, the first time he ever set foot in Yankee Stadium was when he made the 1962 club on Opening Day.
We spoke of life in the 50/60's and Jim shared that the contract he signed twenty minutes before the start of that '62 Home Opener was for a grand total of six thousand dollars. The next year he went 21 ~7 and was given a three thousand dollar raise. Yankees are infamous, though we never said generous. In speaking with him he reiterated the fact that not many gave him much of a chance before the majors but he persevered and never failed in believing in himself. The nickname of "Bull Dog" given to him by Yankee great, Elston Howard, was a good fit.
In an effort to supplement their incomes, Jim played on a off season charity basketball team comprised of members of the Yankees and Mets. To my surprise, Jim spoke of their group playing one evening on the WHS gym hardboards in the mid sixties vs. our faculty. "We always lost to the group we played, leave them with something to brag about". For a night's work on the basketball court, each player received fifty dollars for their appearance and play. One of his Yankee teammates that evening was Al Downing. I am fortunate to call Al a friend for many a year now since his playing days with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Al and I spoke about Jim and our profile for the WHS Blog. Al, a New Jersey native himself, spoke of the fun the two had. Jim was not shy or apologetic about enjoying all the perks and attention that comes with being a member of the famed Yankee organization, especially in NY.
For Jim's first big league appearance and start he walked the first three batters, went 3 ~ 0 on the next guy and manager Ralph Houk felt it was time to visit the mound. Jim reassured him he was fine, let me get back to pitching and that he did. He got out of the inning with no runs scored, gave up seven hits, seven walks and wore out Houk's bullpen in the process. A complete game shutout for this rookie and on the way to his locker, his manager stopped him and whispered in his ear, "next time you decide to pitch a *&%#! shutout please forewarn me, I'll need to make some *%#@! roster moves because I now have six dead arms in my bull pen! Sarcasm of course but that was the beginning of an exciting career. After seven years in pinstripes he pitched for several other teams while releasing "Ball Four". Being outspoken and honest he was met with a lot of flashback within the sport including his fellow and former teammates. To this day he has never regretted writing it.
For Jim's first big league appearance and start he walked the first three batters, went 3 ~ 0 on the next guy and manager Ralph Houk felt it was time to visit the mound. Jim reassured him he was fine, let me get back to pitching and that he did. He got out of the inning with no runs scored, gave up seven hits, seven walks and wore out Houk's bullpen in the process. A complete game shutout for this rookie and on the way to his locker, his manager stopped him and whispered in his ear, "next time you decide to pitch a *&%#! shutout please forewarn me, I'll need to make some *%#@! roster moves because I now have six dead arms in my bull pen! Sarcasm of course but that was the beginning of an exciting career. After seven years in pinstripes he pitched for several other teams while releasing "Ball Four". Being outspoken and honest he was met with a lot of flashback within the sport including his fellow and former teammates. To this day he has never regretted writing it.
Jim is an entrepreneur and very successful businessman, calling Massachusetts home for quite a while now. Not many realize it but it was Jim that co-founded the most popular bubble gum on the market these days; Big League Chew.
Jim's straightforward approach to life and speaking his mind is something that makes one pause to take stock in. As example, the Yankees finally invited Jim back to their annual Old Timer's Game after his long exile caused by the "tell all" book...he enjoyed the experience, the fans welcomed him back with a standing "O" and afterwards a reporter asked Jim about the plans for the new stadium to be built...in the only way a "Bull Dog" knows how to respond..."If building or renovating a stadium is a good idea from a business perspective, let the businessmen pay for it. Why should taxpayers have to subsidize a baseball stadium if they don't even go to the games? It's a national outrage, considering that you have schools, hospitals, and fire departments without proper funding." In addition he didn't like the fact that green public park space would be eliminated and not replaced on the site of the new park and so on..."Rich, my comments were published and I haven't been invited back since, so I guess I'm back on the sh*t list my friend. Guess what...think it bothers me?" After a laugh shared between the two of us I knew the answer.
"Rich, we're from Jersey, we're expected to be straightforward...be fair to yourself and others, be honest...and enjoy life is my message to your fellow Barrons."
* A footnote to the old saying "it's a small world"...in conversation I found out that Jim's wife grew up and lived on the same block with Cousin Brucie, both being close childhood friends all those years.
Oh...that Johnny Carson thing. At the height of Ball Four's popularity Carson booked Bouton as a guest on the Tonight Show. In 1981, on photo assignment for NBC in their Burbank studios I found myself working on the set next to Carson's studio/set. Couldn't resist entering the closed empty studio, removed the muslim dust covers and sat in the guest chair. Seat cushion was hard as a rock, the view fun and memorable. Bouton: Warranted Kee: Unwarranted
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