Jim Bouton

Jim Bouton
Bouton with the Seattle Pilots in 1969
Pitcher
Born: (1939-03-08)March 8, 1939
Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Died: July 10, 2019(2019-07-10) (aged 80)
Great Barrington, Massachusetts, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 22, 1962, for the New York Yankees
Last MLB appearance
September 29, 1978, for the Atlanta Braves
MLB statistics
Win–loss record62–63
Earned run average3.57
Strikeouts720
Teams
Career highlights and awards

James Alan Bouton (/ˈbtən/; March 8, 1939 – July 10, 2019) was an American professional baseball player. Bouton played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a pitcher for the New York Yankees, Seattle Pilots, Houston Astros, and Atlanta Braves between 1962 and 1978. He was also a best-selling author, actor, activist, sportscaster and one of the creators of Big League Chew.

Bouton played college baseball at Western Michigan University, before signing his first professional contract with the Yankees. He was a member of the 1962 World Series champions, appeared in the 1963 MLB All-Star Game, and won both of his starts in the 1964 World Series. Later in his career, he developed and threw a knuckleball. Bouton authored the 1970 baseball book Ball Four, which was a combination diary of his 1969 season and memoir of his years with the Yankees, Pilots, and Astros.[1]

  1. ^ Nathanson, Mitchell (June 15, 2020). "Is Ball Four the Greatest Baseball Memoir Ever Written?". Literary Hub. Retrieved June 15, 2020.