Jim Bouton

James Alan Bouton (born March 8, 1939 in Newark, New Jersey, United States) is a former Major League Baseball player, and author of the controversial baseball book Ball Four, which was a combination diary of his 1969 season and memoir of his years with the New York Yankees, Seattle Pilots, and Houston Astros. While attending high school in Chicago Heights, Illinois, Bouton was nicknamed "Warm-Up Bouton" because he never got to play in a game, ser... more

James Alan Bouton (born March 8, 1939 in Newark, New Jersey, United States) is a former Major League Baseball player, and author of the controversial baseball book Ball Four, which was a combination diary of his 1969 season and memoir of his years with the New York Yankees, Seattle Pilots, and Houston Astros. While attending high school in Chicago Heights, Illinois, Bouton was nicknamed "Warm-Up Bouton" because he never got to play in a game, serving much of his time as a benchwarmer. Jerry Colangelo, future owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Phoenix Suns, was the ace of that Bloom High School staff. In summer leagues, Bouton did not throw particularly hard, but got batters out by mixing conventional stuff with the knuckleball that he had experimented with since childhood. Bouton played baseball while he attended Western Michigan University before he played professionally. He was a member of Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity at WMU. Bouton started his major league career in 1962 with the... less