Which Is The Best?

'Ball Four' Remains Best Baseball Book

By DOM AMORE

May 5, 2009

I got my copy of the new A-Rod book on Monday, and have begun to read. It'll take some time to get through it, but it got me thinking ...

So many books about baseball have come and gone, but after nearly four decades, that old, dog-eared paperback in the back of my closet, the one with the cover falling off and several inside pages hanging loose, is still the best baseball book ever: "Ball Four."

When it came out in 1970, Jim Bouton's tell-all book caused quite a stir. CommissionerBowie Kuhn, in what was not one of his finer moments, called the pitcher on the carpet over various parts of the book.

The furor died down, but the appeal of that book never did. The characters drawn by Bouton, the officious GM, the paunchy, lovable manager and the players from all backgrounds playing pranks on one another, are enough to make anybody long to be a part of that wild traveling circus that is a major league baseball team, even for one summer.

Read On