“Ball Four: Twentieth Anniversary Edition“ By Jim Bouton

“Ball Four: Twentieth Anniversary Edition“ by Jim Bouton is a memoir that gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at professional baseball in the 1960s. Originally published in 1970, the book was controversial at the time for its candid depiction of baseball players and their lifestyles. The twentieth anniversary edition includes additional commentary from Bouton, reflecting on the impact of the book and how baseball has changed since its of the main themes of the book is the tension between the players and the management of the baseball teams. Bouton portrays the owners and general managers as out-of-touch with the players and willing to exploit them for their own financial gain. For example, he describes how the owners would force players to play through injuries or release them without warning if they weren’t performing well enough. Bouton himself experiences this when he is traded from the New York Yankees to the Seattle Pilots, a team that was in financial trouble and had lit