I just loved the book Ball Four... read it so many times. Seems like so many players I used to watch when I was a kid is now passing on. Makes me feel even older then I am. Rest in peace Jim. You will be remembered.
I see that Bouton was 80 years old, wow I am getting old. I was just a kid when Bouton pitched for the Yankees he and Al Downing were to be part the next wave of Yankee pitchers to lead the team. They both had a couple of good years but the team faded bad after the 64 season and they never lived up to the early promise. I remember he was called "bulldog" long before Hershiser and of course the BOOK . It was greeted with such venom in the baseball world which was a good ole boy culture back in the day. I think he had some arm injuries and never really was the same pitcher again.
He was also one of the “Battered Bastards of Baseball” AKA the Portland Mavericks. In fact I think he got the idea for Big League Chew while playing for the Mavs. And if you haven’t seen the documentary “The Battered Bastards of Baseball” watch it because it is fantastic. I think it’s on Netflix.