Welcome to the TexAgs Off Season Baseball Book Club! We are reading Ball Four by Jim Bouton. Book club officially runs from July 1 to August 11, a period of six weeks. Haven't started yet? Want to join in? You have plenty of time!

This week we are discussing the book up through Part 2: "My Arm Isn't Sore, It's Just a Little Stiff." Tell us your favorite parts, drop your favorite quotes. Ask questions. What was interesting to you? Did anything surprise you?

Some questions to get you thinking:

1. What lessons can be learned from Jim Bouton's experiences during contract negotiations in baseball? Has anyone here had similar experience and want to share? It is still very common for coworkers not to know each other's salaries. It is considered rude to ask and share that information, but is that just because the employer doesn't want their employees to know?

2. What does Bouton's story tell us about the nature of professional sports contracts?

3. What broader themes of personal and professional growth can be extracted from Bouton's narrative?

4. How does Bouton describe the nature of spring training and the behavior of players during this time?

5. What does Bouton say about the role of a pitcher and the psychological challenges associated with pitching?

6. How does Bouton approach the idea of personal identity in baseball, especially in light of being a marginal player?

7. What commentary does Bouton offer on the culture of camaraderie and competition among ballplayers?


These questions are just for a starting point. You can answer a question that speaks to you or feel free to introduce your own topics and take the discussion where it leads.

It certainly illustrates the difference between the bargaining system of player agents versus the player bargaining on his own. And the weakness of the players association back then.
The owners had all the power.
He does mention Marvin Miller who became an influential agent of change for the players eventually.
Not sure if the public was aware of the widespread use of drugs in baseball until this book came out.
Seems as if there were very few, if any, multi-year contracts back then. Probably only the bonafide
superstars got more than a 1 year deal.
The vast majority of players were on
their own each year to renegotiate their own deals.

From a marginal player point of view I can see how the players felt the owners were abusive in their dealings.

I am having trouble reading it for any stretch of time. The way it's laid out, I have to read a few stories and then put it away for a bit. I'm still in the middle of part 1, lol.

I got to the part where they play Arizona State. That's pretty cool, a little college baseball connection.

Yeah he mentioned it as a lose-lose scenario for the Pilots.
Didn't the Astros play the Aggies a game or two back in the day?