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Major League pitcher, Jim Bouton, went from being a good player on the champion New York Yankees to being a little-used relief pitcher on the all-time awful Seattle Pilots, so he had plenty of time to keep a diary. I read this book when I was 13. All I knew was that it was about baseball, and it made the people who ran baseball mad. The scathing reviews were all over the cover, so, of course, I had to read it. I don't think I did anything but read the book, laugh, eat, and sleep for days. It's not a Pollyanna sports story, but it doesn't degrade or gross anyone out either. For many of us it was the first time we found out our heroes are hilarious, insecure, talented, bumbling, petty, fun-loving human beings. No book or TV show has taken us that close since.

Reviewed by Bob K., former WBTV News Anchor, Charlotte, NC

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