They draw six-figure trademark royalties on the product each year. In addition to his best seller, he and an old minor-league teammate invented Big League Chew, shredded bubble gum sold in pouches to look like chewing tobacco. His success goes beyond the pitching mound and the typewriter. Most prominent is catcher Rick Wilkins, whom Bouton interviewed at length during a research visit to Wrigley Field last summer.īouton, who appears more the writer than ex-ballplayer, is a bit humbled by his fame and good fortune. Sandberg and several other Cubs are in the novel. Other fans are catching on, and yelling for autographs.Ĭubs announcer Steve Stone swapped old pitchers' tales with Bouton, Harry Caray went out of his way to shake hands, and even the supremely silent Sandberg gave him an unsolicited nod in the Cubs clubhouse.
In "Ball Four," Bouton wrote that there was "no bigger flake in major league baseball than Drabowsky." He wrote that Drabowsky once placed a call to a Hong Kong restaurant from the bullpen in Anaheim to order takeout Chinese food.Ī few rows up in the stands, a father is pointing out Bouton to his young son. In the bullpen, Bouton chats with Cubs pitching coach Moe Drabowsky.
"So it's about whether someone is willing to cross that final line?" said Trebelhorn.
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