It’s well-known what Ball Four did for baseball (or to it), but re-reading it recently — specifically, re-reading the appendix to the republished version, Ball Five — I am reminded that Bouton took quite a few shots at sports media too, another industry he was part of for a short time. And there’s a lot in there that is still true today.
Some examples, and keep in mind this was written in 1979 or so:
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Bouton is talking about how he preferred to cover lower-level sports, like a high-school football team that hadn’t won in years, and he says:
“What’s more, surveys showed that viewers liked these kinds of stories. The Jets and Giants, however, did not. They wanted you to come out and interview right tackle Joe Doaks about his sore left toe and whether or not he’d be ready for the big game on Sunday. Professional teams have come to expect this form of free advertising … which is even more effective than a commercial because it’s presented as news. They get all upset when you don’t interview the coach about how great the club looks.”
