Hi everyone, and welcome to sportfolio to Preston. One of the things I wanted to do with this program is chat with some of the idols of my youth and also talk to some of the people who written the great Sports books of the last 25 years tonight. I'm happy to say I can accomplish both objectives. I guess tonight is former major league pitcher Jim Bowden. He probably is not as well remembered for his pitching his he has for his 1970 best seller ball for diarrhea in the 1969 season. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say the ball for help bring about profound changes in American Sports writing and American Sports and it got him about and drummed out of baseball will catch up with him tonight from his home in New Jersey and we'll take your phone calls for Jim Bowden as well coming up on sportfolio.But first let's take a look at everything that happened today in the World of Sports baseball the twins lost their second straight game with the Cleveland Indians this afternoon at the Metrodome and it was a man who's not even a month younger than Jim Bowden our guest tonight Phil Niekro who pitched a two-hitter and very impressive fashion for the Indians today is Cleveland beat the twins 421 Phil Niekro 304th career Victory. He threw a two-hitter 9th to hitter of his career didn't walk a batter and a one-point retired 24 consecutive hitters before hitting Kent Hrbek with a pit with 2 out in the bottom of the ninth twins. Got both their heads in the first inning Kirby Puckett single delete off took second on a ground ball and scored when Kent Hrbek single Two Men and that was all she wrote for the twins. Today is Phil Niekro at the age of 47 was awfully impressive. He is now in his career against the twins in his career against the twins started at 8:45 when he came to the American League. He's three and old with a 123 era against the twins the twins hate knuckleball pitchers negro was 4 and 6 on the season Mike Smith in the starting pitcher for the twins today, give up four runs and 2 and 1/3.Jennings and got the hook for manager Ray Miller Indians scored single runs in the first and second and then Mel Hall hit a two-run homer his tenth of the year in the third inning. Are they Jackson came out with an impressive performance in Long relief for the twins today 5 and 2/3 shutout Innings, give up just three hits walked only one struck out five. So a little bit of Hope for the twins today. They lose two out of three in this weekend series against the Indians and now the twins go to Chicago to start a three-game series against the White Sox tomorrow night elsewhere in American League today. It was the Orioles shutting out the Red Sox 4-2, nothing storm Davis and Donna's you can buy any on a three-hit shutout. I'll be picking up his 19th saver. The season leading the major leagues John Shelby the Offensive start for the Orioles three hits three runs batted in that reduces the Red Sox lead in the American League over the Orioles and Eastern Division to seven games Yankees still in second six games back of the Sox, but Yankees miss out on a chance to gain a little ground today. They were hammered by Toronto at Yankee Stadium 15 to 1 Tony Fernandez and Ernie Whitt each had four runs batted in each hit a two-run homer and a two-run double has the Blue Jays win.15 to 1 White Sox beat Seattle today 10 to 4 was the debut of Chicago's new manager Jim fregosi. He was hired today to nobody's surprise. The greater who had in the interim manager returns with position is third base coach Tony larussa, of course got the ax on Friday in case you missed that what else is on your Kansas City Beach, California today 7 to 4 game still in progress down in Texas Oakland leading the Rangers 3-2 to after six innings was the last we heard Rangers lead the Western Division in the American League, then I'll lead the Angels by a game-and-a-half Kansas City by 3 and 1/2 games. Also the American League today in the walkie beat Detroit 5 beforeOver the national league the San Francisco Giants of all people taking the lead in the Western Division the Giants swept a four-game series from the Houston Astros by sweeping a doubleheader today winning the first game for 2 to the second game. 322 Candlestick Park Giants now lead by a game-and-a-half over to standing by three games over the San Diego Padres, Mike. Krukow with a 7/8 or in the first game for the Giants. He's now I'm 9 and 4 on the season. So the Giants those memorable June Swoon days behind them and I'll leave the national league west by game-and-a-half. Meanwhile, the Mets increase their leading the Eastern Division 2 eleven game today between the Cubs 42 Ron Darling with a five-hitter improving his record to 8 and 2 Lenny Dykstra in George Foster Reese hit a homerun for them Mets today Montreal's in second play. I'm sorry, I blew that the Mets leave by 10 games Noel Montreal's in second place. They did win today. They beat Pittsburgh to 21 Jeffrey Road in with his 17th save for the Expos st. Louis ever, Philadelphia. 772 Forbes a bases-loaded double for Terry Pendleton the key the Cardinals attack Cincinnati beat Atlanta 522 and the Padre.Were the Dodgers 524 has Tim Flannery hit a solo Homer with 2 out in the ninth inning for San Diego. They came back from a four. Nothing deficit to beat the Dodgers 524 World Cup soccer today. It was Argentina over England to 21 a game that featured a lot of stuff Lincoln skirmishing in the stands. No love lost between those two countries after the Falkland Islands incident a few years ago. The argentinians one of the field today to the ones Argentina will play Belgium in a semi-final game on Wednesday Belgium. And Spain were tied 1-1 after two overtimes today. They went into the shootout and the belgians hit all five of their penalty kicks Spain missed one. So Belgium gets credit for a 65 win Belgium versus Argentina and 170 final game on Wednesday. The other semi-final game involving the winners of yesterday's quarterfinals West Germany and France.Golf news Bob tway has become the first 3 time winner on the PGA tour this year. He was four strokes back in the final round today before I came back to win the Atlanta classic shooting at 8 under par 64 today beat house something by 2-stroke Sutton had the lead going into the day $90,000 paycheck for Bob tway he was 19 under for the tournament to 69 Leominster. Judy Dickinson was the winner in Rochester New York have a two-under-par 70 today and a seven-under-par 281 for the tournament Pat Bradley one stroke behind in second place Chi Chi Rodriguez won the Senior tournament Players Championship in Cleveland and Seve Ballesteros. When the Irish open for the third time over there across the Atlantic today find me some horse racing notes from Canterbury Downs. He had fifteen thousand people out there today to Winters in The Pick 6 at all, six winners each winning ticket paying $27,620.60 longer shots winning today. I begin in the sixth race at 721 Shamrock Magruder in the eighth race at 8 to 1 Fleet and Hasty and the 10th race at 6 to 1 and if you had substantialLots of money bet on those worship today or happy listeners tonight featured race, St. Louis Park handicap one by mr. T's tune with Kenny blaq a board that my own 16 for 3 year olds and up paying $8 to win Sandy Hawley. By the way, the leading jockey at Canterbury was closing in on his 5000 career victory was riding up in Toronto today at the Woodbine race course Sandy one one of his five races up there today. He's now with 4996 career victories to come back to Canterbury on Wednesday. And we expect some time this week Sandy Hollywood become just the seventh jockey and history to achieve the 5000 career winning totals. Good luck. Sandy go get them next week.7 minutes after 9 you listening to portfolio on Minnesota Public Radio ksjn 1330 MJG Preston, and it's with great pleasure that I say hi to our guests tonight A blast from my past and I hope from yours too, and I'm still living in his own present Jim Bowden Jim. Thanks so much for coming out with us tonight. I have to admit I used to watch you in my youth when I lived in New York as a kid. I saw you and your old Channel 7 Blazer back in the good old days. I was not privileged to watch you pick Jim. Let's put it that way and Company here in Teaneck, New Jersey and I think of new product ideas one of them. You may be familiar with its called Big League Chew pouch. It was an idea that we dreamed up in the bullpen One Night in Portland, Oregon on the players were all chewing tobacco and getting sick we came up with an alternative. Let's see. I want to get another idea that you might be familiar with is called Big League cards and what it is is it's personalized baseball cards and allows people to be on their own baseball cards are picture on the front and any information about themselves on the back. So you're in the I did business now. I don't know if he gives you any thought of a third or fourth shot at baseball. Whichever one you're up to now Wednesday, and I hope to do as well as Phil did today. Is a matter of fact Phil and I broke into baseball in the same year in 1959. I was a rookie with the Kearney Yankees in Nebraska state way and we were playing a game in McCook, Nebraska with a McCook Braves. And before the game. I saw the skinny kid with a crew cut through a knuckleball to cross the field is jumping around since I threw a knuckleball myself and I had learned when I was a kid. I ran across the field introduce myself to this to the skinny kid and said his name was Phil Niekro and he was going to try to make it to the big leagues was just a knuckleball I said well that's going to be tough. I said fortunately I'm looking for the Yankees wondering about that poor kidney grow in the minor leagues and then three years at 4 years after that when my big league career was over negro mix started his major league career. Recent seven years in the minors and then he became one of the greatest pitchers in baseball out living Me by many many years. It did it taken that long just to master. The picture is a question that dead Scouts and baseball people just wouldn't look twice at him because they couldn't unpredictable and they could they couldn't they couldn't coach it and it didn't understand it was an annoyance. And so I spent seven years down there instead of coming up there after after three or four weeks when he could have come up for a little bit. Once you give us a call to 276 Thousand Oaks 2276 thousand if you're calling from outside the Twin Cities metro area, you can call us collect by all means if you're in Western Wisconsin or area code is 612 or number to 276 thousand Jim Bowden tonight on sportfolio. I'm sitting here looking gym. I have to kind of chuckling looking at a paperback copy of ball for the second printing from Dale and March of 1971 that apparently has been sitting in a cabinet in the studio here for as long as anybody can remember and I had not seen this until tonight, but I read the hardback version when I was a kid. So I don't have quite the memories associated with this paperback version, but I have to admit I have a red ball for every summer at least one since it came out and I I find that hasn't lost much over the course of the 16 years or whatever. It's up to now. You know, it is a book. I can be enjoyed a good book because the characters in the book of the ones that make it to add are the ones that make it funny people like Joe Schulz and Fred Talbot. We're not big stars as baseball players, but they really were interesting people and they're the ones that doesn't make them for. I don't know if they have any Seattle pilot reunions, you're one of the few people alive who can claim that. He's an alumnus of the Seattle Pilots, but do you ever run across any of the people eat that you played with in those days till we exchange Christmas cards with Steve hovley and every once in awhile, I see Gary Bell with my roommate back and I carried down in Dallas, Texas from when I go down to Dallas I give Gary a call. We have a few beers and talk about the old days. Call the most phenomenal thing about the book beyond the enjoyment of the book itself was the the diffuser or that it's part and I would I have to admit I was 12 years old at the time and I wasn't as culturally aware. I just laughed and enjoyed it. I was amazed looking back my mother. Let me read it. But I was talking to her tonight and Mom, why did you let me read before when I was twelve and she said well, I didn't give it to you would have gotten it anyway, so I figured she was going to give it to me with her blessing. But then I think Looking Back Now, it's it's hard for us to remember and really appreciate the profound. I don't know Rick is a right where but it would cause a sensation unlike anything we've seen anything related to since I don't think well, I think it was because for many many years will forever really baseball has been protected protected by the writers who wrote about the game sports writers who covers I had this sort of gentlemen's agreement that they would keep baseball or false image of wholesomeness and Jerry and done. So they really didn't talk honestly about baseball the way most other areas of society. We talked about politics the Arts Theater been looked at honestly over the years, but the baseball for some reason I just been completely sheltered and so involved for came out. It wasn't so much that it was a shock in terms of revealing things that other book hadn't revealed. It was just that I've been so protected all those years and now here was at the game and but it wasn't really an expose so much as it was a love story. I was really fun. No, it was like this to be a baseball player comes out of it. It it it wasn't at least in my reading it wasn't a bitter book so much of it was a funny book and and and especially in that era it was easy for a lot of the whole got God forgive me for using this term it is easy for a lot of the tell it like it is booked to become very bitter by Trooper to type of things and I don't think about forever struck me that way. Come out since fall for that have compared themselves with the four. I really been the angry book. The book says going to recently about baseball books like smoking. Some of the other books are really they are now writing a book that I was accused of writing a Back in 1970 and its predecessor. I guess Jim Brosnan's Diaries from the late 50s and early 60s, but you're also stand up as some of the The Better Baseball books have been published over the last 30 years. It's funny in that while he didn't I guess they have as much of the off-field type of thing that you had in your book. They were still fairly honest books and what she was talking about his feelings about the people he played with and work for and then they weren't them all they weren't what you'd call just gloss over the Rough Side of baseball book ever fairly honest books and yet I think because of the tenor the time in which she wrote them. They didn't have the impact on people Society wasn't going to undergo in the same kind of our people as it was when you wrote. Or maybe that's why it didn't have that kind of impact at the time. And also I think the reason my book it back so much of a fuss was that for for was the first book to tell people how difficult it was to make a living and I'm in the baseball commissioner in the owners rent in advance copy of both were they were Furious because they were concerned that if a congressman should read that book or maybe a judge or an arbitrator or Mercury was something they would see how the owners were abusing their contractual advantage that they had and that the that they might not be able to keep that and they had that special exemption from the antitrust laws of the game and they were had good reason to be angry at the at 4 for course, they didn't say that that's why they were upset by it but five years later in 1975. Baseball players when they're free agency has evidence against the owners and since it was based on contemporaneous notes, it was considered legal legal evidence and I'm happy to say that they were the players hit against the owners. So the owners were right to be angry about bull for into be afraid of it cuz it's documented their abuse clearance portfolio on ksjn 1330 MJG Preston. If you have a question for Jim give us a call at 227-6007 caller ID caller on the line right now from Minneapolis Lucid a question about drug. You said before you talk about people taking Greenies and those kinds of things. I'm curious what your opinion of is now of the whole controversy. Concerning drugs and baseball do you do you see players or did you when you were playing see players who wear who whose lives were Shattered by drugs or is it a huge problem now or do you think there is being overblown? Yes. I saw Players whose lives were ruined by drugs. The difference is we we had a different drug in those days are drugs alcohol and I would say that I'm guessing here. But I think this is a conservative guess somewhere between twenty and forty percent of the baseball players were alcoholics and as matter fact many of them are recovered alcoholics now and tour the country talking about the evils of alcoholism. Ryne Duren comes to mind Don Newcombe and there are a number of others have actually made of a crusade out of it. Toys are more dangerous today in the same guys who were abused alcohol years ago or the same types of people who were abusing drugs today. Whatever was available at the parties is what is what the ball players are going to take. And the reasons for this our bar many, I guess part of it. Is it ball players come from society and they're human beings like everybody else, but more importantly Pro players are even more vulnerable than the average citizen to that. The average person has they are very talented people in terms of having a special skill, but they are really not special people even as many of our Lives been on scholarship since the third grade. They haven't picked up the suitcase in 10 years and there I live in a red carpet world and also because they're very talented they get their pictures. Paper all the time. I think they're invincible and if they're very powerful in the same kinds of weaknesses and everybody else for drugs and alcohol and any other kind of Temptation that comes along Jim Bowden our guest tonight on sportfolio in our phone number for your questions for Jim is227. 6000 Jim. My wife is a is a latecomer to baseball fan Hood. She didn't really think much of it I guess until she got hooked up with me and she seen me excited about doing this program tonight and she's never Red Ball 4 and she doesn't really understand why some so maybe you could explain to her into some other people who may be don't go back that far and their association with baseball some of that some of the things that were in the book that you got specific loud protests from ever having written about Well, let's see. Mostly I guess the criticism. Well, what they talked about was that I used the language of the locker room tonight revealed things that I should have not been said that the behavior of players kind of things we talked about the kinds of things we did thought about said I treated you in the four letter word that was an issue in those days cuz you didn't see those being being published hardly at all on Saturday and you couldn't say certain words in the book in his day, but in my day you were allowed to and so you actually heard the players the speaking as a As they speak in The Dugout during the games and I think it's I think it added a lot of color and a lot of flavor it certainly didn't the libel anybody might have embarrassed if you guys a little bit but not really I think because it'll get this show the ball players to be very humid and very very funny and very interesting people. What are the things that I like for four ways that the women said, they really enjoyed reading it said it wasn't filled with Statistics and it wasn't really about baseball was it that was really about people who happened to be baseball players. I want to hear you say that I am amazed that it may be time to changed a little bit but I'm amazed that women would be able to tolerate some of the womanizing to goes on in ball for us. If we are revealing what that what that lifestyle was like and I think those kinds of issues need to be talked about between men and women and Dad. And that raised the question and I'm sure a lot of players have to have to start dealing with that issue. You mentioned earlier The Baseballs off League conservative as an institution and very slow to change and one of the things that I find in my continual rereading the ball for his head still in the last 16 17 years baseball still hasn't changed all that much from what it was then there's more zeros in the day after the dollar signs, but that's about it as leadership. In your day and you wrote about this at some length with with several characters in in ball for Steve Harvey and Mike Marshall come to mind and yourself players with very much obvious intelligence were kind of disdain by their teammates by management. Whatever is is that something that you think is changed at all in the years since players today have had some college back. Can you get caught reading a book on the team bus I think it's going to be more more than Orem today than it was years ago and my day if you can read a book A book on the bus or read the paper back book on sale in the locker room before the game or something. They would nickname either Professor or something as if you would send to an intellectual giant because you were reading a book. Mike Marshalls the guy who became one of the more Story characters in baseball and certainly has his place in Minnesota Twins Laura from the years. He was here and I guess most of America got their introduction to Mike Marshall through your book because he was a young a young picture still early in his major league career with that Seattle Pilots King. Did you think he would like, I guess you got to pick them out of the book of somebody was a little off the beaten path. Did you think that he would wind up being both of the person and then the player that he became after that they wanted to tell you said on the bed, so I sat on the bench because they were some sort of a personality problem. As far as the team was concerned. They were not easily controlled people like Steve hovley Mike Marshall, Lou Piniella got sent to the minor leagues cuz it wasn't easily controlled instead of looking at these at these people and saying they are pretty Strongman willed individuals for them to be in a bucking the trend in to be their own people. Maybe that's kind of strength can be a helpful to them is as ball players instead of seeing the positive and negative could have been something that they couldn't control turn down Loop until it became one of the greatest in the game of baseball Marshall became the greatest relief pitchers of all time. I got traded to the Houston Astros and while I only had one more season ice, I did much better with Houston and got more opportunities are they ever do to Seattle and Steve Holy got traded from the pilots and went to the Baltimore Orioles and played a couple more seasons in the Major League of Baltimore. So they they bent the wrong guys. May not be one very long and our guests tonight for more big-league pitcher and former Big League author to at rabaul for goes back to 1970 now starting with this from his home in New Jersey and our phone number for your questions for gym is 2276 thousand Yuans portfolio to 276 thousand. Jim I have another question for my wife here who seems to vaguely remember your TV show me you can tell us the story of ball for the TV show comedy based in there in a locker room and it was the idea was that I thought a baseball team represented a good background for situation comedies of funny stories on television because I thought a locker-room offered a lot of opportunities in the first place and is always important ball game and Daddy had players from all ages and all walks of life and death neck and back and religious background or thrown together and in one place very much. Like I like an army unit and there were a lot of successful RV shows on television because of that and that he was a chance to have the same mixture of people. In a situation comedy. Unfortunately, we weren't able to find the other writing Talent quick enough and show was cancelled before we really I got into a Groove you actually we're on on camera in the program right cancel a sink for for reasons of lack of writing play the part of a big hulking catcher called the Rhino and the Ben Davidson, as you know went on to star in light beer commercials. So we had a good cast just weren't giving much of a chance. And also I think the network wasn't too anxious to have the show become successful because our program was beginning to show some of the warts and profess. Our last show with the show. Drugs about 12 players taking and phetamines and having it destroyed their careers. And I don't think they wanted to have a program on the network that showed the senior side of Sports at the same time. They were looking to sell sports to the public on the weekends with their major professional contract that they had with the League's. So I think I saw a potential conflict there and they wanted to protect their their sport there's contracts with their with his with the major leagues and I think they so that they might be getting static from the show. They kept it in the air. Francis 6 weeks and got cancer Jim Bowden our guest tonight on sportfolio here on ksjn 1330 phone number for your questions is to 276 thousand and we have a caller on the line from Minneapolis. Hello, Jake. Tell us something about Mickey Mantle. I thought he was a great player and how tough it was for him when he played with him at the injuries and all that stuff. What kind of guy was he said before I wanted to my main reason why they wanted to share the fun that I was having in baseball. I think most people's first book comes because there is there busing to say something. I just can't wait to tell everybody about some interesting experience that they've had in your life. And that's what I wanted to do with for 4. Title came from we were sitting around a bar one night my editor and I trying to figure out what would be a good title for ball four, and we decided we couldn't use the title the kind of side of the most affordable pad which ones, you know, the perfect game or how I won 20 games or something to do with a downbeat kind of book is about a marginal relief pitchers myself, and I never read about in the others in this memo Sportsbook. So we wanted to get an unusual titles and suggested to something a little more downbeat and at that moment the lady sitting next to us in the bar and heard our conversation. He turned around and she said why don't you call eyeball for And laughed about it and send me the next day. It sounded like a good idea. So that was it for 4 because there was a knuckleball pitcher and a knuckleball is hard to control and you walk a lot of guys in it. That was the reason for that Mickey Mantle. What kind of a guy was Mickey? Well, he was really a little bit too complex. I would say first of all, he was the most popular guy on the team everybody like Mickey. It was a great teammate to have each day always gave 100% And then tried as hard as he could. He was always fun to have around the clubhouse at nobody could tell us a story funnier than Nicki or for make a practical joke and so he was well loved by his teammates and he was a great inspiration when he played with his injuries and all the other hand. He was very difficult with sports writers and fans. We thought were a nuisance and Nikki was one of those players in the world. If I'm really that lost perspective about what they were doing. They most ball players got to the big leagues and I thought to what they were doing hitting a ball with a stick was really an important thing to do. The candidates for treasurer just leave them alone and do it. They would have a great time but they never understood that is no such job people. Otherwise, otherwise, what you got to do is a hobby not a job. So they never really quite understood that and as a result they resented that represented the attention that they'd gotten been really couldn't couldn't handle day the success of the adulation and all so he is I think I spent a lot of time on happy when he could have been a lot happier person. I think of your dad a different view of what he was doing to make it was one of the most vocally upset about ball for at the time was published when he Vocal actually what he said was no comment really making you asked me about the book you say I don't have any comment on that book still to this day. I don't think I spent more than two paragraphs on a man in a 500-page book. I hardly mention them what I just said here on the interview. Still a great ball player and the greatest pool player I ever saw. But he took a position early that the book was somehow bad. I know he didn't read it. Somebody told him about it. And so here's a guy who's never read and I think it's because of Mickey and the other guys on the Yankees who wore gloves to Mickey. You never read the book themselves either. That's the reason I'm I'm I'm guessing that I don't get invited back to Old Timers day after all these years if I had murdered somebody and serve my my seven years in prison of the first offender. I could be back out on the street having serve my debt to society as a killer but not as a writer felons have it all over offers. I think Jim. Is there something else you want to ask him? Jake's going. Okay. Well Jim Bowden is our guest tonight on sportfolio time JG Preston. You're listening to Minnesota Public Radio. Ksjn 1330 got some more time to spend with Jim until 10 tonight and we'll come back and chat some more within take some more of your questions at 2276 thousand some of the other find programs. You'll hear here on ksjn. Hi this time. We asked you would look at some of the issues. We're going to be dealing with on afterthoughts this week Monday. We start by looking at women and children as the fastest-growing groups among the poor in America during the 1980s will take a look at the Vietnam War will talk with a man who in protest of the war abandon. His family life is part of the aristocracy and Marine lieutenant to return their fifteen years later good things coming up on afterthoughts here on ksjn Minneapolis-Saint Paul. I want nightstand this week. I'll feature the dance band of Ken McIntosh from Great Britain. Chris Nielsen here. Join me won't you listen Monday night at 10:05 on ksjn? 1330 Minneapolis-Saint Paul. It's 24 minutes before 10 here on ksjn 1330. MJG Preston before we go back to Jim boutin. I just want to let you know if portfolio fans that after weeks of threatening to do so, we are indeed changing the time of this program next week. This is our last Sunday night with you. I'm sorry to say kind of sorry. I'm not that sorry that I'm not going to come in here on Sundays anymore. We could just fly with me starting next week will be on what I hope will be a little more convenient time for all of you on Saturdays at noon will be here Saturday to continue the call in interview program tradition on ksjn starting at 10 with some money. And then the Bob Potter's midday interview from 11:15 to noon and then we'll come on right there at 12 and talk sports with different people every week next week. Saturday will be the day before the big Saint Paul Derby out at Canterbury Downs when we talkin to some people from the horse racing world, so they visiting horse dignitaries or yet-to-be-announced, but they will have them believe me. It'll be interesting to be glad you listened and it'll be the first of a continuing series of Saturday night. Programs is portfolio Saturdays and noon starting next week and during this time here on ksjn Sunday night jazz with Jeannie Gordon, which starts next Sunday at 9. There's to be a little others mother tinkering with the Sunday evening schedule here on ksjn 2682 will tell you about it during the course of the week and please join us again on Saturday next week at 12 noon portfolio. All right now back to I guess Jim boutin tonight talkin to us from his home in New Jersey former big league pitcher and author of ball for among other things in his life will take your questions for gym tonight at 2 to seven six thousand years second book. I don't I may be in a in a very small minority and in that category, I believe it was called that I managed good but boy, they sure play Bad. That was a book about four 4, then it was pretty much why why people reacted the way they did to the book and and what happened to me the first year out and what the response was to the book to the second book was a book about a broken the third book was really not a book written by me. It was really a collection of stories that I was the editor on. And that's been that that's been the end of your involvement of the publishing World until this point then. Dozens of magazine and newspaper articles in various subjects over the years and I still I still ride today but I think the thing with the book is it you can't force it. I think it has to be just rushing out of you. At least that's my experience with it. So I have to wait until I've got enough experiences that I think about things to tell somebody about necessarily have to do with baseball or Sports at this point in your life. Whatever it is, and I'm doing and I've been in business for myself for the last 7 years. So I think it was if I write any more it'll probably have to do with the business world. People do talk about the law. I don't know carryover influences that go from the playing field into the boardroom or whatever corny way you want to put it but the the ways in which sports can help prepare people to get along in the business world. Do you find it to be true in the in the business world you run in almost postponed your adulthood because why you were playing sports you were able to avoid doing a lot of the growing up as most people have to do particularly if you're really good at it. You are really good ballplayer. For example, the teachers let out of school early because you got a bat got a ball game and you're important to the team and local police officer doesn't give you a ticket because he's a fan of the team in the local Haberdashery guy gives you a free shirt because he's a fan and he like a ball players and until you go through life and your sort of the insulated world, you know, you're really living in a bubble and you don't have to develop the interpersonal skills is most people have to get you don't have to ever ask anybody for something. You don't have to negotiate for anyting check today when players have agents to have their contracts. They can pretty much behave any way you want to behave and as long as you're a successful athlete people will forgive you for it. So what happens if you get to be about 35 years old and when you're out of the how did the game because you can't play it well anymore and then have to learn all those skills that other people have been learning and not that easy. I think that people have to be careful that it Sports doesn't limit their Horizons rather than Broad and you have enough fun as an athlete yourself that you certainly wouldn't discourage people from getting involved that it doesn't sound like other interest in other activities in their lives besides fourth. Otherwise it become one dimensional and they run the risk of being very limited narrow people. This is what happens to I'd say that's a very large percentage of professional athletes are too single-minded and And too much focus in one area and since only a handful can ever make it all the way you have a you have hundreds of thousands of kids will never make it a new haven't developed the skills that they need to develop in other areas. So I tell young people that's trying to be a baseball player of football player, but don't forget the best science you got to know about those things to help kids go back to school and then you've yes, I think it goes back to coaching and I think I think it goes back to the emphasis that we placed on winning. We have elevated winning to such a point and made life. So competitive for athletes that the little league level of the school level of the college high school level that That seems to be the most important thing that people care about and if it's cool can win a player can win then he can he can get away with anything and she outrageous behavior. For example of Television to watch a tennis match. These guys are throwing rackets and then they be removed from the game because you know, she's just sit there an excuse his behavior instead of saying the guy's a winner is a great picture for young kids watching him to think anything goes Talking with Jim Bowden tonight on sportfolio here on ksjn 1330. I thought Jake had another question when you called before it got you back on the line. Go ahead. Jay-Z won. The shorts is kind of a a readers or listeners question and give us some Yogi stories. Are you on the show Jim? I'm glad you did a good job talking in it from what I was told. Is a zombie cuz we ask him to come on Jake. How about you'll get gym cuz you were playing with your getting your Twilight of his playing career. You played for Yogi. The manager to have on the team is very funny man. Of course, I'll never forget my first game tonight, but I came into as a rookie pitcher 1962. I remember one of my first cases against the Detroit Tigers had the bases loaded and Al Kaline with the batter and and I called timeout because I want to get some advice from Yogi and how to fix the K line and comes out to the mountain. I said, yo gabba put the K line and I know he gave me some advice that I carry with me to this day said, I don't know. images of funny guy unintentionally funny It was just one of these guys. We said things that were very funny and he didn't even realize how funny they were strippers, you know tells a story about the time. He and Yogi were on their way to a sports banquet in the Pennsylvania state highway at 80 at about 95 miles an hour in a misdirection ramp at still swears. He turned a yogini sajovec. I think we're lost a good time. I think there's a certain percentage of Yogi stories that have been made up over the years, but they sound pretty authentic. Well, I tell you what, you didn't have to make him up. He was constantly saying funny things and it may be a few made up. But if there are hundreds and never got home because you could keep track of all of the other day was out playing golf joke, you said, you know 90% of a short but never go in. Really? Well once in a while I ran into Hector Lopez in a couple of weeks ago in a celebrity benefits golf tournament that they had it here in Long Island. But other than that, I really don't see anybody. Going back Old Timers day. I wouldn't have any occasion to bump into these guys. Are there a lot of people who wouldn't talk to you today if you didn't run into it, I think probably When I when I go around a baseball team which isn't very often, but whenever I am there may be one or two older guys in the clubhouse is don't want to talk to me because of all four of a dinner or always a half a dozen young players who come over to me and say a combat and I was going to meet you I Red Bull for one when I was in high school and it was that it was the Bible of our high school baseball team. We couldn't wait to get to the big leagues cuz it sounds like so much fun to the responses that different than me depending on what the age group of the player is. Jim and Rodger Maris died last December since he grew up in this area. We did a lot of reflecting on his life and career and had a chance to look back on that 1961 season, then you came up to the Yankees after that ends in 62 and maybe you saw some of the after effects of that record home runs this season on Rodger what they done to him. Used to love people wanting his autograph and people asking him for interviews and he is always annoyed by that and instead of seeing it as fun as a fun part of the game as part of the enjoyment tell you don't take my picture or when I came up to the to the big leagues. I was signing autographs for people answering questions. That was part of the fun of being a ball player. And Rodger never seem to do really fit in with that at all, huh? Too bad some people don't enjoy that others. Really they thrive on it always enjoyed. It graces with fans. The ain't nobody that we have a signed autograph and Stan Musial or Muhammad Ali or Pele. For example, he's another one he does very well with it. He really enjoys it and I guess tonight here on sportfolio MJG Preston. You have a question for Jimmy can give us a call at 227-6000 doctor soon and put you on the air here with Jim boutin. What's your background before you use on your first professional contract us a little bit about your growing up in your educational background a little bit because we were able to play ball for the fun of it and not because her parents wanted is to or because we felt we had to get out there and when we went out there and play cuz it was fun to play. I wasn't a very big kid as matter fact when I was in high school. I was skinny and I was down in the bed warm up. I never got into the gate about that later on when will curlier I know so I never saw a baseball as a career for myself. I always thought baseball and something fun to do for a while and no matter how long it lasted though. There was one year or eight years or whatever. It would still be a good time and something interesting to do in my life before I moved on to my real job, whatever that was whatever that would be but I would say that I was before I was a ballplayer. I have my own paper route when I was 7 years old. I used to have a lemonade stand out in front of the house. I had my own odd jobs business and I was 13 business cards. I enjoyed hustling and working hard and earning my own money. I love the independence of having my own income. Not just my allowance, but money that I would earn through work but I did as a kid. I like being able to go to the store and buy a candy bar. If I felt like I didn't have to wonder whether I could afford it. I knew I could work for it and earn the money and a great deal of fun. And I guess it's why I'm in business for myself today. I enjoy the independence and I like I like getting by on my own with just so happens a baseball lineup sidetracking you for a few years is all for you were one of that at the time rare breed of a ball player actually went to college before you play pro ball. Freshman year and then my first three years in the minor leagues, I went to college in the offseason for a semester. I would go for the fall semester than that leave in the spring and go play baseball in the spring and summer and go back to having about three years of college that way. I think I'm a second semester Junior now, I would ever go back to college but at this point in my life college, is it going to is it going to take me but it's it is important I think for most kids to go to college or some training school where they can learn the skills that they need. They did you take any journalism her creative writing courses at all to become better at it. I never realized that the time that I would someday use it the right book. See, that's the thing about your hobbies in your interest when you're a kid, you never really know when those things can be put to good use later on. Jim Bowden Our Guest on sportfolio here on ksjn 1330 Minnesota Public Radio in our phone number for your questions for gym is 2 to 7 6008 from the big leagues in 1970 when you did had it not been for ball for Thor been no book. Would you have been pitching a few years longer? Do you think baseball didn't kick me out. I left voluntarily. I didn't have a terrific here in 1970 and at the end of the year, I was invited to spring training the following year with you was going to probably could have made the team can I would have been a journeyman picture up and down spending maybe three or four more years in the big leagues and I could have done that but I had an opportunity to intellivision. We have to boil 4 came out. It wasn't so many TV shows defending myself, but I got used to the camera and somebody in New York. So I'll be on television today. He might make a good sport. Has offered a job and I took it because it was a sinner. I played baseball with me for 15 years by that time and don't we something different to do with my life and I like to try new things. And so I left baseball to become a sports catch it but it was voluntary voluntary on my part didn't kick me out your TV career with you staying in for quite a few years after that. Didn't you reason I got fired was because the local network did not like my view of sports. She has a sportscaster. What what television is looking for is not a journalist. I really look for a Salesman. Is is not covered journalistically television see what happens is that the TV Little League Sports basketball football baseball and then they become Partners In The Joint Enterprise of selling at 4 to the public. So what they looking for a Salesman that's worth caster. Images to roll you didn't feel comfortable with covered women sports. I covered High School sports old man lifting weights in their basement. They could be turned on Sports in the in the sports with something that they should enjoy not just watch other people do on television and course the TV people didn't like that view because they wanted me to encourage people to watch television. I hear you did before making a lot of money Jim was it a successful financially as it is it was among the readers to the right book unless you're Agatha Christie or somebody like that. You can't really make much money writing a book for example bowl for a best seller and it's sold millions of copies. The total amount of money made in the in the in the in the year was $100,000 and that's not my sneezing at that. But we need to put $100,000 and fifty thousand for him. And then after you pay your taxes on it, so it doesn't leave much left over. I mean, it's not it's not a bonanza what the best thing for for did was it opened up other opportunities to me in my life, but didn't give me a chance to get rich by itself. Your your continued attempts to try to get back in the baseball in your advancing age. And I guess I think I'm in my lifetime. Anyway when the most remarkable stories in baseball with your comeback in 1978 at the age of 39 when you actually came back to the big leagues pitch for the Atlanta Braves and & Fitch pretty well. Well, that was one of the one of the most interesting times of my life. I wasn't sure we were talking about earlier which meant to be spent the whole year indoors writing and acting and needs to get out and a voice in the back of my head that I should go back to baseball. So I did I would 1977 and went back and played in the minor leagues to get in condition again with in Knoxville, Tennessee and and Durango Mexico and Portland, Oregon and then the following year. I got a chance to pitch in the Braves organization Ted Turner gave me a chance and and I pitched in Savannah Georgia for the summer of 1978 and Elena braids at the end of the season. Add a meeting for the one that was particularly satisfying to me because the first game against the Cincinnati Reds wearing a three-way penetration and the Cincinnati Reds in the giant said there wasn't fair but the Dodger should get the bat against an old washtub pitcher who was a sportscaster. They should have an equal opportunity to the bomb me out also and you can and when when an easy game so Ted after eviction against the Dodgers also pissing against Cincinnati and the and the Giants and supergiant's 41 Elmo's Pizza Daddy. They beat me to the one it was I55 hitter against them, but it was a very satisfying after what the name of the beach at least one of them. You mentioned Ted Turner. I just read a fascinating article, but Gary Smith and Sports Illustrated this week about Ted Turner and then you can tell us a little bit about your impressions of Ted 2. Zachary won the America's Cup. He was becoming one of the more prominent people in America back then. But he's very open-minded. He can listen to anybody suggestions. And if you think you've got a good idea he'll he'll do something about it and he walks around his office with an old railroad had on any where's Dean half the time and the doorman's got a good idea. He'll he'll listen to what he's he's really a very open-minded guys, very creative thinker and Chevy. Rages he really is. Well, we may wind up getting into the news a little bit later as result of this but we do have one more call who strangled in here is portfolio and I want to give him a chance to get on the air with Jim boutin to Minneapolis we go high Jonathan never the least. Okay. I wanted to ask gym that offers while I wanted to tell him that I grew up in the New York area and I remember him quite well and I have his baseball card sell for 1966 and 1967 and I wanted to ask him which baseball Publications that he reads right now that he thinks are good journals and also which baseball commentators he like things like that. I read the sports section, but I'm really only interested in the politics following the usfl NFL trial. I like reading about the struggles between the Players Association in the owner. That's interesting to me is a former the former member of The Players Association. So I'm interested in that but I really follow the scores too much. I root for Phil Niekro and I were good friends of the Atlanta Braves is an old knuckleball pitcher and and the thing was mistreated by the Yankees. And so it's great to see him come back and then show them what he can do. I root for a few personalities, but I'm really not a baseball fan in that sense so I couldn't really comment fairly on writing well about baseball today. Jim has been a very enjoyable hour for me and I want to thank you for taking the time to do this and let me get a chance to talk to one of the heroes of my youth so I wish you the best in your business ventures and I do hope that maybe someday we'll get to read another gym about in the book. Cuz I for one would like to see one has been our guest tonight from his home in New Jersey here on Sports Foley on I appreciate very much is taking the time and if you get a chance to go to the library or go to the used bookstore, whatever and pick up a copy of ball for hippie off of fun to take a look and I plan on stealing that's when I found her in the studio and take it home and read it again start that way. I wanted to look it's our last show on Sunday night. We're entitled to kind of take some Liberties and flop it up a little bit if we want to listen to Saturday. Do I hope you enjoy this? Damn what we talkin about the Saint Paul Derby and Canterbury Downs. We'll talk about a whole lot of other things over the course of the weeks. There are technical wizard tonight. He's going on vacation. So, you know where Papa's house or anything, but listen, he's a nice guy who winking are wonderful producer and some day is going to get a lot more money than she's making for doing this cuz she doesn't feel well. I'm JG Preston. Thanks for listening will see you again Saturday at noon on portfolio. Okay, now listen, I got a little time to play with your you're listening to the news and information service at Minnesota Public Radio. Ksjn, 1330 Minneapolis-Saint Paul 1 and 1/2 minutes after 10 in just a little bit. We're going to be joining news from the Associated Press than a 1005 music from the hearts of space. And before we go into 8 p.m.