Ridgewood Barons

     I believe it was the summer of 1973 when Jim Bouton, author of Ball Four, and former big league baseball player with the NY Yankees pitched on the diamond at Veteran's Field in Ridgewood. He died yesterday at the age of 80.

     In those days, before the proliferation of travel teams for eight-year olds in every conceivable sport, there were summer baseball games played by adults. These ball players fit into one of three categories: those who either aspired to play in college, the professional minor leagues, or just for the love of the game. They literally payed a nominal sum to play in these leagues. Most towns had teams and as a promotional stunt they invited Ridgewood resident Jim Bouton to pitch for them. He drew a small crowd and I was lucky to find a spot in the bleachers to watch his iconic windup and pitch which always included his hat falling off his head.

     He ends his book with these words which I find to be spot on:

“You spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball,” he wrote, “and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time.”