Strike Zone

by Jim Bouton, Eliot Asinof

In a compelling tale of major league baseball, two men try to reclaim their lives--a minor league player who has one last shot at success and an aging umpire who is planning to fix the game. Reprint.

Genres: Sports, Baseball, Fiction

410 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

James Alan Bouton (March 8, 1939 – July 10, 2019) was an American professional baseball player. Bouton played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a pitcher for the New York Yankees, Seattle Pilots, Houston Astros, and Atlanta Braves between 1962 and 1978. He was also a best-selling author, actor, activist, sportscaster and one of the creators of Big League Chew.

Reviews

[Jacob M Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a washed up old Minor League Pitcher, Sam Ward, who has finally been called upon to pitch the final game of the season for the Cubs against the Phillies, but this game will also decide who wins the pennant. Standing in his way is veteran umpire, Ernie Kolacka, who is calling his last game of his career is being paid by a friend who he owes a debt to call the games in the Phillies favor so they can win the game and he can make money off the win. It is hard to fit this book into a genre ,but I believe it falls into historical fiction mainly because it involves characters that actually played in the major leagues such as Sammy Sosa, Lenny Dykstra, and John Kruk. Also, the fiction part comes into play greatly with the creation of the Cubs winning the pennant in 1993 when really this game never really happened and some characters such as Mark Matthews never existed, but play a vital role in the story's plot. I liked this book because I'm a baseball fan and I found it interesting how the story was told through the eyes of the pitcher and the eyes of umpire. I also enjoyed how the book blended characters that actually played in the Major Leagues and players that never did play, but played as major factors in the conclusion of the story.

[Eric Mayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re not a “baseball person,” meaning you didn’t play or ump or coach or spend any time inside “the life,” this is a fun little page-turner. If you are a baseball person, this book is a 400-page love letter. Fantastic stuff.

[Paul Montag · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Strike Zone, Jim Bouton takes on the person of Sam Ward, a longtime minor leaguer who’s finally getting his shot with the Cubs in a big game against the Phillies that will decide the pennant on the last day of the season in 1994. And Eliot Asinof, well-known for his book Eight Men Out about the Black Sox scandal in 1919, in which the White Sox threw the World Series, takes on the character of Ernie Kolacka, a sixty-year-old umpire who has spent the bulk of his career in the minor leagues, but eventually was promoted to the majors. In this entertaining story, Kolacka’s best friend Roger is in over his head with debt and asks Kolacka to make sure the Phillies win. Kolacka agrees. And from henceforth the chapters rotate between the perspectives of pitcher Sam Ward and Ernie the ump. I approached reading Strike Zone with reservations, for in his entertaining biography Bouton, author Mitchell Nathanson claimed that what kept Strike Zone from being a great book were the chapters by Asinof. I disagree and think both did great. I enjoyed the chapters about equally. Bouton’s voice, as is known to readers of his other books, is constantly amusing. Asinof also is funny, but in his own way. One of the chief charms is that each Bouton and Asinof are straightshooters to an amusing degree. And since baseball players are known to swear a lot, both Ward and Kolacka have vocabularies salted with language; but far from off-putting, I found their candor endearing. Asinof’s ump is pathetic, even more so than Bouton’s pitcher; and he brings out a lot of memorable insights along the way, such as “You need money to have hope, but hope to make money.” Another highlight is that the actual players from the Cubs and Phillies in 1994 are used. It was good to hear old familiar names like Mark Grace and Ryne Sandberg from the Cubs, and on the Phillies, Lenny Dykstra, Darren Daulten, John Kruk, and popeye-looking pinch hitter Jim Eisenreich. That Phillies team from 1993 was one of the most memorable of all time. And it was a trip down memory lane hearing Asinof and Bouton describe them. Perhaps most impressive of all is how seamlessly the chapters written by two authors came together. There must have been a masterful editor behind the organization of this work. While Strike Zone does feel a bit like a book for hire project, and does not reach the exuberance of Ball Four, I was completely immersed in the drama of how the game would turn out, how Ernie the ump would go about calling it crookedly, and how Bouton’s Ward would respond. Every at bat of the nine-inning game is recounted, which might sound like it would get tedious; but miraculously, it doesn’t. Both Bouton and Asinof show good taste in getting to the point and intermingled between innings they recount what their lives have been like trying to make it in baseball and in romance. Kolacka the ump’s relationship with his girlfriend Trisha contains some of the more powerful lines I’ve read about how good a woman can make a man feel. I was not expecting in Strike Zone such pathos that one is used to reading in authors like Shakespeare and Cervantes, but there is a consistent amount of it, particularly in the chapters by Asinof. It’s a book for men that will likely entertain some women readers, too.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book starts slow, but that is necessary in order to set the significant context for what is the last game of the season in the National League. The game is between the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies and the winner of the game will win the division. There are two main characters, the umpire behind the plate and the man pitching for the Cubs.
Sam Ward is a journeyman pitcher, a thirty-two-year-old rookie that has had six brief appearances in the majors, with the rest of his action in the minor leagues. The Cubs pitching staff is completely worn out, they have no other starters available. Sam once had a much stronger arm, now his fastest pitch moseys at 80 mph and he relies almost exclusively on knuckleballs. Therefore, the Cubs manager has no choice but to put their fate in the hands of Sam.
Like so many players before him, Sam has kept his dream of playing in the majors alive longer than he should have. His marriage is in serious trouble and he knows that this is his last chance for any real success as a baseball player.
The umpire is Ernie Kolacka, he also once had dreams of being a major league ballplayer until he was seriously wounded in Korea. Ernie has also been a journeyman umpire, he finally made the majors in his latter years and is being forcibly retired after this last game.
The man that saved Ernie’s life in Korea comes to him and tells him that he is in serious debt to gamblers. They will kill him if he does not pay them off. His only hope is for Ernie to make enough borderline calls so that the Phillies win. To sweeten the deal for Ernie, the gamblers drop off $100,000 in cash before the game with the promise of an additional $100,000 if the Phillies win. If the Cubs win, then Ernie gets nothing.
In many ways Ernie is also a bitter man, he spent years umpiring in the bush leagues, being abused and threatened for little pay before he finally got the call. He really does not like the other members of his umpiring crew. Even though it strains his digestive system, Ernie takes the money and like Sam, prepares for the signature game of his career.
Most of the book is a description of the big game, alternating from the perspective of Sam and Ernie. There is a lot of insight, Ernie makes some questionable calls in favor of the Phillies, causing even some of the Phillies players to give him odd looks. A superb student of the game, Ernie uses the rule interpretation that is most ambiguous to give the Phillies the edge.
The story moves to a conclusion, one that is far happier for all than it would seem possible when the game starts. Both key players end up in a good place and the writing is quite good. Given that Bouton spent the last years of his career with an arm dead for a fastball and trying to survive throwing knuckleballs, some aspects of the story may be autobiographical.

[Christopher Ramsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mildly entertaining book about an aging umpire calling his last game, and the last chance for an over the hill minor league pitcher. If you enjoy baseball than it's worth the time and effort to read this book.

[Chanse Frenette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this story way, way back and loved it so much, I had to read it again. This is a great first person story told from two different angles. Lovers of America’s pastime will not be disappointed with this book.

[MICHAEL A · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not very realistic or believable, the repeated flashbacks are annoying, and some of the in-game scenes, surprisingly, don't ring true. BUT — I actually enjoyed the book, because it's funny, suspenseful, and heck, it's about baseball, which I love.
3.5★

[John Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read for baseball fans. It introduced to Jim Bouton’s other book Ball Four and it’s sequel

[Christian Hulse · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Jim Bouton’s Strike Zone, thirty two-year-old Sam Ward, a minor league baseball pitcher who has been traded to the Chicago Cubs, has been waiting to be called up to the big leagues for many years. Along the way he has had to overcome many troubling trials such as his wife leaving him and having to overcome almost a career ending injury that involved surgery, but Sam Ward was able to overcome those horrific events. Then he got the best call of his life. Sam had just been called up to the big leagues to pitch in a game that would decide who would make the playoffs. Little did Sam know the umpire was about to sabotage his chance at performing well at the game. The umpire was going to do this by calling terrible calls so that the Phillies would win, and he would receive $250,000. Sam faced tough circumstances with resolve and perseverance, thus laying the foundation of the book’s theme.
Set against the backdrop of Chicago’s Wrigley Field, Strike Zone conveys a strong message of working through tough challenges can yield positive results. This message is delivered as the plot develops. Although Sam faced many challenges, he continued to work hard and was eventually called up to the major leagues. Told from the first person point of view, the reader travels with Sam during his journey to success. The first person point of view acts as a strength for this novel, as it enhances the reader’s understanding of the emotions Sam Ward felt throughout. Conversely a weakness of this book was the seemingly erratic timeline of the events as it jumped from past to present. This book will be a success because Sam Ward is an effective protagonist in conveying the author’s theme.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a fictional story about an aging pitcher who has finally made it to pitch for the Cubs and an umpire who has been approached to throw the big game to the Phillies [which is the very last one before his retirement:]. It takes place in a 24 hr. period, but their memories give us lots of insight as to both characters.

[Catherine Mustread · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this while vacationing in Oregon during the end of baseball season. Novel told from the dual perspectives of the pitcher for the Cubs and an about about to retire umpire who has reason to fix the game in favor of Philadelphia.

[Ryan Dilbert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of tension and drama and baseball. However, Strike Zone features some of the worst writing ever. Despite the garbage prose, I finished this quickly and enjoyed it. Skipped some of the forced backstory and tensed up during the more taut moments.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's about a pitcher and the umpire who has planned to throw the game.

I can't remember when I read it but there are more than a few sentences, idioms and situations that I remember despite not retaining anything else in this book...

[G Ream · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite authors - love the real-life baseball stories. BALL FOUR is a classic and must read for any baseball fan/player.

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't think it was a great book. It was sweet and funny in places, but I kept reading because I had to know how that game ended.

[Louise Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://louiseradcliffe.com/2012/02/24...

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Real good.
Every inning of a ball game, alternating pitcher and umpire.
Includes flashbacks to their lives, not boring.
Funny and enjoyable.