The Mouth That Roared: My Six Outspoken Decades in Baseball

by Dallas Green, Alan Maimon

From profanity-laced clubhouse tirades and outspoken opinions on the state of the game to tears at an emotional funeral for his murdered granddaughter, Dallas Green tells his story for the first time in this autobiography. In his nearly 60 years in baseball as a pitcher; manager of three franchises, including both New York squads, the Mets and Yankees; general manager; and executive, Dallas Green has never minced words or shied away from making enemies. Though many bristled at his gruff style, nobody could argue with the result of his as manager of the Philadelphia Phillies, he led the team to a World Series championship in 1980 and as general manger of the Chicago Cubs, he pulled off one of the most lopsided trades in the history of the sport by dealing journeyman Ivan DeJesus to the Phillies in exchange for Larry Bowa and future Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg. This larger-than-life baseball personality shares insights from the mound, the dugout, and the front office as well as anecdotes of some of the game’s biggest stars and encounters with the press, player agents, and the unions. Dallas Green also shares his feelings about his granddaughter, Christina-Taylor Green, who was shot and killed by a deranged stalker in Tucson, Arizona, during an assassination attempt on the life of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Knowing that the loss of his beloved granddaughter has irrevocably changed him, Green discusses how, in the wake of her death, baseball became a coping mechanism for him.

Genres: Baseball, Sports

352 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Dallas Green was a pitcher, manager, and executive in Major League Baseball.

Reviews

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wavering steadily between a 2 and 3 star book, I will err on the side of 3 solely based on two factors: 1) The connections I felt when Green lamented about his time on the North side with the Wrigleyville die-hards. It was fun to reminisce a bit, taking me way back to my childhood and the heartbreak of the '84 Cubs, victory and a trip to the World Series one game away, and damn you Steve Garvey and wait 'til next year. And next year didn't come until 1989. And after that, 1998. And by then, I was an adult. And I am still waiting. Oh, those Cubbies. Anyways, it was fun to hear about from Dallas Green's perspective, a man who has held virtually every major position in the baseball biz, from player to manager to general manager to personal advisor, etc. He truly epitomized the typical brash, mouthy, couldn't-help-himself-but-be-honest loudmouth that is somewhat common in the jocular world of sports management. It's written in his personal vernacular, his oratorical mannerisms evident in the way it is written as if he was giving a 350 page press conference about his time in baseball. Ergo, it's not Shakespeare. Nor, is it meant to be thank God. This is baseball. This... is a simple game. You throw the ball. You hit the ball. You catch the ball. 2) The touching tribute to his granddaughter who was gunned down at the Gabrielle Giffords speaking event in Tucson, AZ in January of 2011. Though it really had more to do with the erosion of the human condition than anything remotely connected to baseball, it was an interesting contrast to the glory that all the accolades brought from winning a World Series and being involved in professional athletics. In the end, we are all susceptible to tragedy because, well, we are all human.

[Chuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

An OUTSTANDING book. Dallas covers Phillies baseball all the way back from 1955 through 2012 and all the other teams (Minor & Major Leagues) that he’s either been on or managed.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dallas Green's book does not disappoint. As you might guess by the title, he doesn't hold back his opinions one iota, and openly shares his feelings on his former players and coworkers, as well as the state of baseball today. It may sound cliche, but this book was refreshingly honest. Few sports books name names and give honest assessments of the character and performance of other athletes and figures in the game. Every author seems to hold back--Dallas Green simply doesn't care what anyone thinks. And that's why I loved this book!

The book's main focus is on his career as a player, front office employee, and manager of the Philadelphia Phillies. As a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan (my father's biggest parenting mistake) though, I enjoyed the chapters about his role as General Manager and President of my team. Much of the success of the Cubs in 1984 and 1989 can be attributed to him, along with the addition of lights to Wrigley Field, which needed to happen. Ryne Sandberg, unsurprisingly, comes out as a class act in Green's book; Harry Caray, also unsurprisingly, comes off as a jerk.

Green shares numerous stories from his long career in the game, and the book is never dull.

This is a great book for any baseball fan, but especially for fans of the Phillies, Cubs, Mets, and Yankees (in that order).

[John Kues · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read with a lot of baseball behind the scenes stuff. He also covers the tragic death of his 9 yo granddaughter in the shooting of Gifford in Arizona. A terrible thing for any family to go through. He is 78 yo now, and has a lot of history to share. I didn't remember he spent time with the Cubs. I think any baseball fan would enjoy this book.

[Mike Hetherington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast read with lots of inside Phillies, Cubs and Mets stories from the 1970's through the 90's. Dallas has opinions on everything and is not afraid to voice them.