Temporary Insanity

by Jay Johnstone, Rick Talley

Johnstone, an outfielder and pinch hitter for the Dodgers, Cubs, Padres, Yankees, Phillies, A's, and White Sox shares humorous stories about his teammates and career.

Genres: Sports, Baseball, Humor, Biography, Memoir, Nonfiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1985

Reviews

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jay Johnstone was an interesting baseball player. He played twenty seasons in the major leagues as an outfielder, primarily being used as a pinch hitter for the last few years. For his 162 game average, he hit .267 with 9 homers and 5 stolen bases (and 5 caught stealing). Nothing spectacular, but good enough to keep him in the game for a long time.

But as you might guess from the book title, Temporary Insanity, Johnstone was a character. And while this book does convey that he worked hard to be a good hitter and fielder and that he played to win, he viewed keeping a team loose and laughing as a key part of his job. This book isn’t The Boys of Summer, or a Lou Gehrig biography, but it is one fun read.

Johnstone had over a thousand hits in his career; he may have had more pranks. His favorite target was Tommy Lasorda and the Dodger stuff alone is worth the price of the book. For example, Johnstone once used a rope and palm tree to lock Lasorda in his room at Dodgertown (formerly the team’s spring training complex in Vero Beach), causing the manager to miss breakfast before the day’s bus ride. Lasorda was not a man to miss meals. Once, during a real game, Lasorda looked up at the DodgerVision screen between innings to find Johnstone and teammate Jerry Reuss dressed up as groundskeepers, dragging the field. Teammates and managers alike received Johnstone’s attentions.

He also talks about other baseball oddballs he encountered or heard stories of. Moe Drawbowsky was a well-travelled relief pitcher from the fifties into the seventies. He once called Hong Kong from the bullpen phone and ordered Chinese takeout (they wouldn’t deliver). Having been traded from the A’s to the Orioles earlier in the season, when the two teams were playing, he called over to the A’s bullpen, imitated his former manager’s voice and instructed a coach to warm up a relief pitcher. There are plenty more.

Sometimes it was just a few words. Interviewed for NBC’s ‘Game of the Week’ (ballplayers were largely seen and not heard back then), he said, “I drove through Cleveland one day and it was closed.” The Mayor of Cleveland called NBC the next day and demanded an apology.

This is the first of three offbeat baseball books that Johnstone did with sportswriter Rick Talley. What comes through is a guy who took being on the field seriously, but who also knew that he was making a living at a boy’s game and wanted to make sure he enjoyed it. As I mentioned earlier, it’s fun. And that’s a good quality for a baseball book.

[Sean Tenney · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was an outrageously hilarious story, his character comes off much more understandable than you might think. The practical joker with a purpose but an honest commitment to his role, whether or not it be an act. One thing is certain... Jay Johnstone is crazy.

I cannot give it a 5, it lacked the necessary depth for a 5. It was excellent in chapter structure and had good flow. Of course, the stories are world-class. There is a quote at the beginning of each chapter that gives you the gist of the chapter.

Tom Lasorda. Steve Garvey. Jim Piersall. The groundskeepers. Johnstone served his purpose as the jokester of the clubhouse. A fascinating back story is him actually being a hard-working, skilled hitter.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a laugh.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

I watched more Cubs baseball in the 1980s than at any other time, and I was a big fan of Jay Johnstone at the time. I don't remember whether I read this book before, but it's been on my book shelf since 1985.

While I enjoyed the antics of Jay Johnstone when I was in my 20s, this book does not resonate with me now. It contains a lot of stories about how crazy Johnstone was as a player, with many recountings of pranks and practical jokes. Maybe that's how sports locker rooms have to operate, but so much of it sounds like bullying or hazing to me. I can't believe I kept this book for 30 years!

[Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light reading, would be enjoyable by a baseball fan. Not very well organized, but a humorous read about the fun times and practical jokes played by a Major League bench player.
Baseball has a long, and at times, boring season, and the travel can wear you down. Johnstone added levity to his teams' everyday situations to keep things fun and light!

[Tim Owens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jay Johnstone was a excellent baseball player exemplified easily by his longevity in the major leagues. His autobiographical stories are about his and fellow teammates attempts at having a good time and keeping their teammates loose. Some of the incidents are old, but if you haven 19t heard them it will make the book that much more enjoyable. This is a good read for sports fans.

[Kamas Kirian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely Hi-larious book about baseball. This is probably my favorite book about baseball. The stories center around Jay Johnstone and his teammates, but also include some great scenes of other players. This is another book that I open up whenever I need a good laugh.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. If you are a baseball fan, all the better, but this is a hilarious book of the "behind the scenes" during his baseball career, that everyone can enjoy. He won't be making the hall of fame for his playing career, but his books should.

[Tennille · Rating 3 out of 5]

i don't usually read autobiographies and i'm not a baseball fan, but I liked his stories about being in baseball right off the bat!

[Craig Cecil · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good stories, but no general flow to the book. Jumps chronologically all over the place.