Jim Bouton, a former MLB pitcher and author of "Ball Four," one of the most famous nonfiction sports books of all time, died July 10 in his home in Great Barrington, Mass., at the age of 80.
Bouton suffered a stroke in 2012 and was later diagnosed with cerebral amyloid angiopathy, a condition that causes vessels in the brain to burst under pressure, and struggled with speech and memory in his final years.
The former right-hander pitched 10 years in the big leagues, earning one All-Star selection in 1963 when his 21 wins helped lead the New York Yankees to a World Series appearance. After his first retirement in 1970, Bouton befriended former minor-league left-hander Rob Nelson, who later gave him the business opportunity of a lifetime: gum.
