Press Clippings

July 5, 2004 - Berkshire Eagle Editorial: Bouton is still rewriting history

The story in Friday's Eagle by Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News, a story marred by a number of factual errors, did at least reveal clearly that Jim Bouton's instinct for self-pity and tendency to fictionalize history is still intact. In spite of his claims to the contrary, Mr. Bouton was treated fairly by all parties in his initial bid to bring a professional baseball team to Wahconah Park, which is more than can be said for those, including many city businesses, cruelly slandered in "Foul Ball." While Mr. Bouton continues to criticize the new stadium effort, it should be noted that if the stadium had been built, Pittsfield would have pro baseball this summer, which it lacks for the first time in two decades. What Mr. Bouton never mentions to gullible interrogators is that he and partner "Chip" Elitzer never had a baseball team to bring to Wahconah Park in the first place. And they still don't.