Pitcher Author Jim Bouton Dies

Jim Bouton,  who pitched for the Seattle Pilots in the area's first go round with  Major League Baseball, then rocked the sports world with his tell all book, Ball Four, has died.  

Bouton began his career as a hard throwing right hander with the New York Yankees.  He pitched in 2 World Series with the team.  

After injuring his arm, Bouton made a comeback as a knuckleball pitcher.  He was picked by the expansion Seattle Pilots in 1969.  He took notes at the time and was able to publish Ball Four. A hilarious look at baseball players doing what they do off the field.  

The book seems relatively tame these days, especially after years of steroid scandals in the sport. 

Bouton would later pitch for the Portland Mavericks, an independent team in the Northwest League. Although, unlike Seattle, it was not Major Leagues, it was another Pacific Northwest baseball team with an interesting cast of characters.  

Seattle Pilots--Part 2

The Pilots launched in 1969, the same season that Walla Walla Bears would be it's town's Northwest League entry.  When the Pilots and  the other American League entry, the Kansas City Royals had the expansion draft, I was excited because I had baseball cards for most of the players, after all these years I realize that there was a reason for that.  Most baseball cards are for mediocre and average players.
The Pilots did have a few player who were from the defending champion Detroit Tigers.  I think that the Tigers made these players available so they didn't have to give them pay raises.  Wayne Comer and Ray Oyler were the Tigers contribution.
I listened to the Pilots on KUJ in Walla Walla, the same station to carry Northwest League games.  They were on NBC's game of the week once, that I can recall. 
Diego Segui pitched for the Pilots and also for the Seattle Mariners. His son, David, also played for the M's.
The Pilots have a web site with bits and pieces of the teams history.  You can find it here