Former Yankees P Jim Bouton makes his first appearance at Yankee Stadium since 1970 at Oldtimers Day and is greeted with cheers all around. Bouton had been persona non grata in New York since writing Ball Four, which broke a long-standing taboo in sports by taking readers into the locker room and revealing players’ extracurricular escapades. The Yanks invited the Bulldog back after his son wrote a Father’s Day article in the New York Times suggesting it.

On July 25, 1998 — Former Yankees P Jim Bouton makes his first appearance at Yankee Stadium since 1970 at Oldtimers Day and is greeted with cheers all around. Bouton had been persona non grata in New York since writing Ball Four, which broke a long-standing taboo in sports by taking readers into the locker room and revealing players’ extracurricular escapades. The Yanks invited the Bulldog back after his son Michael writes an open letter to the New York Times printed on Father’s Day urging the franchise to reconsider their decision about his dad, who is still grieving about the loss of his daughter Laurie in an auto accident last August.

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Sources:
Baseball Reference July 25
National Pastime July 25
Retro Sheet
Hall of Fame
SABR Games Project
Replay The Game