In a 1973 article for the New York Times, the late Jim Bouton, nominally a pitcher for the Yankees but better known as the author of Ball Four, took a look at “Bang The Drum Slowly,” a popular film that had come out that year about a major league catcher who was dying of leukemia. Bouton, who drew fame and acrimony in equal measure for Ball Four’s eyes-wide-open look at the game he played, generally liked the film but made gentle fun of its sentimental tone. (Robert De Niro played the dying catcher in a role that immediately preceded “Mean Streets,” “The Godfather: Part II” and “Taxi Driver,” a nice little trifecta right there).
A Roster of MLB All-Stars Helped Raise Awareness for Prostate Cancer
