Perfect I'm Not: Boomer on Beer, Brawls, Backaches, and Baseball

by David Wells, Chris Kreski

This is a guy who ...

Genres: Baseball, Sports, Biography, Nonfiction, Autobiography

432 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

David "Boomer" Wells is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a character!! He ranks up there with Cobb and Ruth as far as being outrageous. His mother was a 'biker babe' and he was basically raised by a group of Hell's Angels. The book was funny and I found myself laughing out loud many times. He didn't hold back on anything- including his heartbreak when the Yankees traded him [by the way that was not a funny part!:].

[D Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would have enjoyed this book as a teenager or slightly older but at an age several decades beyond, found it occasionally interesting (loved his takes on various baseball personalities of the '90's) but mostly self-indulgent or maybe immature. In a 410 page book the first evidence he's growing up (by then 37 or 38 years old), is about page 395. His progress is evident as he resists knocking a guy in a diner on his butt (a jerk who clearly had it coming to him), and a few pages earlier he extols the virtues of fatherhood and of his wife.

He was a frustrating guy throughout most of his career, too frequently losing his cool or focus, much to the chagrin of his managers. He fills many a page describing his back issues in graphic, non-medical terms....yet on more than one occasion, after shooting up, getting massaged, adjusted, stretched etc. he'd go out and play golf. How's that for commitment to team? Was the back really THAT bad if he could golf?

The editing/proofreading was bad (whatever they call that process in the book world). He is way off in describing the location of his hometown. In one sequence - on a playoff game, I think - he describes the opponent both as the Rangers and the Indians. One photo caption states he is shown on an opponent's field - yet he's wearing his home uniform etc. Several others. Annoying.

I always enjoyed watching Boomer pitch, I was glad for the one year he pitched for my team, and he's a guy who would be a lot of fun to drink a few beers with. It's just not my kind of book anymore, and between content, errors and style, it added up to a "2". But I'm glad I read it!

And as much as he loved his wife and being a father, I hope all went well and is well on those fronts.

[Ted Papoulas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn’t going to win any pulitzers, and it wasn’t an in-depth intellectual look at the art of pitching like David Cone’s Full Count, but this baseball bio is an entertaining read and fun peek behind the curtain at baseball life in the 80s and 90s. David takes us from his childhood, through his minor league days with other future MLB stars like Cecil Fielder, leading up to his perfect game and brief but memorable stints with the Yankees. As a big Yankee fan, recalling many of the games he mentions, it was enjoyable to get a seat in the clubhouse and dugout. A bit long and with too much bravado (of course) but it supplied what I was looking for and was a good escape during these current stressful times.

[Luke Koran · Rating 5 out of 5]

What more could you want out of a tell-all sports biography than what David Wells reveals in his 2003 book “Perfect I’m Not: Boomer on Beer, Brawls, Backaches and Baseball”? From the word “go”, Boomer is off and running with his outrageous personality and pull-no-punches writing style. Though he wasn’t one of the great pitchers of his generation (though he may be one of the gamest), both Wells’ career and life story deserved to be told and heard - I’m glad I took a chance on this book!

[Niki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly entertaining read but I wish there were more personal details in it. Wells talks about playing on this team and then he was on that team and all of a sudden his kid is there too like whoa when did you have a kid? Lots of facts and his experience while being a professional player are written throughout the book with little non baseball related anecdotes thrown in- I definitely laughed out loud a few times. Still love you Boomer!

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just so sooooooo good. Boomer is hysterical. Here is what you need to know: If you like David Wells' personality you will LOVE this book. I do and I did.

[Pierre Ranger]

good book. but I would have like it to be written after his carrer. the book ends and he will play for Boston afterward!

[Jason L. Parke · Rating 5 out of 5]

He is candid, blunt, directed, and honest, rude, and loyal. David Wells, one of the storied New York Yankees pitchers to have thrown a perfect game, tells all about his love for baseball, brawls, and well, you read the title!

A San Diego kid, Wells talks about his childhood, his love for his mom even, and how his love for baseball developed. He was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays and explains the stories of the minor leagues, good and bad, in a way only he can, rising the ranks and making his Major League debut in 1987. Eventually, signing with the New York Yankees for the 1997 season, it became a personal dream come true. He wins a World Series in 1998 and pitches the ever-difficult perfect game earlier that year.

Wells holds no bars talking about his likes and dislikes for former teams such as that of the Toronto Blue Jays management and pokes pretty heavily at their fans - or lack thereof - during his second go-around with the team in 1999 and 2000. Conversely, he praises Yankees management and the baseball fan mecca it is, but also discusses controversy behind the scenes which molded him into a first class starting pitcher. Also included is descriptive fascination on how his free-agent contract negotiations unfolded when signing with the Yankees. He shares his love for his friends within the game and love for family, also complacently about the time he met his father who abandoned him at a young age. His love for baseball and everything the game has given him shaped him into who he is today, even if it means saying things that may offend you.

This autobiography was written during the final days of his career. Wells writes about other Major League Teams he's played with, but the book itself ends praising his time during another turn with the Yankees. The book is beautifully lengthy and descriptively in-depth, perfect for baseball fans looking for personal stories.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Boomer currently on TBS is the tame version, but still amusing. In this book he covers a wide range of topics that pro ball players deal with from infidelity to steroids (before anyone else really talked about it) in an amusing way. I found Wells' book entertaining and comical enough to rate it 4 stars, even if there were some parts that were a stretch from Wells' perspective. It is a bit funny though, that he thought he was so buddy buddy with George Steinbrenner. Boomer probably dashed his own dreams of continually playing for the Yankees when he released this book. Let's just say he let slip a fact about the night before he pitched his perfect game that might have rubbed the Steinbrenners the wrong way.

[Brit · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not a big fan of biographies or autobiographies but I have always liked David Wells, a pitcher for the Yankees a while back. He was always so real, like he never let being a celebrity and being rich from him staying his normal self. He was also an amazing pitcher. This is the story about his life, from where he grew up and how he grew up to how he lives his life now. It discusses every aspect of life and he doesn't hold anything back and that is what I like about the book. Some (auto)biographies only write about certain things, leaving out a lot of their life but Wells didn't hold anything back. It was a good book.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly good. I thought it would be a basic sports book but it had a lot of personal stories - growing up in OB with Hells Angels, etc. He has a great memory - or the co writer did a lot of research, either way he leads you through his life in an entertaining read. Would like to read part two with the last part of his career - especially his thoughts on the Padres.

[Pamela Montano · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Wells, aka Boomer. He pitched for the Blue Jays, the Tigers, the Reds, the Orioles and the Yankees. What I liked most about this book was the way he discussed the psychology of the pitcher. He also talked about how Alan Trammel and Kirk Gibson helped improve his game. This book is much more about what happens on the field and I really enjoyed it.

[Walter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I once had a beer with David Wells.
I thought I was unique; then I read this book.

Crash!
Another illusion of youth…
Shattered.

It’s ok, the humor in the book helped me pick up the pieces.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

David Wells "autobiography".

Need I say anymore?

[Rusty · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book about the antics and life of one of my favorite baseball players.

[Vinnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book has a laugh every other page

[Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This guy's hilarious!

[Beano · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book, and I don't regret it, but i refuse to give it more than 3 stars.

[Rhonda]

I'm about halfway through, and I like it, but I'm going to save the rest for the off-season.

[Tom Eldridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lot's of baseball fun with Boomer. Perfectly written it ain't but who cares, just enjoy the candid and insightful look at the majors. Fantastic if you are a baseball lover.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fun book from a one-time Yankee great. David Well has never held back and he stays true to form in this book. It's a good read with a lot of gritty details, but not a lot of depth.

[Rexwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best sports bio in my shelf: D

[Mike Salmans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this read!! What a tough SOB

[Gordon Kwok · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the kind of book that if you love baseball, you'll finish in a day or two. Great book!

[Louise Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://louiseradcliffe.com/2011/07/28...