Behind the Mask: My Double Life in Baseball

Pallone is straightforward about baseball, umpiring, plus his emotions both on and off the field. This is an intelligent and hard-hitting biography.


candid, gutsy account of a very difficult career   December 20, 2000
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

It's really hard to rate _Behind the Mask_ without dividing it into two categories: as a book about gay life, and as a baseball book. I found it interesting and valuable in both areas.

Pallone, it must be remembered, came of age in the seventies, when the idea of being 'out' was difficult for anyone--much less a professional sports official. His story has the ring of truth and honesty, and would in particular be a good read for young people wrestling with sexual identity issues: it does not contain explicit sex scenes. Probably PG-13. Of special value is Pallone's own self-analysis; he has come to understand why he handled life the way he did, and the picture we see is of a man who has regrets about some things but is at peace.

With regard to baseball, we get a lot of closeups of Pallone's colleagues. Like anyone else, some good, some not so good; some competent, some not so competent. The degree to which umpires will engage a vindictive streak to the detriment of the game truly stunned me, and I'm generally a defender of the officials. The politics and union/management wangling that go into deciding just who gets to be a big league umpire are laid bare. Pallone contends that he was fired for being gay, and I don't think he necessarily makes the case for this very well; while I wouldn't put it past the league owners, it's also possible that he was fired for being controversial, and that his revelation of his sexuality was simply the one more bit of awkward press that baseball didn't want. Either way, it took a lot of courage for him to pursue his career in the face of a lot of adversity, and I'd proudly shake his hand.

A good read from either standpoint.


Insightful, inspirational, and Touching   August 11, 1999
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

This book should be on the shelf of every gay person in America who is in doubt of his or her sexuality. For you baseball fans, there is the inside story of the famed "Pete Rose" incident, but you don't have to be a baseball fan, or gay to enjoy this well written book. It's out of print, but well worth the time and effort to hunt it down or check it out of your local library.


Honest and Insightful   April 24, 1998
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

A well-written, honest, insightful book. Dave Pallone should be congratulated on his work, both as a professional in the baseball world and as a first time author. In the same "boat" as Dave Kopay, Pallone rises above and allows the reader to feel and to be ok with being who you are.