Author George Plimpton, 76, Dies in New York

[TexasStooge]

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Best-selling American author George Plimpton, who wrote about sports from a participant's view and edited the Paris Review literary journal, died in his sleep at his New York apartment, his lawyer said on Friday. He was 76.

Plimpton's death was unexpected as he had not been ill, although his lawyer James Goodale said he had had some heart problems.

"He had had some heart problems, but he seemed to be in very good health and we are all surprised by his death," Goodale said.

Plimpton was best known for writing about professional sports by taking part in the activities as an amateur.

In his first exploit, in 1959, he boxed three rounds with light-heavyweight champion Archie Moore. Plimpton wrote in Sports Illustrated about his experiences, many of them becoming books like "Out of My League" (1961), about baseball, "Paper Lion" (1966), about playing football with the Detroit Lions and "The Bogey Man" (1968), about professional golf.

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"There are people who would perhaps call me a dilettante, because it looks as though I'm having too much fun. I have never been convinced there's anything inherently wrong in having fun." --George Plimpton