Jimmy Piersall

James Anthony "Jimmy" Piersall (November 14, 1929 – June 3, 2017) was an American baseball center fielder who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for five teams, from 1950 through 1967. He played for Boston Red Sox (1950, 1952–1958), Cleveland Indians (1959–1961), Washington Senators (1962–1963), New York Mets (1963) and for the California Angels (1963–1967).

After baseball, Piersall became the broadcaster for the Chicago White Sox from 1977 through 1981.

Piersall was best known for his well-publicized battle with bipolar disorder that became the subject of the book and movie Fear Strikes Out.

Piersall was born in Waterbury, Connecticut.

Piersall was selected to the American League All-Star team in 1954 and 1956. By the end of the 1956 season, in which he played all 156 games, he posted a league-leading 40 doubles, scored 91 runs, drove in 87, and had a .293 batting average. The following year, he hit 19 home runs and scored 103 runs.

Piersall moved to Chicago, Illinois in his later years. He died at under hospice carer in Wheaton, Illinois on June 3, 2017 from complications of a stroke at the age of 87.

References

Other websites

 profile and career chronology  Baseball Library
 "Jimmy Rounding First" Panorama – Extreme Photo Constructions

Category:1929 births
Category:2017 deaths
Category:Deaths from stroke
Category:Boston Red Sox players
Category:Texas Rangers players
Category:Cleveland Indians players
Category:New York Mets players
Category:California Angels players
Category:People with bipolar disorder
Category:American radio personalities
Category:Sportspeople from Connecticut
Category:Sportspeople from Chicago
Category:People from Waterbury, Connecticut