Jimmy Piersall Video | Baseball Clips and Interviews

James Anthony Piersall (born November 14, 1929) is an American former baseball center fielder who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for five teams, from 1950 through 1967. Piersall is best known for his well-publicized battle with bipolar disorder that became the subject of the book and movie Fear Strikes Out. Piersall led the Leavenworth High School (Waterbury, Connecticut) basketball team to the 1947 New England championship, scoring 29 points in the final game. Piersall became a professional baseball player at age 18, signing a contract with the Boston Red Sox in 1948. He... MORE

James Anthony Piersall (born November 14, 1929) is an American former baseball center fielder who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for five teams, from 1950 through 1967. Piersall is best known for his well-publicized battle with bipolar disorder that became the subject of the book and movie Fear Strikes Out. Piersall led the Leavenworth High School (Waterbury, Connecticut) basketball team to the 1947 New England championship, scoring 29 points in the final game. Piersall became a professional baseball player at age 18, signing a contract with the Boston Red Sox in 1948. He would reach the majors in 1950, playing in six games as one of the youngest players in Major League Baseball. In 1952, he earned a more substantial role with the Red Sox, frequently referring to himself as "the Waterbury Wizard," a nickname not well-received by teammates. On May 24, 1952, just before a game against the New York Yankees, Piersall engaged in a fistfight with Yankee infielder Billy Martin. Following the brawl, Piersall briefly scuffled with teammate Mickey McDermott in the Red Sox clubhouse. After several such incidents, Piersall was sent to the minor league Birmingham Barons on LESS