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James Anthony Piersall (born November 14, 1929 in Waterbury, Connecticut) is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball. Between 1950 and 1967, he played for the Boston Red Sox (1950, 1952–58), Cleveland Indians (1959–61), Washington Senators (1962–63), New York Mets (1963), and Los Angeles/California Angels (1963–67). While he had a fairly good professional career as a center fielder, Piersall is better 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... MORE

James Anthony Piersall (born November 14, 1929 in Waterbury, Connecticut) is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball. Between 1950 and 1967, he played for the Boston Red Sox (1950, 1952–58), Cleveland Indians (1959–61), Washington Senators (1962–63), New York Mets (1963), and Los Angeles/California Angels (1963–67). While he had a fairly good professional career as a center fielder, Piersall is better 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 LESS