RIP Jimmy Piersall

[Steadmund Brand]

Jimmy Piersall died on Saturday and I would imagine this news flew under the radar...for those of you not familiar with Mr. Piersall, he was a major league baseball player in the 1950's and 60's and he was the subject of the film Fear Strikes Out (based on his book from 1955)...his true life public battle with bipolar disorder, making him one of the first celebrities to openly discuss mental illness, the courage it took for him to not just admit, but openly discuss his mental issues at that point in time, while in the prime of his athletic career is something to be applauded, and what he did for the advancement of mental illness and it's treatment is second to none,

I would recommend his book to anyone who has had to deal with mental illness, be it their own or a loved one....you will see how far we have advanced since 1955, thanks in large part to Mr. Piersall ( and others like Patty Duke, who were brave enough to be open about their issues)... the movie is worth a view as well... but Anthony Perkins doesn't really look like much of a baseball player

Rest in peace Jimmy....thank you for your legacy

Steadmund Brand

[GUT]

RIP

No real idea who he was or what he achieved, but I'm sure those who knew and loved him will miss him.

[Mayerling]

Jimmy Piersall died on Saturday and I would imagine this news flew under the radar...for those of you not familiar with Mr. Piersall, he was a major league baseball player in the 1950's and 60's and he was the subject of the film Fear Strikes Out (based on his book from 1955)...his true life public battle with bipolar disorder, making him one of the first celebrities to openly discuss mental illness, the courage it took for him to not just admit, but openly discuss his mental issues at that point in time, while in the prime of his athletic career is something to be applauded, and what he did for the advancement of mental illness and it's treatment is second to none,

I would recommend his book to anyone who has had to deal with mental illness, be it their own or a loved one....you will see how far we have advanced since 1955, thanks in large part to Mr. Piersall ( and others like Patty Duke, who were brave enough to be open about their issues)... the movie is worth a view as well... but Anthony Perkins doesn't really look like much of a baseball player

Rest in peace Jimmy....thank you for your legacy

Steadmund Brand

In the New York Times obituary today, there was a quote from Piersall, who ended as a sports news commentator on radio in Chicago. He took his story well, saying he was doing better (the quote was about a decade old) financially than many of his teammates on the Sox in the 1950s. So he wondered who got the last laugh. Interestingly, the obit. mentioned that Karl Malden was in the movie based on the autobiography (Malden played Piersall's father). It did not mention Perkins!

Jeff

[Steadmund Brand]

Yep... Perkins was a fantastic actor.. but not a convincing baseball player...

My Grandfather told me a story about seeing Jimmy play in Yankee Stadium (when he was with Boston) and an inning ended and he didn't run in to the dugout with the team, he was hiding behind a monument in center filed (in the old Yankee stadium they were right out in the field... FAR BACK, but there, anyway, my grandfather swears he was playing Peek-A-Boo from behind the monument....he used to tell me that story when I a kid and we would laugh and laugh....now I think of it and cry

Steadmund Brand

[Scott Nelson]

Jimmy was a broadcaster in Oakland, California in the early seventies. I was attending a game where the ball was fouled back into the stands close to the broadcaster's booth. Jimmy reached out for it and almost fell into the seats below. A fellow broadcaster had to pull him back by his legs.