Piersall wrote his memoirs in a 1955 book called “Fear Strikes Out” and Hollywood turned it into a movie in 1957.ramfandan wrote: ↑10 Oct 2025 17:47 pm One guy not mentioned that was one of the 'craziest' players in MLB history was Boston OF JIMMY PIERSALL
The guy had some serious issues and acted quite outrageous at times .
He once went behind the Yankee Stadium monuments and 'talked' with Babe Ruth . When I was very young, remember seeing a game where he sat down in the OF . He came up to home plate with his bat once playing 'air guitar' with it as he wore a Beatles wig. If you are older fan like me, yu may remember him .
Here is some of his antics :
On May 24, 1952, just before a game against the New York Yankees, Piersall engaged in a fistfight with Yankee infielder Billy Martin.[1] Following the brawl, Piersall briefly scuffled with teammate Mickey McDermott in the Red Sox clubhouse. After several such incidents, including Piersall spanking the four-year-old son of teammate Vern Stephens in the Red Sox clubhouse during a game, he was demoted to the minor league Birmingham Barons on June 28.
In less than three weeks with the Barons, Piersall was ejected on four occasions, the last coming after striking out in the second inning on July 16. Prior to his at-bat, he had acknowledged teammate Milt Bolling's home run by spraying home plate with a water pistol.
Receiving a three-day suspension, Piersall entered treatment three days later at the Westborough State Hospital in Massachusetts. Diagnosed with "nervous exhaustion", Piersall underwent electroshock therapy and began taking a new drug called Lithium which leveled out his moods.[2] He spent the next seven weeks in the facility and missed the remainder of the season.[3]
Piersall returned to the Red Sox in the 1953 season, finishing ninth in voting for the MVP Award.
He once stepped up to bat wearing a Beatles wig and playing "air guitar" on his bat, led cheers for himself in the outfield during breaks in play, and "talked" to Babe Ruth behind the center field monuments at Yankee Stadium. In his autobiography, Piersall commented, "Probably the best thing that ever happened to me was going nuts. Who ever heard of Jimmy Piersall until that happened?"
Interestingly, in the 1970’s when Harry Caray moved to Chicago to be the White Sox announcer, his partner was Jimmy Piersall, and they became a beloved duo to White Sox fans.
