Jimmy Piersall dies at 87

[Thunder]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2713543-red-sox-hall-of-famer-jimmy-piersall-dies-at-87

 

I feel like I don't appreciate his legacy enough since I never remember him playing, but I'm sure he meant a lot to some of you old timers around here.

[dustcover]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2713543-red-sox-hall-of-famer-jimmy-piersall-dies-at-87

 

I feel like I don't appreciate his legacy enough since I never remember him playing, but I'm sure he meant a lot to some of you old timers around here.

 

He surely did! The Sox of the fifties were no where near the caliber of present Sox teams, but they did have a few stars and Jimmy was one of them. He played CF between Williams in LF and Jensen in RF. I won't try to compare him with JBJ defensively, but he sure could cover a lot of ground and he made some mind-boggling catches by anyone's standard. I've forgotten which year, but he won a Gold Glove one season. Those who got to see him play, I'm sure would agree that he brought a certain spark to the games at Fenway. You just knew that when you went to Fenway, he would do something at bat, on the base paths, or in the outfield that would have you jumping out of your seat to cheer and applaud his effort. I still recall him, after a long run, scaling the bullpen wall to snag a fly ball clearly above the fence that otherwise would have been a HR. Darn, I so miss those glorious days of summer in the fifties, particularly an afternoon in the bleachers at Fenway in no small part because of the likes of Jimmy Piersall.

[Spudboy]

Good stuff Dustcover.

 

He was before my time but I'm familiar with Fear Strikes Out.

 

I used to love the bleachers in the '60s and '70s.

[oldtimer]

Good stuff Dustcover.

 

He was before my time but I'm familiar with Fear Strikes Out.

 

I used to love the bleachers in the '60s and '70s.

 

 

I remember him well. He had a lot of talent but was really a little crazy. He often got into fights or into controversial behavior. I remember he won a gold glove in 1958 in cf. His most memorable stunt is whe he hit his 100th HR he ran around the bases backward. That makes bat flipping seem trite, doesn't it? I think that stunt occurred after he left the Sox and might have been with the Yankees. I still liked him as a player and he played with outfield with the likes of Ted Williams.

[a700hitter]

I remember him well. He had a lot of talent but was really a little crazy. He often got into fights or into controversial behavior. I remember he won a gold glove in 1958 in cf. His most memorable stunt is whe he hit his 100th HR he ran around the bases backward. That makes bat flipping seem trite, doesn't it? I think that stunt occurred after he left the Sox and might have been with the Yankees. I still liked him as a player and he played with outfield with the likes of Ted Williams.

He did it with the Mets who were managed by Casey Stengel at the time. I read that Stengel cut him after that because he didn't like sharing the spotlight as an eccentric.

[cp176]

Jimmy had some real mental issues but he was one hell of a ball player. I watched him climb the backstop in one game. Wasn't he with the Mets when he ran the bases backwards. When I really started to love the game, Jimmy was a figure for us out there. when you think about it an outfield of Williams, Piersall, and Jensen really looks pretty good. not chump change by any means.

[jad]

The first sports figure I idolized. By the time I watched him, his truly crazed days were behind him (he was playing with Williams and Jensen-- see Dustcover above). He gained a lot of notoriety and fame through Fear Strikes Out, which we all read. (I just realized that book and movie was contemporary with Rebel Without a Cause--both partaking in the cheap Freudianism of the day--"it's all dad's fault"-- probably why Piersall himself didn't like it.) It was hard to follow a non-local team then, and after he left the RS, it was as if he didn't exist. (Too bad--I would have loved to see him kick the butt of those fans in NY who presumably had been harassing Vic Power.)

[BOSOX11]

I attended a White Sox-Angels game at Anaheim Stadium in 1966. Jimmy was a reserve outfielder on the Angels. I had seats right behind the Angels dugout on the third base side. For the entire nine innings, Piersall yelled and screamed at every White Sox player that came to bat. He was using swear words that I had never heard before. Even the Angels manager, Bill Rigney, couldn't control his antics. RIP, Jimmy.