WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - Old Ballgame: Wild Jimmy Piersall

Episode Date: September 18, 2024

A look at one of baseball's craziest players.

Welcome to the old ball game, where we talk about the past of America's favorite pastime. I'm Tate Christensen. Today we ask the question, what happens when a maniac plays baseball? The answer is found in Jimmy Pearsall. Piercell was born on November 14, 1929 in Waterbury, Connecticut. He grew up playing baseball and basketball, leading his high school basketball team to the 1947 New England Championship. A year later, at the ripe age of 18, Pearsall became a professional baseball player,

signing with the Boston Red Sox. It took him nearly two years to make a major league appearance, but once he did, he became one of the Red Sox's youngest players. Throughout his career, Pearsall had issues with his behavior, and would lash out at his teammates, as well as his opponents, getting into various fights and harming innocent bystanders. In 1952, after being demoted to the minor leagues for poor behavior, Pearsall was diagnosed with nervous exhaustion.

He spent seven weeks in recovery and missed the rest of that season. Although he received treatment for his condition, he continued to have temper issues. In a Memorial Day double header in 1960, Pearsall was ejected in both games the team played. First for taunting the umpire, and secondly, for chucking the ball at the scoreboard, after catching the last out of the game. Despite his problematic behavior, Pearsall was a phenomenal athlete and was recognized for his abilities. He was named an American League All-Star in 1954 and 1956, and in 1958, he won the Gold Glove Award for his work as an outfielder.

In 1963, Pearsall was traded to the New York Mets, and on June 23, he was traded to the New York Mets, And on June 23rd of that season, Pearsall hit his 100th home run in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies. As is normal when one hits a home run, Pierceall ran the bases. But he added a special twist, one might say, and ran them facing backwards. Piercell finished his playing career with the Los Angeles Angels in 1967,

having played 17 seasons and 1,734 games. He lived in Wheaton, Illinois, until his death in 2017. This has been the old ball game on Radio Free Hillsdale, 101.7 FM. Thank you.