Jimmy Piersall

We lost Jimmy Piersall back on June 3rd, 2017. Some people might find it hard to believe, but Jimmy was one of my favorite players. I guess because Jimmy was not afraid to be Jimmy and as the movie title says, Fear Struck Out with Jimmy. Rest in peace. Here is a story that I had saved for a column but will give you a peek. It probably won't appear as a column so here it is:

Baseball was life back then, just as it was for many kids who lived in the NY Metro area. I had my favorites; Mickey, Yogi, Whitey, Sandy Koufax, and others. However, I always seemed to be drawn to the “characters” of baseball; those who dared to be different, for whatever reason.

Recently, we lost one of those players who, in the '60s, caught the imagination of the baseball fans and made them laugh, cheer, boo, and shake their heads in disbelief when they witnessed his sometimes bizarre antics on the field. That’s what made Jimmy Piersall special to me.

I remember when Jimmy seemed to be hiding behind the monuments at Yankee Stadium. The monuments honor Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Miller Huggins. The umpires eventually got him back to the game so it could continue. When Jimmy was interviewed and asked what he was doing back there it was reported that he said he was having a conversation with the Babe.

Then, of course, there was the ongoing reported feud between Jimmy and Billy Martin that reached its peak with an on-field brawl. What I didn’t know then and what most of the public didn’t know was that Jimmy and Billy were buddies with a love/hate relationship.

I found out about this when I visited my oldest brother who lives in Brewster, Massachusetts, “out on the Cape”, as they say.

My brother introduced me to his neighbor who happened to be married to one of Jimmy’s daughters (Jimmy has nine kids). As the story goes, Jimmy’s house was always the site of poker games, and those in attendance were the who’s who of baseball; none other than Billy Martin, Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, and others. I can only imagine what that was like and wish I could have been there. As the night of cards and drinking progressed it inevitably ended with a brawl between Jimmy and Billy out on the front lawn. His son-in-law laughed as he told the story his wife had related and stated that, ‘Jimmy is living in Illinois, is confined to a wheelchair and is as “crazy” as he ever was.

There was the time when Jimmy earned a suspension and a trip to the hospital for evaluation when, after being ejected, he climbed up to the roof of the grandstand and heckled the umpire. I also recall when Jimmy hit his 100th career home run, as a NY Met and ran the bases facing backward as he had promised the fans he would do. The Mets released him a month later and Jimmy finished his career with the California Angels.

He went on to a broadcasting stint for the Texas Rangers and the Chicago White Sox and was even invited to the White House on two occasions.

Piersall was one of a kind, one of the most colorful, but seemingly troubled characters of baseball, but that’s what made him lovable. I wish baseball had more of those characters today when baseball was fun for the players and being a little different didn’t affect your big multi-million dollar paycheck.

Jimmy is gone and I’m sure Billy was waiting for him to come through the Pearly Gates. There’s a poker game tonight and Jimmy, Billy and Mickey are in attendance. The brawl you ask? Well, that will take place out on the clouds; they wouldn’t have it any other way.

Thanks for the memories, Jimmy.