JIMMY PIERSALL - EPHEMERA SIGNED - HFSID 284462

JIMMY PIERSALL
His signature in silver sharpie on a uniform number
Ephemera signed: "Jimmy Piersall". Dark gray 5x8 adhesive-backed fabric uniform number (3). Outfielder Jimmy Piersall (1929-2017) played for the Boston Red Sox (1950, 1952-1958), Cleveland Indians (1959-1961), Washington Senators (1962-1963), New York Mets (1963), and Los Angeles/California Angels (1963-1967). Piersall's early career was interrupted by a nervous breakdown, recounted in Piersall's book, Fear Strikes Out, which was later made into a movie starring Tony Perkins. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a mental illness that was even less understood than it is today. Despite this personal battle, Piersall's fulltime comeback with Boston in 1953 was marked by a 6-for-6 performance on June 10, 1953 and a new philosophy for dealing with fans who taunted him about his well-publicized illness: "Give 'em their money's worth." His career was characterized by numerous zany stunts, including hiding behind the monuments at Yankee Stadium while with the Indians and running backward around the bases (in the correct order) after hitting his 100th career homer as a Met on June 23, 1963, his only National League home run. From 1977 to 1983, Piersall was a broadcast announcer for the White Sox, eventually fired for - you guessed it - too many controversial remarks on the air. Sometimes forgotten amidst the stunts was Piersall's talent as a ballplayer: he was a good hitter, an exceptional centerfielder, and a two-time All-Star and Gold Glover. He maintained a .332 career OBP, quite a feat for a guy who played for 17 years while battling bipolar disorder. Piersall never wore the single-digit uniform #3, but he wore "33" for the Red Sox and "34" for the Mets. Fine condition with JSA authentication sticker (A17176) at bottom center edge.