JOHN RAITT - INSCRIBED ORIGINAL ART SIGNED CO-SIGNED BY: JIMMY PIERSALL - HFSID 283767

JOHN RAITT and JIMMY PIERSALL

Original portrait of Piersall in Red Sox uniform, drawn by John Raitt, signed by both!

Original Art inscribed and signed: "To John/Your pal/Jimmy Piersall". B/w, 4¾ x 8. Also signed: "Raitt" on the art. Drawn and signed in pencil by the artist. Insribed and signed in ink by Piersall. 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. From his college days in the early 1930s until the turn of the century, autograph collector JOHN RAITT drew sketches of famous people, which he would mail with a request that the piece be autographed and returned. Lightly soiled. Tape residue in all corners. Horizontal mailing folds. Otherwise, fine condition.