Free Republic

Former major leaguer Jim Piersall, who bared his soul about his struggles with mental illness in his book "Fear Strikes Out," has died. He was 87. Piersall died Saturday at a care facility in Wheaton, Illinois, after a monthslong illness, according to the Boston Red Sox, for whom Piersall played for seven of his 17 seasons in the majors.

In 1952, a major league baseball player did calisthenics and hula dances in the outfield and mocked pitchers when he got on base. When the team sent him to the minors, he climbed into the stands to lead cheers for himself, ran around wearing only an athletic supporter and sprayed home plate with a water pistol when an umpire called him out. The player was Jimmy Piersall. His book, entitled “Fear Strikes Out,” helped to expose the realities of mental illness, a condition that had previously been a source of whispers and embarrassment. Interestingly, it was in Chicago that Piersall,...