Jim piersal biography

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Nobody could’ve guessed the wild ride ahead for the kid from Waterbury.

Professional Baseball Career Overview

Jim Piersall played 17 years in the majors, from 1950 to 1967. This action drew Piersall his fourth suspension. Boudreau and general manager Joe Cronin, each a former all-star shortstop, worked with Piersall and were excited by what they saw.

After one ejection for arguing balls and strikes, he pulled out a water pistol and sprayed home plate. Birmingham won the league playoffs with four-game sweeps over Mobile and Little Rock, and then beat Houston, the champion of the Texas League, in the annual Dixie Series, in six games. He laughed with fans, made fun of his own mistakes and those of others.

Although Piersall later criticized the depiction of his father (played by Karl Malden) in the better known of the movie versions of his life, Piersall wrote in his own autobiography that he loved but feared his father, who hit him with a strap when he misbehaved or did not do as he was told.

Even when Jimmy was a young child, his father dreamed of a professional baseball career for his son.

The book went through many printings and was twice made into a movie—in 1955, a television version starting Tab Hunter, and in 1957 a cinematic release starring Anthony Perkins. In addition, I utilized an extensive collection of newspapers and magazines from throughout his career, some from his Hall of Fame clipping file and others from ProQuest Historical Newspapers online.

That, mixed with Piersall’s natural talent, set him up for a career that would stretch nearly two decades in the big leagues.

Childhood in Waterbury and Leavenworth High School

Jim Piersall grew up in Waterbury, a factory town about 30 miles southwest of Hartford. I wouldn’t have given my Yankee friends at home the satisfaction of signing with their team.”

Piersall began his career in 1948 playing for Mike Ryba at Scranton of the Eastern League, hitting .281 with 12 home runs in 141 games.

But his clowning grew more outrageous. He and his wife, Mary, had nine children, but divorced in early 1968 and Piersall rarely lived near his children again. He was an entertainer.

Jimmy couldn’t play football because his dad worried about injuries messing up his baseball future.

At Leavenworth High School, Piersall stood out in multiple sports. It was a startlingly honest book, for which Piersall received much sympathy and praise. He let opposing infielders know he was bunting by pantomiming bunt attempts. In 1957, he hit 19 home runs and scored 103 runs for Boston.

His career numbers: a .272 batting average, 104 home runs, and 591 RBIs in 1,734 games.

He made his second All-Star team, playing two innings and grounding out in the ninth inning of the American League’s 7-3 loss in Washington.

After a game in Chicago in July, Piersall’s work ethic was praised by none other than Rogers Hornsby. The next year, Piersall increased his productivity again, hitting .293 with 14 home runs, a league-leading 40 doubles, and 87 runs batted in.

I was an all-star center fielder, but he wanted to make a shortstop out of me.”13 On the other hand, many observers thought he was doing a fine job at short when a batting slump caused him to lose his job in early May 1952.