Jim Piersall (1929-2017) began his baseball career with the Boston Red Sox, where he distinguished himself with his capable offense and strong defensive play. But he is best known for his strange sense of humor--he once came to bat in a Beatles wig--and for the battle with bipolar disorder that threatened to end his major league career before it began. His account of that struggle, Fear Strikes Out, was adapted for the screen in 1957. Once he recovered his mental health, Piersall went on to spend another fifteen years in the major leagues. He was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2010.
