Richard Goldstein, New York Times:
Jimmy Piersall, the often outrageous outfielder and broadcaster whose emotional breakdown while a rookie with the Boston Red Sox was portrayed in the 1957 movie "Fear Strikes Out," a rare glimpse at an athlete's mental illness, died on Saturday in Wheaton, Ill. He was 87. ...
Piersall was an outstanding center fielder, a solid hitter and a two-time All-Star, playing in the major leagues for 17 seasons. But his career nearly ended just when it was getting underway. ...
"I was a funny man, a baseball clown, and where the Red Sox went, the fans flocked to see me," Piersall said in his 1955 book "Fear Strikes Out," written with Al Hirshberg.