Good Reads: Fear Strikes Out

Jimmy Piersall was a MLB player back in the 1950s and 1960s, and was well known for his athleticism and time spent with the Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Washington Senators, New York Mets, and the California Angels. However, it was in the midst of his budding baseball career that Piersall began to struggle with mental health‬ issues and was diagnosed with "manic depression". In a time when mental illness‬ was considered quite taboo, Piersall was surprisingly open about his psychiatric diagnosis and treatments including ECT and lithium. Through candid interviews, documentaries, and his own writing, Piersall helped to inspire others and pushed people to see that though frightening at times, mental illness was something that could be overcome. You can check out his book "Fear Strikes Out", and learn more about his story at the links here and here.

Recommended For:
Baseball fans, sports fanatics, budding sport psychologists/psychiatrists

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Overview
"Jim Piersall, 22 year old outfielder for the Boston Red Sox, had a mental breakdown in 1952-one so complete that seven months virtually have vanished from his memory. . . . This account of his experience is a frank and fascinating one...

The story of a man who became mentally 'sick, ' and how, through competent medical care, the help of a sympathetic and most understanding wife, the patience and encouragement of manager, teammates and fans, and above all his own splendid courage, he made a complete recovery and resumed his baseball career. . . .. How we overcame his fears is a dramatic, heart-warming story" (goodreads.com).