By Tommy T

As the back of the Video box says: “The powerful true story of Boston Red Sox outfielder, Jimmy Piersall who struggled throughout and following his career with a foe much tougher than a 90-m.p.h. fastball – mental illness.” Jim Piersall is the guy who ran around the bases backward to celebrate his 100th career home run.

In the movie docudrama of his life, Piersall is portrayed by Anthony Perkins (of the great Hitchcock’s Psycho), who made a career of playing tortured souls (like himself) on the Silver Screen. Academy Award winner Karl Malden plays his father, who some would say drove him too hard and allegedly to mental illness. (more…)

                     runner on first

corner of the eye                       corner of the diamond

get the catcher's sign      check the third base coach's sign

                                               step step step

step off the rubber                     step back on the base

                                               step step step

                                                         step

lean in                                   lean towards second

ball in the hand                            balls of the feet

                                                      (ready)

hands together                      arms dangling hands loose

come set                                                (set)

steal a glance                           (gonna steal a base)

q  u  i  c  k  s  n  a  p  t  h  r  o  w  t  o  f  i  r  s  t
                                             dive in the dirt
                                              tag on the hand

                                            back to the bench

(originally published in Baseball Ink Vol. 1, No. 1 - June 2000)

By David Quinn

I remember the at-bat like it was yesterday, yet it was 25 years ago when it happened. I was digging into the batter’s box. From seeing this guy pitch to the other guys, I knew he had an incredible fastball. I wanted to start my stride early. The pitcher released the ball and I got started. It didn’t take long to realize the ball was coming right at my head. As I started to bend back out of the way, it broke down and away sharply. All I could do was stand in amazement as the ball went right to the catcher’s mitt for a strike.

It was the scariest and most embarrassing moment I’d ever had in an at-bat. I knew I did not have a future in baseball at that time.

The pitcher’s name was Alfonzo Timmons.

(originally published in Baseball Ink Vol. 1, No. 1 – June 2000)

By Ryan

Baseball is an American sport which has fame and legend of all sort.
All of the time you will hear about it, so when you do, don’t retort it.
Sometimes it is such a wonderful sport.
Excellent behavior is required.
Baseball can make many people become inspired.
At any time you should not be tired.
Losers are not made fun of.
Living in America is just as good as wearing a baseball glove.

(originally published in Baseball Ink Vol. 1, No. 1 – June 2000)

As a pre-teen, living on the south side of Chicago, it was an easy transition from plastering my bedroom walls with photos of Roy Rogers and Trigger to pictures of the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox of the 1950′s were an exciting team to watch (far more so than the struggling Cubs!) My heroes were Nellie Fox, Chico Carrasquel, Eddie Robinson, Billy Pierce, Minnie Minoso…the list was long.

My friends and I chewed pounds of bubble gum to acquire baseball cards, which we traded at recess in the spring. We memorized information on the players, and used the baseball cards as flash cards to test each other.

We listened to White Sox games on the radio, and occasionally journeyed to Comiskey Park to see our heroes in action. We became avid autograph seekers. The best place to get autographs, we discovered, was in front of the hotels where the visiting players boarded team buses to go to the ballpark. We also haunted the apartment hotels where some of the White Sox lived. Thanks to my nervy friends, I was able to collect a number of autographs: Casey Stengel, Yogi Berra, Dizzy Dean, Jim Piersall, Dom DiMaggio, Allie Reynolds, to name just a few.

Wish I could find that autograph book now!

By Sandra Pollock

(originally published in Baseball Ink Vol. 1, No. 1 – June 2000)