Unless you're somewhere near my age or a walking encyclopedia of American League/Boston Red Sox baseball, Jimmy Piersall may be the best 20th century centerfielder that you've never heard of. He was a simply marvelous baseball player who excelled at his position while battling mental illness for most of his career. Piersall passed away over the weekend. He was 87 and suffered from Parkinson's Disease. RIP, Jimmy.

Piersall (with a ghost writer) penned a best-seller book about his experiences--Fear Strikes Out. The movie by the same title was a summer smash back in the day. I was just a little kid, but I remember watching him in the lineup with Ted Williams on my grandpa's B&W TV.

http://www.concordmonitor.com/Ex-major- ... s-10526331

I remember watching "Fear Strikes Out" on TV as a kid, didn't understand at the time but the book and movie did a lot to increase awareness about the effects of Bipolar Depression.