Waterbury’s Piersall made lasting mark

Jimmy Piersall died Saturday at age 87 in a Wheaton, Illinois rest home.

I remember Piersall best for a foul ball off his bat that landed in my hands in the lower Fenway Park stands just to the right of the screen behind the plate on the right field side. What a kick it was to catch a major league ball! I remember thinking, I wish Ted Williams had hit it, but Jimmy Piersall would do. And after all, “The Kid” did hit a homer that day, anyway, just inside the right field foul pole . . . not a big blast, but memorable to me because it was Ted who had stroked it.

The opponent was Baltimore. We had great seats. They were not hard to get at that time. The foul ball was very high and when it began its descent it was obvious it would land very close to us. Turned out it was right on me and an easy catch.

Now, a secret I have never revealed – the ball went right through my hands, hit the concrete and bounced right back into my hands. Lucky.

Nonchalantly, as if I made similar catches every day, I held the ball up for envious fellow fans to see, and applaud, then handed it to Ethel to put in her purse.

When we arrived home, I wrote the date and “Caught at Fenway, Piersall’’ on the ball and put it in a drawer for safekeeping. Not safe enough. Some years later, it was missing. I’m thinking the boys had taken it to have a catch. I’m still thinking that.

The Waterbury guy was a troubled but solid major leaguer, one of the most talented defensive center fielders ever to play the game and not a bad hitter, either.

Later, in a long sports writing career, I met Piersall a couple of times in Chicago press boxes or somewhere else along the way. He was not rude but I believe he resented Connecticut sports writers because of real or perceived slights they had directed at him. All that aside, he was a remarkable man who fought and dealt with mental health problems and managed to stick in the major leagues for 17 years as a player before entering the radio booth. He partnered with legendary Harry Carey broadcasting White Sox games from 1977 through 1984.

The pair made for lively and often controversial radio. Piersall never pulled a punch, which got him in trouble with players and managers, particularly Tony LaRussa. Fabulous showman Bill Veeck was the team owner – Yes, “Veeck as in Wreck,’’ remember? the guy who, in August, 1951, sent the midget, 3-foot, 7-inch Eddie Gaedel, to the plate in St. Louis when Veeck owned the Browns.

Jimmy, who made some really outrageous remarks on the air, eventually became, briefly, a talk show host, and pre-game and post-game analyst.

As a kid athlete, he was one of Waterbury’s brightest lights, the star of Leavenworth High who led the school’s basketball team to the New England championship.

His book, “Fear Strikes Out,’’ was honest and sold well. The movie of the same name was OK, but I never cared for Tony Perkins and he played the lead in the film. One man’s opinion.

Rest in peace, Jimmy. You did it, pretty much, your way and fear did strike out.