Jimmy Piersall Has Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's rears its ugly head again.
Former major league player and announcer Jimmy Piersall was featured in a Chicago Tribune interview with Trib baseball writer Paul Sullivan.
He mentioned that at age 84 he's dealing with PD.
"I fell down a lot but they found out the Parkinson's I was having (most affected him) when I was walking backward. So I went to rehab a few months and they taught me how to turn so I don't go backward."
I can relate to that. Except for the backwards thing, I totally get the balance thing.
If you aren't familiar with Piersall, he had a 17 year Major league baseball career. A two time all-star, he also won two Gold Gloves for being a great defensive outfielder. Following his playing career, he became a broadcaster. In the late 1970's, he teamed with Harry Caray on the Chicago White Sox games. He was eventually fired for being too critical of the team. There was also a movie about his life. "Fear Strikes Out", starring Anthony Perkins as Piersall.
Here's a look at Piersall's life in a Gallery..