Full Text of HR0487 100th General Assembly
HR0487 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | 3 | | Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Jimmy | 4 | | Anthony Piersall, who passed away on June 3, 2017; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Jimmy Piersall was born in Waterbury, Connecticut | 6 | | to John and Mary (Williams) Piersall on November 14, 1929; he | 7 | | was a star basketball and baseball player in high school and | 8 | | was signed by the Red Sox in 1948; and
| 9 | | WHEREAS, Jimmy Piersall broke into Major League Baseball in | 10 | | 1952; he played for 17 seasons with the Red Sox, Indians, | 11 | | Senators, Mets, and Angels; he was a two-time All-Star and a | 12 | | two-time Gold Glove winner for center field; and
| 13 | | WHEREAS, Jimmy Piersall was known for clowning around on | 14 | | the field, fighting with teammates and opposing players, and | 15 | | arguing with umpires, but he was also known as an advocate for | 16 | | removing the stigma associated with mental illness; after | 17 | | suffering a nervous breakdown in 1952, he entered psychiatric | 18 | | treatment; he was always open about what he was going through | 19 | | and his journey with what is now known as bipolar disorder | 20 | | which was chronicled in The Saturday Evening Post article | 21 | | titled "They Call Me Crazy - And I Was!", the precursor to his | 22 | | 1955 book "Fear Strikes Out", which was turned into a film in |
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| 1 | | 1957; in 1985, he wrote his memoir, "The Truth Hurts"; and
| 2 | | WHEREAS, Jimmy Piersall called White Sox games alongside | 3 | | Harry Carry from 1977 to 1981; he was also a minor league | 4 | | outfield instructor with the Cubs; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, Jimmy Piersall is survived by his wife, Janet | 6 | | Weber Jones Piersall; nine children from his marriage to Mary | 7 | | (Teevan); many grandchildren; and many great-grandchildren; | 8 | | therefore, be it
| 9 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | 10 | | HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | 11 | | mourn the passing of Jimmy Anthony Piersall, and extend our | 12 | | sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew | 13 | | and loved him; and be it further
| 14 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 15 | | presented to the family of Jimmy Piersall as an expression of | 16 | | our deepest sympathy.
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