Jimmy Piersall

Retrosheet's daily box scores start in '59, unfortunately, so I can't pinpoint when this might have happened.

My father-in-law, a radio announcer in the Boston area during the 50s-60s, though not a sports announcer, might be able to help. He grew up a Braves fan, but knows his sports facts. Hopefully I will see him next week.

By Ed Sherman
Tribune sports media reporter

January 19, 2006, 11:23 PM CST

Jimmy Piersall may be done on Chicago's airwaves.

After nearly 30 years in town, the last 14 at WSCR-AM 670, Piersall has been told the station will not bring him back as a contributor next baseball season. Unless the outspoken and often controversial analyst lands another job—not a high probability—local fans have heard him rag on some underachieving player for the last time.

Piersall's parting with WSCR coincides with the station preparing to air White Sox games this season. Are they related?

Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf carries an intense dislike of Piersall, dating to the early days of his stewardship when they often clashed. Reinsdorf certainly wouldn't appreciate having his Sox critiqued, and sometimes bashed, by Piersall on the team's flagship station.

But WSCR program director Mitch Rosen insisted the Sox had nothing to do with the decision. The station hopes to re-sign Steve Stone for another year and enlist current players as regular contributors.

"Jimmy did a great job for us," Rosen said. "But we've decided to move on in a different direction."

Piersall stopped short of blaming Reinsdorf.

"Those aren't my words," he said when asked if he believed his adversary was the reason he no longer will be with the station.

"You have to understand the White Sox and Reinsdorf are over there now," Piersall said. "But I don't want to get involved in any [fights]. I'm not holding any grudges. I enjoyed a lot of good years [with WSCR]. If they want to go another way, hey, that's the way life is."

Has Piersall gone mellow at age 76? Hardly. But he is taking the high road, a route he rarely has chosen during his time in Chicago.

Piersall managed to get himself fired from both baseball teams. He was serving as a minor-league instructor for the Cubs until his pointed analysis of the team on WSCR left him out of favor with top executives.

Piersall, though, forever will be known for his stormy years with the Sox. He once choked Daily Herald sportswriter Rob Gallas and eventually was fired after making derogatory remarks about Sox players' wives.

But the highest high, his partnership with Harry Caray, proved to be legendary. Quite simply, they were the best TV duo ever in this town, or any town.

Hired by Bill Veeck at the end of 1976, Piersall was the perfect match for Caray. Both men were irreverent, brutally honest and had tremendous passion for the game. The end result was a wildly entertaining broadcast, complete with cheers and barbs for the Sox.

Piersall recalled he was hired to join the Sox full-time on the same day Mayor Richard J. Daley died in December 1976.

"They had a press conference and nobody came," Piersall said. "Harry said, 'Well, you're starting off on the right foot.' I loved Harry. I loved working with him. He taught me the most important lesson: Be prepared."

It was a lesson Piersall relied on during his days with WSCR. When both teams played at the same time, he set up two televisions in his den. He watched and kept score of both games.

Piersall then unleashed his entire arsenal when he went on the air. His candid style always made him a must-listen.

"Most guys don't have the feel for what it's all about," Piersall said. "They go in the clubhouse and have to kiss everyone's butt. I never try to hurt anyone, I just try to tell it like I see it. Have an opinion. You don't have to agree with me."

Piersall then added, "I never considered myself a professional broadcaster. I consider myself a fan."

Piersall said he hopes he hasn't offered his last opinion for public consumption. He intends to make some calls to see what's out there.

The reality is there's not much. His former boss at WSCR, Jeff Schwartz, now is the station manager at the city's other sports talker, WMVP-AM 1000. Schwartz said he has no plans to bring in Piersall.

"But I reserve my right to change my mind," Schwartz said. "I think Jimmy was very good at what he did. He always put a smile on my face."

If it is last call, Piersall said, that's OK. He lives the good life, splitting his time between Arizona and Chicago. He plays golf three days a week and is an avid fisherman.

"Nobody can take that away from me," Piersall said.

You can be sure those fish are in for a good fight.

On the outs?

Marc Silverman and Carmen DeFalco could be out as hosts of the 9 a.m.-noon shift on WMVP. The pair have been off the air since last Friday, missing the post-Bears playoff analysis.

Officially, station executives are saying their absence is "an internal matter." "Carmen and Silvy," however, did not perform well in the fall ratings.

WMVP is looking to expand its talent pool. Among those taking a swing in the morning slot this week have been Jonathan Hood, Jeff Dickerson, ESPN's Sean Salisbury, WBBM-Ch. 2 sports anchor Mark Malone and the Tribune's Steve Rosenbloom.

esherman@tribune.com

With all the power he amassed as a six-term congressman about to evaporate in a salacious scandal, US Representative Mark Foley wasted no time returning a reporter's phone call last week to conduct one of his last interviews before he resigned in disgrace.

The subject: Foley's godfather, former Red Sox star Jimmy Piersall.

It was 2:31 p.m. last Thursday, 35 minutes before ABC News posted a story on its website that signaled the Florida lawmaker's imminent demise: ``Sixteen-Year-Old Who Worked as Capitol Hill Page Concerned About E-Mail Exchange with Congressman."

The story indicated Foley knew trouble was coming, quoting his chief of staff portraying the allegation as part of ``an ugly smear campaign." But Foley betrayed no hint of anxiety as he reflected on his relationship with Piersall.

A Newton native, Foley, 52, is the son of a former Newton police officer, Edward Foley, who befriended Piersall during his stormy career with the Sox from 1950-58. Piersall, 76, suffered a psychiatric breakdown in 1952 that was immortalized in his biography and subsequent movie, ``Fear Strikes Out." And Piersall apparently needed the elder Foley's help on occasion.

``The story, as I remember it, is that they met in one of Jimmy's scrapes," Foley said in the interview. ``Dad would help him out of his little legal jams."

Piersall returned the friendship by becoming Foley's godfather. And Foley thanked Piersall in part by inviting him to the White House when the Sox were honored after they won the 2004 World Series. Foley met Piersall at a Washington airport and put him up at his home there overnight.

``It was a tremendous thrill for me," Piersall said of the White House visit.

When Foley introduced Piersall to President Bush, the president joked that he might one day ask Foley for a return favor.

``He said, `Now I know who I can go to for a vote,' " Foley recalled.

But after Bush told Piersall how much he once enjoyed watching him play, Piersall, as blunt and irreverent as ever, stunned Foley with his response.

``I like you, too," Piersall told the president, ``but I didn't vote for you."

``I was like, `Oh, God, please help me,' " Foley recalled.

-- d4niel coh3n (d4nielc0he...), September 26th, 2005.
They start in 1957 now!