The working title for Fear Strikes Out was The Jim Piersall Story.

The real Jim Piersall eventually disowned the movie due to the creative liberties taken with the facts in the film.

Most Hollywood biopics play fast and loose when it comes to the truth and there were plenty of factual errors in Fear Strikes Out such as the presence of Joe Cronin (played by Bart Burns) as the Red Sox's field manager (Mike "Pinky" Higgins was actually field manager when Piersall played; Cronin was the general manager). As recently as 2005, Jimmy Piersall participated in a White House event honoring the 2004 World Champion Boston Red Sox.

Anthony Perkins followed Fear Strikes Out with two back-to-back westerns, The Lonely Man (1957) co-starring Jack Palance and Anthony Mann's The Tin Star (1957) with Henry Fonda.

Famous Quotes from FEAR STRIKES OUT

"Luck won't do it. You're gonna have to think, you're gonna have to work hard and think for yourself. Remember, no one's gonna be there doing your thinking for you." – Karl Malden, as John Piersall talking to his son.

"Well, this is no time to buckle up. You want them to call you yellow? If that's what you want, you're no son of mine." -- Karl Malden, as John Piersall talking to his son.

"He was my father, and I wanted to do good for him. I owe him something, don't I?" – Anthony Perkins, as Jim Piersall talking to his psychiatrist, Dr. Brown.

"I love my dad. He's the biggest thing in my life. He taught me and he straightened me out and he kept me in line. If it hadn't been for him standing behind me and pushing me and driving me, I wouldn't be where I am today." -- Anthony Perkins, as Jim Piersall talking to his psychiatrist, Dr. Brown.

"Put your things together and go down there and tell that doc that we gotta get back so we can tell those wiseguys we're not through, we're not washed up." -- Karl Malden, as John Piersall talking to his son.

"All my life I've been splitting my gut to please you, but I never could. No matter what I do, it's not enough. Dad, you're killing me." – Anthony Perkins, as Jim Piersall to his father.

Compiled by Andrea Passafiume