Eisenreich Conquering Tourette’s Syndrome

In a cruel ironic twist, conquering his problem has also caused Jim Eisenreich to remain publicly shackled to it.

“When are you guys going to talk about him just as a ballplayer and leave out all that other stuff?” snorts an indignant Kansas City teammate.

It’s a fair question. Yet, “that other stuff” is what makes the quiet, unassuming outfielder the most stirring comeback story in the American League this year. And his courage has given inspiration to thousands who suffer with a little-known, often misunderstood condition known as Tourette’s syndrome.

A nervous disorder, Tourette’s syndrome strikes in equal proportion the rich and the poor, the common and the talented, the brilliant and the slow. Making it especially ornery is that it affects different people in different ways, just as the medication used to treat it.

When Eisenreich first came to the major leagues as a can’t-miss outfield prospect for Minnesota in 1982, it caused him to twitch uncontrollably in front of crowds.

Looking back, the first diagnosis seems almost comical--stage fright.

It finally drove him out of the major leagues and he sought refuge in his hometown of St. Cloud, Minn. But now, he is not only back in the big leagues, he is one of the hottest hitters in the game.

An eight-game hitting streak has fattened his average to .325. Since replacing the injured Willie Wilson in centerfield last week, the smooth-swinging left-hander hitter has hit two triples and five doubles and scored eight runs.

“It was just a matter of finding the right medicine in the right dosage,” Manager John Wathan said. “It was misdiagnosed a few times in Minnesota. But it’s something we don’t talk about. He’s just a quiet person by nature.”

In a soft but firm voice, Eisenreich seeks to put the issue at rest.

“I don’t look in the past. That’s no big deal to me,” he said. “I look ahead. Whatever happened long ago is history.”

Chris Jackson, LSU’s freshman All-American, is another high-profile athlete who has tamed Tourette’s syndrome and given renewed hope to thousands. It’s the first time successful athletes have been identified with the condition.

“I do know this,” Steve Joyce, the Royals’ team physician, said. “In my practice I have seen a few kids with Tourette’s syndrome, and Jim has been a real inspiration to them, and to their parents. That may be the most important point of all.”

After three attempts to stay in professional baseball, Eisenreich went home and played for the St. Cloud Saints, an amateur team. Then around Christmas 1986, an old school chum named Bob Hegman looked him up. Hegman, it turns out, scouts for Kansas City.

“He came back and said Jim was feeling much better, that he was playing well and had his medical problem under control,” General Manager John Schuerholz said. “We claimed him on waivers and paid one dollar.”

Eisenreich had outstanding springs in both ’87 and ’88 with the Royals but played little in the regular season. Now, playing every day at the age of 30, he seems finally to be realizing the potential baseball scouts all over were raving about eight years ago.

“They’re giving me good pitches to hit and I’m taking advantage of it,” says Eisenreich.