In 1922, George Sisler batted .420 and the Browns finished in second place in the American League, only one game behind the pennant-winning Yankees. However, during the offseason, Sisler developed persistent double vision (diplopia), rendering him inactive for the entire 1923 season. The cause of Sisler’s diplopia was never fully explained in newspaper accounts and his medical records were never made public. Through an examination of 1923 newspaper accounts, published records, and Sisler’s own description of his symptoms, Provenzale attempts to unravel the medical mystery by providing a plausible medical explanation for Sisler’s diplopia.

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Jim Provenzale

Jim Provenzale (prove001@mc.duke.edu) is a neurologist and neuroradiologist at Duke University and Emory University, with a special interest in medical illnesses in baseball players.