Mickey Vernon

Mickey Vernon
Vernon in 1963
First baseman / Manager
Born: (1918-04-22)April 22, 1918
Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania
Died: September 24, 2008(2008-09-24) (aged 90)
Media, Pennsylvania
Batted: Left Threw: Left
MLB debut
July 8, 1939, for the Washington Senators
Last MLB appearance
September 27, 1960, for the Pittsburgh Pirates
MLB statistics
Batting average .286
Hits 2,495
Home runs 172
Runs batted in 1,311
Managerial record 135–227
Winning % .373
Teams

As player

As manager

Career highlights and awards

James Barton "Mickey" Vernon (April 22, 1918 – September 24, 2008) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman who played for the Washington Senators (1939–48, 1950–55), Cleveland Indians (1949–50, 1958), Boston Red Sox (1956–57), Milwaukee Braves (1959), and Pittsburgh Pirates (1960). He also was the first manager in the history of the expansion edition of the Senators (now the Texas Rangers), serving from 1961 through May 21, 1963, and was a coach for four MLB teams between 1960 and 1982.

He retired as a player in 1960 with 2,495 hits, and holds the major league record for career double plays at first base (2,044). He has the American League (AL) record for career games (2,227), putouts (19,754), assists (1,444) and total chances (21,408). He batted and threw left-handed.

Early life

Mickey Vernon was born in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, and attended Villanova University, before making his major league debut on July 8, 1939. He was the father of Gay Vernon.

During World War II, he served in the United States Navy, missing the 1944 and 1945 seasons. He served with major league players Larry Doby and Billy Goodman on Ulithi in the South Pacific in 1945; both Goodman and Vernon personally inspired Doby to become a major league baseball player; Doby became the first African-American to break the baseball color line in the American League in 1947 with the Cleveland Indians.

Baseball career

Vernon played for 14 full major league seasons (400 at bats or more) in his 20-year career. He wound up batting over .335 twice, over .300 five times, and over .290 nine times. In 1954, he had a career high 20 home runs, 97 RBIs, and a career high 14 triples. He led the AL in doubles with a total of 33. He also had 294 total bases, which was 2nd in the AL, behind Minnie Miñoso.

Over time, Vernon became one of the best-liked ballplayers, mainly through his unique personality and charismatic, but quiet, style. By his last game on September 27, 1960, before being released by the Pirates he was, at 42, the oldest player by almost a year, and one of the most popular players in the game. However, he played in 2,409 games without making a postseason appearance (third most in history behind Ernie Banks and Luke Appling). [1] However, Vernon, who had served the 1960 season as the Bucs' first-base coach, earned a World Series ring as a member of the 1960 team. Vernon is one of only 29 players in baseball history to have appeared in a major league game in four decades.

Vernon posted a career .286 batting average with 172 home runs and 1,311 RBIs in 2,409 games. The left-hander averaged 88 RBIs a year, and had 11 seasons with 80 or more, 3 with 90 or more. He accumulated 1196 runs with 137 stolen bases and a .359 on-base percentage. His career slugging percentage was .428, with a career high of .518 in 1953. He compiled 2,495 hits, with 490 doubles and 120 triples, in 8,731 at bats. He had 3,741 career total bases, with his career high coming in 1953 (315).

Coaching and managing

Vernon coached for the Pirates in 1960 under his longtime friend and manager Danny Murtaugh. During that world championship season, Vernon made his final appearance as a player, when he was activated on September 1 when the rosters expanded to 40 men. He appeared in nine games as a pinch hitter, with one hit in eight at-bats, while also serving as the Bucs' first-base coach. The following year, in 1961, he was given the job of managing the expansion Senators in their first year of existence. He did so from 1961 until the beginning of 1963. He had a career record of 135–227, a .373 winning percentage. He was a major league coach for the Pirates (returning there for a second term in 1964), St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos, and New York Yankees. He managed at the AAA and AA levels of the minor leagues, and served as a batting instructor in the Kansas City Royals and Yankees' farm system before retiring from baseball.

Death

Vernon died from a stroke at age 90, on September 24, 2008. He had resided in Media, Pennsylvania.

MLB highlights

  • MLB Record: Double plays at first base (2,044)
  • American League All-Star (1946, 1948, 1953-1956, 1958)
  • American League batting champion (1946, 1953)
  • American League leader in doubles (1946, 1953, 1954)
  • American League leader in extra base hits (1954)
  • American League leader in fielding average (1950-1952, 1954)
  • American League top 10 in MVP voting (1946, 1953, 1954)
  • American League top 10 in triples (1941, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1951-1955)

Legacy

In August 2008, he was named as one of the ten former players who began their careers before 1943 to be considered by the Veterans Committee for induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009.

Playing in four different decades (1939–60), Vernon ended his career with 2,237 games at first base, second to only Jake Beckley (2,377) in major league history. He led the American League in fielding percentage four times, and the majors twice.

He became one of the few first basemen to finish his career with a .990 fielding percentage, and participated in more double plays than any other.

The Mickey Vernon Museum Collection in Radnor, Pennsylvania, honors Vernon's career, military service, and friendship with Murtaugh, among other artifacts.[2]

See also

References

Further reading

  • Klemish, Dawn (February 24, 2007). "Line-drive hitting Vernon won pair of batting titles for Washington Senators". baseballhalloffame.org. Archived from the original on April 23, 2007 via Wayback Machine.
  • Westcott, Rich (2005). Mickey Vernon: The Gentleman First Baseman. Camino Books Inc. ISBN 0940159945.
  • Westcott, Rich. "Mickey Vernon". SABR.
Achievements
Preceded by
Bill Salkeld
Hitting for the cycle
May 19, 1946
Succeeded by
Ted Williams
Sporting positions
Preceded by
George Detore
Ron Northey
Pittsburgh Pirates first-base coach
1960
1964
Succeeded by
Ron Northey
Johnny Pesky
Preceded by
Joe Schultz
St. Louis Cardinals first-base coach
1965
Succeeded by
Dick Sisler
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