Al Rosen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Al Rosen |
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Al Rosen, circa 1953.
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| Third baseman | |||
| Born: February 29, 1924 Spartanburg, South Carolina, U.S. |
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| Died: March 13, 2015 (aged 91) Rancho Mirage, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 10, 1947, for the Cleveland Indians | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 30, 1956, for the Cleveland Indians | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .285 | ||
| Home runs | 192 | ||
| Runs batted in | 717 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Albert Leonard Rosen (February 29, 1924 – March 13, 2015) was a famous American baseball player. People called him "Flip" and "The Hebrew Hammer." He played as a third baseman for the Cleveland Indians for ten seasons. He was known for hitting the ball very hard with his right hand.
Al Rosen served in the U.S. Navy during World War II for four years. After the war, he played his entire professional career (1947–1956) with the Cleveland Indians. This team is part of the American League (AL). He was great at both hitting and fielding. He hit 100 or more runs batted in (RBIs) for five years in a row. He was also chosen for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game four times.
Rosen led the league in home runs twice and in RBIs twice. He even won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in the AL. Overall, he had a .285 batting average. He hit 192 home runs and had 717 RBIs in 1,044 games. He was even on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine in 1955.
After playing baseball, Rosen worked as a stockbroker for 20 years. Later, he returned to baseball as a top executive. He worked for the New York Yankees, Houston Astros, and San Francisco Giants. He was a president, CEO, and general manager for these teams. He was the only former MVP player to also win baseball's Executive of the Year award. This shows he was smart both on the field and in the office.
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Early Life and Military Service
Al Rosen was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina. His family moved to Miami, Florida, when he was very young. As a child, he had asthma, which led his family to move even further south. He loved baseball and looked up to players like Lou Gehrig and Hank Greenberg.
He went to school in Miami and later attended Florida Military Academy. He even got a scholarship for boxing. After the academy, he went to the University of Florida. However, he left college early to play minor league baseball.
In 1942, Rosen joined the U.S. Navy during World War II. He served for four years in the Pacific. He even helped navigate an assault boat during the Battle of Okinawa. He left the Navy as a lieutenant and returned to baseball.
Minor League Baseball
After the war, Rosen started his professional baseball journey. In 1946, he played for the Pittsfield Electrics. He led the league in home runs and RBIs. Because of his powerful hitting, he earned the nickname "Hebrew Hammer." This was the same nickname as his idol, Hank Greenberg.
In 1947, he played for the Oklahoma City Indians. He had an amazing season, leading the league in many hitting categories. He won the Texas League Player of the Year Award. The next year, he played for the Kansas City Blues. He was named Rookie of the Year in that league too.
Major League Career Highlights
Al Rosen first played in the major leagues in 1947. In 1948, he mostly played in the minor leagues. But he joined the Cleveland Indians in September. He was part of the team that won the 1948 World Series.
In 1950, Rosen became the main third baseman for the Indians. He led the American League with 37 home runs. This was a record for an AL rookie at the time. He also had 116 runs batted in.
In 1951, Rosen hit four grand slams. This was a team record that stood for many years. He also had 102 RBIs that season.
Rosen led the American League in RBIs again in 1952 with 105. He also hit 28 home runs and had a .302 batting average. He even hit three home runs in one game on April 29.
1953: MVP Season
The year 1953 was Al Rosen's best season. He led the American League in many important stats:
- Home runs (43)
- Runs batted in (145)
- Runs scored (115)
- Slugging percentage (.613)
- Total bases (367)
He also had a 20-game hitting streak. He batted .336, almost winning the Major League Baseball Triple Crown. He was voted the American League MVP by everyone, which means it was a unanimous vote. He was the first player to be chosen unanimously since Hank Greenberg. Many baseball experts say his 1953 season was one of the greatest ever for a third baseman.
In 1954, Rosen hit .300 and had 24 home runs and 102 RBIs. He hit two home runs in the All-Star game, even with a broken finger! This earned him the All-Star Game MVP award. The Cleveland Indians won the pennant that year but lost the World Series.
By 1956, Al Rosen had back and leg injuries. He decided to retire from baseball at the age of 32.
After Baseball
After retiring from playing, Al Rosen worked as a stockbroker for 22 years.
Baseball Executive Career
In 1978, Rosen returned to baseball as an executive. He became the President/CEO of the New York Yankees. The Yankees won the 1978 World Series that year. He later worked for the Houston Astros (1980–1985) and the San Francisco Giants (1985–1992).
As the general manager for the Giants, he helped turn the team around. They went from last place in 1985 to winning their division in 1987. They also won the National League pennant in 1989. For his great work, he won the National League Executive of the Year award. He was the only MVP player to also win this top executive award.
Personal Life
Al Rosen was married twice and had three sons. He also had a stepson and stepdaughter. He sometimes helped baseball teams as a special advisor. He was also featured in a 2010 movie called Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story. Al Rosen passed away on March 13, 2015, in California.
Jewish Heritage
Al Rosen was Jewish. He was known for being tough and standing up for himself. He was an amateur boxer and would not let anyone insult his background. He once said he wished his name was even more Jewish, like Rosenstein. When someone mistook him for Catholic, he quickly corrected them.
The documentary Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story talked about how he dealt with anti-Semitism. He said, "There's a time that you let it be known that enough is enough." He meant he would stand up to people who were unfair.
During his playing career, Rosen refused to play on the High Holy Days. This is a special time for Jewish people. Another famous Jewish baseball player, Sandy Koufax, also did this. Al Rosen is considered one of the best Jewish baseball players of all time.
Awards and Honors
- Member of the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame (2006).
- Member of the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame (1980).
- Member of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
- Member of the Texas League Hall of Fame (2005).
See also
- Cleveland Indians all-time roster
- List of Florida Gators baseball players
- List of New York Yankees owners and executives
- List of select Jewish baseball players
- List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise
