Mickey Cochrane facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mickey Cochrane
Cochrane 1933 Goudey baseball card
Catcher / Manager
Born: (1903-04-06)April 6, 1903 Bridgewater, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died: June 28, 1962(1962-06-28) (aged 59) Lake Forest, Illinois, U.S.
Batted: Left Threw: Right
debut
April 14, 1925, for the Philadelphia Athletics
Last appearance
May 25, 1937, for the Detroit Tigers
MLB statistics
Batting average	.320
Home runs	119
Runs batted in	830
Managerial record	348–250
Winning %	.582
Teams
As player Philadelphia Athletics (1925–1933) Detroit Tigers (1934–1937) As manager Detroit Tigers (1934–1938)
Career highlights and awards
2× All-Star (1934, 1935) 3× World Series champion (1929, 1930, 1935) 2× AL MVP (1928, 1934) Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame Athletics Hall of Fame
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction	1947
Vote	79.5% (sixth ballot)

Gordon Stanley "Mickey" Cochrane (born April 6, 1903 – died June 28, 1962) was an American professional baseball player, manager, and coach. He was known by his nickname, "Black Mike." He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher for the Philadelphia Athletics and Detroit Tigers.

Mickey Cochrane is considered one of the best catchers in baseball history. He is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. In his first year as a manager, he led the Tigers to 101 wins. This was a record for a rookie manager for many years. Cochrane's career batting average of .320 is still an MLB record for a catcher.

His baseball career ended suddenly in 1937 after a serious head injury from a pitched ball. After baseball, he served in the United States Navy during World War II. He also ran a car business. Mickey Cochrane passed away in 1962.

Early Life and Baseball Start

Mickey Cochrane was born in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. His father came from Northern Ireland, and his mother came from Canada. He earned the nickname "Black Mike" because he was very competitive and had a strong personality.

Cochrane went to Boston University. There, he played five different sports. He was especially good at football and basketball. Even though he thought he was a better football player, he chose baseball. At that time, Major League Baseball was more established than professional football. So, he signed with the Portland Beavers, a minor league team, in 1924.

Playing Career Highlights

Starting with the Philadelphia Athletics

After playing just one season in the minor leagues, Mickey Cochrane joined the major leagues. He made his debut with the Philadelphia Athletics on April 14, 1925. He was 22 years old.

Cochrane quickly became the team's main catcher. He took the place of Cy Perkins, who was a top catcher at the time. Mickey was a left-handed batter. He was also a fast runner, so his manager, Connie Mack, sometimes had him bat first. More often, he batted third. His main job was to get on base so powerful hitters like Al Simmons and Jimmie Foxx could hit him home.

In May of his first season, he hit three home runs in one game. This tied a major league record for the 20th century. He finished his first year with a .331 batting average. He also had a .397 on-base percentage, which means he got on base often. His great play helped the Athletics finish in second place.

By the 1926 season, many people already thought Cochrane was the best catcher in baseball. He won the American League (AL) Most Valuable Player Award in 1928. This was mainly because of his strong leadership and defensive skills. That year, he led the American League in putouts (when a fielder records an out). He also hit .293 with 10 home runs and 58 runs batted in (RBI).

Cochrane was a key player for the Athletics when they won the pennant (league championship) in 1929, 1930, and 1931. During these years, he had batting averages of .331, .357, and .349. He played in all three World Series during these years. The Athletics won the first two. However, some people blamed Cochrane for the loss in the 1931 World Series. The St. Louis Cardinals stole many bases in that series. But others pointed out that the Philadelphia pitchers were also at fault for not stopping runners. This blame stayed with Cochrane for a long time.

Moving to the Detroit Tigers

Mickey Cochrane on the cover of Time magazine in 1935

In 1934, the Athletics' owner, Connie Mack, started to sell off his star players. This was due to money problems. Mickey Cochrane was traded to the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers' owner, Frank Navin, also had financial difficulties. The Tigers had not finished higher than third place since 1923. They were known for being an average team.

Navin had hoped to get Babe Ruth as a player-manager. When that didn't work out, he turned to the Athletics. A deal was quickly made to send Cochrane to Detroit. Navin immediately named him the team's player-manager. This meant Cochrane would play and manage the team at the same time.

In Detroit, Cochrane became even more famous as a team leader. His competitive spirit pushed the Tigers. Many people thought they would finish fourth or fifth. But Cochrane led them to the 1934 American League championship. This was their first pennant in 25 years. They won 101 games, which was the most for the team in 34 years. Cochrane was the first rookie manager ever to win 100 games.

Cochrane was smart with his strategies. For example, he often used a platoon system. This meant he would switch players based on whether the opposing pitcher threw with their left or right hand. His leadership and smart decisions helped him win the 1934 Most Valuable Player Award. This was amazing because Lou Gehrig had won the Triple Crown that year.

Cochrane then led the Tigers to another American League pennant in 1935. They won the 1935 World Series against the Chicago Cubs. This was Detroit's first clear world championship. In late 1935, a newspaper even suggested Cochrane might become the team president someday. However, due to his intense nature and stress, he had some health issues during the 1936 season.

On May 25, 1937, Cochrane was hit in the head by a pitch from Yankees pitcher Bump Hadley. Cochrane had hit a home run in his turn at bat just before this. He was in the hospital for seven days and almost died from the injury. This accident led to calls for batters to wear protective helmets. However, it took many more years for helmets to become common. Doctors told Cochrane he could not play baseball again. He was forced to retire at age 34.

Mickey Cochrane was honored alongside the retired numbers of the Detroit Tigers in 2000.

Mickey Cochrane finished his 13-year playing career with a .320 batting average. He hit 119 home runs and had 830 runs batted in. He also had 1,652 hits, 1,041 runs scored, 333 doubles, 64 triples, and 64 stolen bases. His .320 batting average is the highest career mark for catchers. His .419 on-base percentage is also one of the best in baseball history for a catcher. In 1932, he became the first major league catcher to score 100 runs and have 100 runs batted in during the same season.

He also hit for the cycle (a single, double, triple, and home run in one game) twice in his career. This happened on July 22, 1932 and August 2, 1933.

In his first 11 years, he played in at least 110 games each season. He led American League catchers six times in putouts. He also led twice in double plays, assists, and fielding percentage.

Cochrane returned to the dugout to keep managing the Tigers after his injury. But he had lost some of his competitive drive. He managed for the rest of the 1937 season. However, he was replaced partway through the 1938 season by coach Del Baker. His total managerial record was 348 wins and 250 losses, which is a .582 winning percentage.

Managerial Record

Later Life and Legacy

Even after his head injury, Mickey Cochrane served in the United States Navy during World War II. He became a lieutenant. He was in charge of physical training for new recruits and coached the baseball team. Later in the war, he served in the Pacific.

In 1947, Cochrane was chosen for the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was only the third catcher to receive this honor. The Philadelphia Phillies honored him by adding him to the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame. The Tigers also honored him by renaming a street near their old stadium "Cochrane Avenue."

After World War II, Cochrane worked briefly in baseball again. He was a coach and then the general manager for the Athletics in 1950. He also owned a car business. Mickey Cochrane was a heavy smoker and passed away from cancer in 1962, at the age of 59.

Baseball historian Bill James ranked Cochrane as the fourth best catcher of all time. In 1999, The Sporting News ranked him 65th on its list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players. He was also nominated for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. Famous Yankee slugger Mickey Mantle was even named after him!

In 2013, the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award honored Cochrane. This award recognizes Baseball Hall of Fame members for their service in the United States military.

See also

In Spanish: Mickey Cochrane para niños

• List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
• List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle
• List of Major League Baseball player-managers
• List of Major League Baseball players with a home run in their final major league at bat