Mike González (catcher) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mike González |
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González in 1920
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| Catcher / Manager | |||
| Born: September 24, 1890 Havana, Cuba |
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| Died: February 19, 1977 (aged 86) Havana, Cuba |
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| debut | |||
| September 28, 1912, for the Boston Braves | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 7, 1932, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .253 | ||
| Home runs | 13 | ||
| Runs batted in | 263 | ||
| Managerial record | 9–13 | ||
| Winning % | .409 | ||
| Teams | |||
As player
As coach
As manager
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 1955 | ||
Miguel Ángel González Cordero (born September 24, 1890 – died February 19, 1977) was a famous baseball player from Cuba. He was a catcher, a coach, and even a manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). This was during the first half of the 1900s.
Mike González, as he was known, was one of the first Cuban and Latin American players to have a long career in the major leagues. He was born in Havana, Cuba. He played baseball in the Cuban League during the winter from 1910 to 1936. He was also a long-time player and manager for the Club Habana team. He led them to win 14 championships between 1914 and 1953. In 1955, he was honored by being chosen for the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame.
Contents
Playing and Coaching in the U.S.
González was a catcher who batted with his right hand. He played his first game in the National League with the Boston Braves in 1912. He only played one game that year. During this time, he also played for integrated teams from Cuba, like the Cuban Stars and the Long Branch Cubans. He also played for the New York Lincoln Giants.
He returned to the Major Leagues in 1914 with the Cincinnati Reds. He caught in 83 games and had a batting average of .233. After that, he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1915. He spent many seasons with the Cardinals as a player, coach, and manager. He also played for the New York Giants and the Chicago Cubs.
Overall, he played in 1,042 games. He had a batting average of .253, hit 13 home runs, and had 263 RBI. He played in one World Series in 1929 with the Cubs.
Joining the Cardinals Coaching Staff
In 1933, González became a coach for a minor league team called the Columbus Red Birds. The next year, in 1934, he joined the coaching staff for the St. Louis Cardinals. This was under manager Frankie Frisch. That year, the Cardinals team was known as the "Gashouse Gang" because they played very hard. They won the National League championship and then the 1934 World Series against the Detroit Tigers.
González continued to coach for the Cardinals. In 1938, when manager Frankie Frisch was fired, González took over as interim manager for the last 16 games. The team won 8 games and lost 8 games under him. He went back to being a coach the next season. In 1940, he again became the interim manager for a few days until a new manager arrived. His total record as a major league manager was 9 wins and 13 losses.
González kept coaching for the Cardinals until 1946. In his very last game as a coach, during the 1946 World Series, he was coaching at third base. A player named Enos Slaughter made a famous play called "Slaughter's Mad Dash". He ran all the way home from first base to score the winning run. Some people say González waved him home, while others say Slaughter ran on his own!
González is also famous for a phrase he used. When asked to scout a player, he said the player was great at defense but not good at hitting. He sent a short message: "Good field, no hit." This phrase is still used in baseball today!
Cuban Baseball Star
González started playing baseball in Cuba in 1910 as a shortstop. For his first three seasons, he played different positions. Then, in 1913, he became a full-time catcher for the Habana team. He was a great hitter in Cuba. In the 1932–33 season, he led the league with an amazing batting average of .432.
In 1914–15, he became the player-manager for Habana. He led his team to win a championship that year. This was the first of 13 championships he won as the team's leader. Some of his best teams included famous players like Martín Dihigo.
Later Years and Legacy
After the 1946 season, there was a disagreement between Major League Baseball and the Mexican League. Some players left MLB teams to play in Mexico. The baseball commissioner decided to ban these players. He also said that anyone who played with or against these banned players would also be banned from professional baseball in the U.S.
The Cuban Winter League, including González's Habana team, hired some of these banned players. González even resigned from his coaching job with the Cardinals to show he disagreed with the ban. Because of this, he was not allowed to work in U.S. professional baseball anymore. Even though the ban was later lifted for the players, González never returned to the Cardinals or to baseball in the U.S.
Mike González is even mentioned in a famous book! In Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea, a character asks, "Who is the greatest manager, really, Luque or Mike González?" This shows how well-known and respected he was.
González stopped managing the Habana team after the 1952–53 season. He stayed in Cuba. After the Cuban Revolution in 1959, it became difficult for him to connect with his old friends in American baseball. He passed away in Havana in 1977 at 86 years old.
See also
- List of St. Louis Cardinals coaches
- Managers
