Mickey Cochrane

From ArticleWorld

Mickey Cochrane, born Gordon Stanley Cochrane was born in Massachusetts in April of 1903. His baseball career spanned 12 years. In that time, he was celebrated for not only his awesome skills as a catcher but as a great offensive player as well. He was a competitive player with a fierce temper. He and fellow teammate Lefty Grove often ransacked the locker room after losses.

Career

Cochrane began his baseball career with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1925. He played in three World Series while a member of their club. In 1930, he had a career best .357 batting average, 10 home runs, 85 RBI and 110 runs scored. In 1934, for financial reasons, the manager of the Athletics traded Mickey to the Detroit Tigers where he took on the role of player/manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on 1947.

Injury

On May 25, 1937 Cochrane was hit in the head by a pitch. The head injury forced him to retired from playing baseball. He stayed on as manager for most of the '38 season. Many say he lost his competitive edge after his injury and wasn't the same again.

Death

At the age of 59, Mickey Cochrane died of lymphatic cancer. Since his death, the Philadelphia Phillies and the Detroit Tigers have honored him. In addition, he was named, in 1999, one of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players and was nominated for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.