23 Facts About Mickey Cochrane

1.

Mickey Cochrane played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Philadelphia Athletics and Detroit Tigers.

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2.

Mickey Cochrane was born in Massachusetts and was a multi-sport athlete at Boston University.

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3.

Mickey Cochrane made his major league debut in 1925, having spent only one season in the minor leagues.

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4.

Mickey Cochrane was chosen as the American League Most Valuable Player in 1928 and he appeared in the World Series from 1929 to 1931.

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5.

Philadelphia won the first two of those World Series, but Mickey Cochrane was criticized for giving up stolen bases when his team lost the series in 1931.

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6.

Mickey Cochrane's career ended abruptly after a near-fatal head injury from a pitched ball in 1937.

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7.

Mickey Cochrane was known as "Black Mike" because of his fiery, competitive nature.

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8.

Mickey Cochrane was educated at Boston University, where he played five sports, excelling at football and basketball.

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9.

Mickey Cochrane made an immediate impact by becoming Connie Mack's starting catcher in place of Cy Perkins, who was considered one of the best catchers in the major leagues at the time.

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10.

Mickey Cochrane hit third more often, but whatever his place in the order his primary role was to get on base so that hard-hitting Al Simmons and Jimmie Foxx could drive him in.

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11.

Mickey Cochrane won the 1928 American League Most Valuable Player Award, mostly for his leadership and defensive skills, when he led the American League in putouts and hit.

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12.

Mickey Cochrane was a catalyst in the Athletics' pennant-winning years of 1929,1930 and 1931, during which he hit.

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13.

Mickey Cochrane played in those three World Series, winning the first two, but was sometimes blamed for the loss of the 1931 World Series, when the St Louis Cardinals, led by Pepper Martin, stole eight bases and the Series.

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14.

Mickey Cochrane followed this by leading the Tigers to another American League pennant in 1935 and earning a victory over the Chicago Cubs in the 1935 World Series.

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15.

On May 25,1937, Mickey Cochrane was hit in the head by a pitch from Yankees pitcher Bump Hadley.

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16.

Mickey Cochrane was forced to retire at the age of 34 after doctors ordered him not to attempt to play baseball again.

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17.

Mickey Cochrane hit for the cycle twice in his career, on July 22,1932 and August 2,1933.

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18.

Mickey Cochrane led American League catchers six times in putouts and twice each in double plays assists and fielding percentage.

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19.

Mickey Cochrane returned to the dugout to continue managing the Tigers but had lost his competitive fire.

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20.

Mickey Cochrane managed for the remainder of the 1937 season but was replaced midway through the 1938 season by coach and former catcher Del Baker.

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21.

In 1947, Mickey Cochrane became the third catcher enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame, after Roger Bresnahan and Buck Ewing.

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22.

Mickey Cochrane briefly worked in baseball after World War II, notably serving as a coach, and then as general manager, of the Athletics during the 1950 season, Mack's last year as manager.

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23.

Mickey Cochrane owned an automobile business after his baseball days; he sold it in the mid-1950s.

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