| Hy Cohen | |
|---|---|
 Cohen in 1954 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:(1931-01-29)January 29, 1931 Brooklyn, New York, U.S | |
| Died: February 4, 2021(2021-02-04) (aged 90) Rancho Mirage, California, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 17, 1955, for the Chicago Cubs | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| June 2, 1955, for the Chicago Cubs | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 0–0 |
| Earned run average | 7.94 |
| Innings pitched | 17 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Hyman Cohen (January 29, 1931 – February 4, 2021) was an Americanbaseballpitcher who played seven games for theChicago Cubs in one season ofMajor League Baseball (MLB) in 1955. He batted and threwright-handed and served as arelief pitcher.
Cohen was signed as anamateur free agent by theNew York Yankees in 1948 and played for one of theirminor league affiliates until 1949, when the Chicago Cubs drafted him in that year's minor league draft. After spending two seasons with the organization, he wasdrafted into theUS Army. As a result, he missed the 1952 and 1953 seasons. Upon his return, he pitched in the minors until 1955, when the Cubs promoted him to the major leagues. He played his last game on June 2, 1955. He subsequently worked as a teacher and coach atBirmingham High School.
Cohen was born inBrooklyn on January 29, 1931.[1][2] His family was Jewish and both of his parents were Polish immigrants. His father, Joseph, immigrated fromWarsaw, while his mother, Bessie, was originally fromBrest-Litovsk.[2] One of his childhood idols wasHarry Danning, thecatcher for theNew York Giants ofMajor League Baseball (MLB).[3] Cohen attendedErasmus Hall High School before studying atBrooklyn College.[4][5] He was signed as an amateur free agent by theNew York Yankees before the 1948 season.[5]
Cohen began his professional baseball career with the La Grange Troupers, in theGeorgia–Alabama League.[6] During his first year with the team, he finished with a 7–5win–loss record and a 5.50earned run average (ERA) in 72innings pitched. In his second season, he had a 11–15 record, a 3.33 ERA, and 148strikeouts over 192 innings.[6] His unremarkable performance reportedly led the Yankees to overlook the renewal of his contract.[2] He was subsequently selected by theChicago Cubs in the minor league draft at the end of 1949.[5]
In his only season with theGrand Rapids Jets (the Cubs' Class-A affiliate in theCentral League), Cohen compiled a 12–9 win–loss record and a 3.41 ERA in 206 innings.[6] This earned him a promotion to theDes Moines Bruins of the Class-AWestern League in the following year.[2][6] He finished the 1951 season with a 16–10 record and a 2.86 ERA across 236 innings pitched,[6] along with three wins in the playoffs.[2] He considered this to be the best season in his professional baseball career. He was later chosen in theSelective Service draft and joined theUS Army to fight in theKorean War,[2] and did not play professional baseball from 1952 to 1953.[6] He was stationed inSan Antonio and played baseball there with future major leaguers such asBobby Brown,Don Newcombe,Gus Triandos,Bob Turley,Joe Margoneri,Dick Kokos,Owen Friend, andMarv Rotblatt.[2]
Upon his return from military service, Cohen was placed with theLos Angeles Angels of thePacific Coast League.[2] He pitched poorly during his nine-game stint with the team, posting a 6.60 ERA and 6 strikeouts in just 15 innings pitched.[6] He rebounded after being promptly sent back to the Bruins.[2] His 1.88 ERA led the Western League, and he finished second with a 1.051walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP) and seventh in wins (16).[7]
Cohen made his MLB debut on April 17, 1955, relievingHarry Perkowski and giving up sevenearned runs and striking out two over seven innings in a 14–1 loss to theSt. Louis Cardinals.[8] His best performance came during his second game on April 27,[9] in which he held thePittsburgh Pirates to onehit and onewalk across three scoreless innings.[10] He played five more games for the Cubs.[5] During his only careerstart in the first game of adoubleheader against thePhiladelphia Phillies on May 1, he surrendered fiveearned runs across three innings pitched.[11] Cohen played his final major league game on June 2, 1955, at the age of 24.[5]Topps had initially approached him for input on thebaseball card of him that they were intending to produce. However, his time in the major leagues ended before the card could be made.[2]
Cohen went back to the minor leagues and compiled a 5–10 record, a 3.59 ERA, and 40 strikeouts in100+1⁄3 innings pitched during his second stint with the Angels in 1955. He also recorded 4complete games and 2shutouts. During the 1956 season, he pitched for three teams—the Angels,Tulsa Oilers, andNew Orleans Pelicans—posting a combined 16–8 record.[6] He was assigned to theMemphis Chicks in 1957,[6] and had the fourth-lowest ERA (2.72), the fifth-best WHIP (1.163), and the sixth most wins (15) in theSouthern Association that season.[12] He was selected by theDetroit Tigers in the minor league draft at the end of that same year.[5] He played the first part of the 1958 season with theNashville Volunteers, where he had a 2–6 win–loss record, a 8.51 ERA, and 8 strikeouts over 37 innings.[6] His contract was subsequently purchased by theToronto Maple Leafs for $50,000.Jack Kent Cooke, the owner of the Leafs, wanted to sign a Jewish player to drum up support for the team from thecity's sizable Jewish population.[2] Cohen ultimately pitched only five games for the club before discomfort in his arm caused him to retire from professional baseball in 1958.[2][6]
After retiring from baseball, Cohen went back to school atCalifornia State University, Los Angeles,[5] and obtained aMaster of Education in 1966.[2] He proceeded to teach social studies and physical education atBirmingham High School in Los Angeles.[2] He also coached the school's football, tennis, and baseball teams into the 1980s.[1][2] The baseball team won two city championships during his time there,[2] in 1966 and 1969.[1] Cohen was recognized atDodger Stadium in 1995 for his important contributions to baseball education.[2] One year later, he was inducted into theSouthern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.[1]
Cohen was married to Terry Cohen until his death. Together, they had two children: Jeff and Jill.[1][13] He died on February 4, 2021, at theEisenhower Medical Center inRancho Mirage, California. He was 90, and had contractedCOVID-19 several months before his death. He continued to suffer health issues from the virus after his supposed recovery.[1]
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