| Mickey Vernon | |
|---|---|
 Vernon in 1961 | |
| First baseman /Manager | |
| Born:(1918-04-22)April 22, 1918 Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
| Died: September 24, 2008(2008-09-24) (aged 90) Media, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| July 8, 1939, for the Washington Senators | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 27, 1960, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .286 |
| Hits | 2,495 |
| Home runs | 172 |
| Runs batted in | 1,311 |
| Managerial record | 135–227 |
| Winning % | .373 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Managerial record at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
As player
As manager | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
James Barton"Mickey"Vernon (April 22, 1918 – September 24, 2008) was an AmericanMajor League Baseball (MLB)first baseman who played for theWashington Senators (1939–1948, 1950–1955),Cleveland Indians (1949–1950, 1958),Boston Red Sox (1956–1957),Milwaukee Braves (1959) andPittsburgh Pirates (1960). He also was the firstmanager in the history of theexpansion edition of the Senators (now theTexas Rangers), serving from 1961 through May 21, 1963, and was acoach for four MLB teams between 1960 and 1982.
Vernon retired as a player in 1960 with 2,495hits, and holds the major league record for careerdouble plays at first base (2,044). He has theAmerican League (AL) record for first basemen for career games (2,227),putouts (19,754),assists (1,444) andtotal chances (21,408). The lanky Vernon was listed as 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall and 170 pounds (77 kg); he batted and threw left-handed.
Mickey Vernon was born on April 22, 1918, inMarcus Hook, Pennsylvania, located inDelaware County.[1][2] Vernon's grandfather Samuel Vernon was anAmerican Civil War veteran who became the first mayor of Marcus Hook in 1893. His father Clarence Vernon worked for theSun Oil Company refinery, and played semiprofessional baseball for the company team. Vernon played sandlot baseball and played on a championshipAmerican Legion Baseball team as a teenager, and played with older men on Sun Oil's industrial league team. Vernon and his future wife Anne Elizabeth "Lib" Firth attended Eddystone High School. Vernon was a basketball star at Eddystone, which did not have a baseball team. Lib also was a stellar athlete in high school, both of them graduating in 1936.[1][3][4][2][5][6] Growing up in Marcus Hook, an aunt started calling him Mickey and the nickname stuck.[3]
He attendedVillanova University for one year on a baseball scholarship, where he played baseball under coach George "Doc" Jacobs.Washington Senators scoutJoe Cambria had observed him at Villanova. Since he was 13-years old, Vernon had been close friends with fellow Delaware County native and childhood baseball teammate, and future MLB player and manager,Danny Murtaugh.[7][8][5][9] In 1937, Vernon and Murtaugh went to try out for professional baseball teams in theClass DEastern Shore League; Vernon making theEaston, Maryland Browns and Murtaugh making theCambridge, Maryland Cardinals teams.[2][10][11] It is also reported that Doc Jacobs was the manager and part owner of the Easton Browns, and Jacobs signed Vernon to go and play for the Browns in 1937.[3][12][13]
Vernon played for threeMinor League Baseball (MiLB) teams before making his Major League debut on July 8, 1939; and then spent one more MiLB season before permanently becoming a Major League player.[14][15]
In 1937, he played for Jacobs and the Easton Browns, who were affiliated with the American League'sSt. Louis Browns.[16] Vernon played in 83 games for the Browns, with a .287batting average, tenhome runs and 64runs batted in (RBI) in just 300at bats.[17]
Vernon was signed by the originalWashington Senators as an amateur free agent in 1937.[18] In 1938, he played for theGreenville Spinners of theClass BSouth Atlantic (Sally) League. He playedfirst base and batted .328, with 84runs scored, 72 RBI, 31doubles, 12triples, an .820 OPS (on-base plus slugging) and only one home run.[19] He was sixth in the Sally League in batting average among players with over 500 at bats.[20] In 1939, he played in 69 games for theSingle-ASpringfield Nationals, the Senators' affiliate in theEastern League, before being called up to the Senators in early July. He was hitting a league leading .343 at the time he was promoted to the Major Leagues.[21][3]
After playing a portion of the 1939 season with the Senators, Vernon spent most of 1940 playing for theDouble-AJersey City Giants of theInternational League. He hit .283 in 569 at bats, with nine home runs.[22] This was his last season in Minor League Baseball.[14]
Vernon played for 14 full major league seasons (400at bats or more) in his 20-year career.[1] He wound upbatting over .335 twice, over .300 five times, and over .290 nine times.[1] He was a two-timeAmerican League batting champion. In1946, his .353 batting mark eclipsedTed Williams' .342 by 11 points (both of whom were returning from military service after World War II).[23][24] Then, in1953, Vernon's .337 average denied Cleveland'sAl Rosen (.336) theTriple Crown by just one one-thousandth of a point.[25][26] The following year,1954, Vernon had a career-high 20 home runs, 97 RBIs, and 14 triples.[1] He led the AL with 33 doubles and 67 extra-base hits. He also had 294total bases, which was second in the AL, behindMinnie Miñoso.[27]
Vernon played in 76 games for the 1939 Senators, starting 75 at first base.[1] He hit .257 in 276 at bats, with one home run, 30 RBI and 23 runs scored.[28] He played in only five games for the Senators in 1940, spending most of the season with the Jersey City Giants.[29] In 1941, he rejoined the Senators as their starting first baseman. He hit .299 in 138 games, with nine home runs, 93 RBI, 73 runs scored and a .794 OPS.[30] He had a .992 fielding percentage at first base, fourth best in the American League; and led all AL first basement with 122double plays turned.[31] He started 151 and 145 games in 1942 and 1943, batting .271 and .268, respectively.[1] He had the worst fielding percentage of his career in 1942 (.982), leading all Major League first basemen in errors (26);[1][32] but improved to .990 the following season, fifth best in the American League.[33] On August 18, 1943, he was involved in turning 10 double plays.[3]
DuringWorld War II, he served in theUnited States Navy, missing the 1944 and 1945 seasons.[34] After basic training, he played baseball on a variety of service teams.[3] He served with MLB playersLarry Doby andBilly Goodman onUlithi in theSouth Pacific in 1945, where they pitched batting practice to each other.[35] While on Ulithi, they learned theBrooklyn Dodgers had signedJackie Robinson, who would become the first African American player in Major League Baseball. Vernon told Doby that Doby could play in the major leagues and would get his chance.[36] Both Goodman and Vernon personally inspired and encouraged Doby to believe he could actually become a major league baseball player, telling him Robinson’s signing meant Doby would have a good chance to join Major League Baseball as well; and Vernon said the Senators were interested in Doby.[37] In 1947, Doby became the firstAfrican-American to break thebaseball color line in theAmerican League, with the Cleveland Indians; just 11 weeks after Jackie Robinson did so in the National League. While still playing inNegro league baseball in 1946, Vernon had presented his friend Doby with a dozen baseball bats, purchased by the Washington Senators.[38] Vernon, Goodman and Doby would play together on the American League All-Star team in 1953.[39]
After a two-year absence, Vernon returned to the Senators for the 1946 season, and had a career high and league leading .353 batting average.[1][23] He led all Major League players in doubles with 51.[40] He also had eight home runs, 85 RBI, 88 runs scored and a .910 OPS, with a .990 fielding percentage at first base.[41] He was selected to the American League All-Star team for the first time, as the starting first baseman.[42] He was fifth in the 1946 AL Most Valuable Player voting.[43] Ted Williams passed Vernon twice during the season as league leader in batting average, but Williams ended the season at .342 to Vernon's .353.[23][11] After the 1946 season, Vernon toured withBob Feller's All-Stars. During that tour, his team frequently facedSatchel Paige.[11][44]
Vernon, who had never hit over .300 in a Major League season, was hitting over .400 in late May 1946, and had a 22-game hitting streak that ended on May 28. Senators coachClyde Milan had worked regularly with Vernon on improving his focus and batting approach early in the season.[45][46][47][48] Vernon had been apull hitter during his earlier years, but in 1946, decided to hit the ball to all fields based on where he was pitched, a key to improving his average.[11] Though he learned from Milan, who was primarily the team'sthird base coach, Vernon believed that players essentially served as their own batting coaches at the time, as the position did not exist in his day. He found value in studying teammateCecil Travis, who was proficient at hitting to all fields based on where the ball was pitched; as well as his idol, Hall of Fame second basemanCharlie Gehringer, who had the same skill.[49][50] He also studied Ted Williams,Joe DiMaggio andHank Greenberg, for individual traits he might learn from them, even if he was a different kind of hitter.[49]
Before the 1947 season, Vernon sought a $25,000 salary from the Senators. OwnerClark Griffith called the demand ridiculous and offered a $9,000 salary, plus an unspecified bonus.[51] Vernon's batting average fell to .265 in 1947 and then .242 in 1948. He still had 85 RBI in 1947, but only 48 in 1948.[1] Despite a career-low batting average, he was selected to the AL All-Star team in 1948.[52] In December 1948, Vernon andEarly Wynn were sent to the Cleveland Indians in exchange forJoe Haynes,Ed Klieman andEddie Robinson.[53] After the trade,New York Yankees' managerCasey Stengel said, "'I went to bed with a pennant winner and woke up in second place'".[54]
In 1949, Vernon rebounded in Cleveland. He hit .291, with a then career-high 18 home runs, along with 83 RBI, 72 runs scored and an .801 OPS.[1] He was recovering from an offseason appendectomy when he began spring training that season.[5] Despite Stengel's concerns, the Yankees finished in first place (97–57) and Cleveland finished third (89–65). The Senators finished in last place (50–104).[55] In mid-June 1950, Cleveland traded Vernon back to the Senators forDick Weik.[18] Vernon had played in 28 games for Cleveland, hitting only .189 at the time of the trade. He had become more of a bench player with the improvement of first basemanLuke Easter. Weik was a 22-year old pitcher.[56][57] Vernon played 90 games for Washington in 1950, batting .306 in 327 at bats, with nine home runs and 65 RBI, and an .863 OPS.[58] Weik finished out the year in Cleveland, pitching in only 11 games. He was inducted into the military in November 1950, and did not play again until 1953 with the Detroit Tigers (where his career ended after the 1954 season). Easter hit .280 with 28 home runs and 107 RBI.[56][59][60]
Vernon remained with the Senators from 1951 to 1955. He arguably had the best year of his Major League career in 1953. He led the American League with a .337 batting average, and in doubles with 43.[26] He had 15 home runs, 11 triples, and career bests with 115 RBI, 101 runs scored and a .921 OPS.[61][1] In 1954, he hit .290, and led the AL in doubles (33), with career bests of 14 triples and 20 home runs. He also had 97 RBI and an .850 OPS.[62][63][1] He was selected to the American League All-Star team from 1953 to 1955, starting in 1953 and 1955.[64][65][66] He was third in AL MVP voting in 1953,[67] ninth in 1954,[68] and 23rd in 1955.[69] He never had less than 80 RBI in a season during this span.[1] In his final season with the Senators, he hit .301, with 14 home runs and 85 RBI.[70]
During this 1951 to 1955 time span, Vernon also led all American League third basemen in fielding percentage in 1951 (.994),[71] 1952 (.993)[72] and 1954 (.992). He had a .992 fielding percentage in 1953 (fourth best in the Major Leagues), while leading all Major League first basemen with 158 double plays turned.[73]
In November 1955, the Senators traded the 37-year old Vernon,Bob Porterfield,Johnny Schmitz andTom Umphlett to theBoston Red Sox forKarl Olson,Dick Brodowski,Tex Clevenger,Neil Chrisley and Al Curtis. Vernon was surprised to be traded, but looked forward to playing for a winning team.[18][74] The Senators had only two winning seasons during all of his years with the team, and the 1949 Indians had the best record of any team for which he had played.[75][55]
In 1956 with the Red Sox, the 38-year old Vernon hit .310 in 403 at bats, with 15 home runs, 84 RBI, 67 runs scored and a .914 OPS. He was selected to the AL All-Star team for the sixth time, and was 21st in AL Most Valuable Player voting.[76][77][78] The Red Sox finished the season 84–70.[79] He played one more season in Boston, hitting .241 in only 270 at bats, while splitting time at first base withDick Gernert.[80] He had been among the top 10 hitters at mid-season, but tailed off as the season progressed.[81]
In November, the Red Sox and Cleveland worked out a deal where Cleveland paid Boston and then acquired Vernon's rights via claiming him after Boston waived Vernon. The Senators had shown some interest in acquiring Vernon with the long-term plan of grooming him for the team's manager position.[81] In 1958, the 40-year old Vernon started 87 games at first base for Cleveland, batting .293 in 355 at bats, with eight home runs, 55 RBI and an .812 OPS. He was selected to the AL All-Star team for the seventh and final time. He had a pinch hit in the fifth inning of the 1958 All-Star game, held atMemorial Stadium inBaltimore, and scored the game tying run.[82][1][83][84]
On April 11, 1959, Cleveland traded Vernon to theMilwaukee Braves forHumberto Robinson.[18] Vernon hit .220 in 91 at bats for the Braves, who released him after the season ended.[85][18]
In November 1959, Vernon's old friend Danny Murtaugh, with whom he had started on the road to professional baseball 22 years earlier, was managing thePittsburgh Pirates. Murtaugh hired Vernon to become the Pirates first base coach for the 1960 season.[2] OnSeptember 1, 1960, after a season spent as the Pittsburgh Pirates' first-basecoach, Vernon was signed as a player[86] and placed on the active list when MLB rosters expanded to 40 men.[87] The Pirates needed another left-handed pinch-hitter and Vernon had kept up taking batting practice during the year.[87] He appeared in nine regular-season games as apinch hitter for Pittsburgh, notching an RBIsingle and anintentional walk in his nineplate appearances.[88] He was released by the Pirates as a player on September 30, 1960.[18] In October, the Pirates went on to win the1960 World Series, with Vernon as the team's first base coach only.[89][90] Though not eligible to play in the World Series, he did win a World Series ring.[9]
Vernon's career as a coach and manager began during his 1960 stint on the staff of his longtime friend, Pirates' skipperDanny Murtaugh.[2]
The following year, in1961, he returned toWashington when he was named manager of theexpansion Senators in their firstyear of existence.[91] Inheriting the name andhome field of the 1901–1960 Washington franchise, now theMinnesota Twins, the expansion Senators were hastily constructed with an undercapitalized ownership, an MLB roster of castoff players,[92] and an almost-nonexistentfarm system. In Vernon's two full seasons at the helm, 1961 and1962, the Senators lost a combined 201 games.[93][94] They were 14–26 and last in the ten-team American League when Vernon was fired onMay 21, 1963, and replaced by formerBrooklyn Dodgers first baseman, and future Hall of Famer,Gil Hodges.[95][96] He finished with a career record of 135–227, a .373 winning percentage.[97]
Murtaugh rehired Vernon as the Pirates' first base coach in 1964. Murtaugh resigned for health reasons at the end of the 1964 season, and Vernon left the Pirates.[9] He became theSt. Louis Cardinals' first base coach in 1965.[98] From 1966 to 1968, he managed theVancouver Mounties of theTriple-APacific Coast League, aKansas City/Oakland Athletics affiliate; going 77–71 in 1966, 77–69 in 1967 and 58–88 in 1968.[99][100][101] From 1969 to 1970, he managed the Triple-ARichmond Braves, theAtlanta Braves affiliate in theInternational League, taking the team from a 56–83 record in 1969 to 73–67 the following season.[102][103] In 1971, he became manager of theNew York Yankees'Double-A affiliate, theManchester Yankees, going 61–75.[104]
He worked as a minor league batting instructor for theKansas City Royals from 1973 to 1974 and theLos Angeles Dodgers from 1975 to 1976.[105] He was a batting coach with the Montreal Expos in 1977 and 1978.[106][107] He moved to the Yankees' organization in September 1978 as a special batting instructor.[108]
In early 1982, at age 63, Vernon was briefly named the Yankees' batting coach, afterCharlie Lau left the team; allegedly no longer wanting to work underGeorge Steinbrenner.[109][49][110] By contrast, Vernon was low profile and brought an "energetic gentleness" to his approach on hitting.[49] He considered his value as a hitting coach to be his ability to observe a player's flaws, and then work with the player to understand the flaw's existence in the process of overcoming it.[49] In 1983, he was assigned as the batting coach of theColumbus Clippers, a Yankees Triple-A affiliate, and was still coaching there in 1985.[111][112][113] In early 1984, the Yankees brought him in to work withRoy Smalley on learning how to field at first base.[114]
Vernon laterscouted for the Yankees, and retired in 1988, at age 70.[9][115]
Vernon appeared in 2,409 MLB games without playing in the postseason, third most in history behindErnie Banks andLuke Appling.[116] Vernon ended his career with 2,237 games played at first base, behind onlyEddie Murray (2,413),Jake Beckley (2,377) andFred McGriff (2,239) in Major League history. His 2,044 double plays turned at first base is first all-time (through 2025).[117] He led the American League infielding percentage four times,[1] and the majors twice.[citation needed] His .9902 fielding percentage is tied for 200th all-time among first basemen (through 2025).[118] He holds the American League records for mostputouts by a first baseman (19,754),[119]assists by a first baseman (1,444)[120] andtotal chances (21,198).[121]
Vernon posted a career .286 batting average with 172 home runs and 1,311 RBIs in 2,409 games. The left-hander averaged 88 RBIs a year, and had 11 seasons with 80 or more, three with 90 or more. He scored 1,196 runs with 137 stolen bases and a .359 on-base percentage. His careerslugging percentage was .428, with a career high of .518 in 1953. He compiled 2,495hits, with 490 doubles and 120 triples, in 8,731 at bats. He had 3,741 career total bases, with his career high coming in 1953 (315).[1]
Satchel Paige once said, "If I had a two run lead, and the bases were loaded in the ninth inning, and Mickey Vernon was up...I'd walk him and pitch to the next hitter."[122]Ned Garver recalled that in Vernon's finest seasons, "He'd hit the ball wherever it was pitched. He was difficult to pitch to in those seasons".[122]
Vernon is one of only 31 players in baseball history to have appeared in a major league game in four decades (including two players who played in the Negro leagues).[123] By his final game played, on September 27, 1960, he was, at 42, the oldest player in theNational League by almost a year,[citation needed] and one of the most popular figures in the game.[105] The second oldest player in the Major Leagues wasTed Williams, Vernon's Red Sox teammate and another four decade player. Like Vernon, Williams played in the Major Leagues between 1939 and 1960, but was four months younger than Vernon.[87][123]
Over time, Vernon became one of the best-liked ballplayers of his time, mainly through his unique personality and charismatic, but quiet, style.Gene Woodling said of Vernon "'He's was a first-class guy all the way'".[105][124] He was called the "Gentleman First Baseman", described as "polite, kindly and graceful" as a player and off the field; and was PresidentDwight David Eisenhower's favorite baseball player. It was Eisenhower who presented Vernon with theSilver Slugger Award for having the AL's highest batting average in 1953. The plaque on a statute dedicated to him in Marcus Hook calls Vernon a "role model", "mentor", "great guy" and "a gentleman's gentleman".[3][9]
Harry Kalas, winner of the National Baseball Hall of Fame's 2002Ford C. Frick Award for his years as a play-by-play commentator for the Philadelphia Phillies, said his love of baseball started because of Vernon. Kalas grew up nearChicago, and attended his first Major League game in Chicago at 10-years old, with the White Sox playing the Senators. The stands were sparsely crowded because of rain, and he and his father were seated near the Senators dugout. Vernon saw Kalas before the game started, went into the stands and picked him up and brought him into the dugout; introducing him to Senators' players. After 10 minutes, Vernon put Kalas back in his seat. Kalas was ecstatic, Vernon became his favorite player, and he even remained a Senators fan until the team moved to Minnesota.[125][126]
In August 2008, Vernon was named as one of the ten former players who began their careers before 1943 to be considered by theVeterans Committee for induction into theNational Baseball Hall of Fame in2009.[127]Pennsylvania's General Assembly adopted a resolution on November 12, 2008 "Urging the National Baseball Hall of Fame to induct James Barton "Mickey" Vernon".[124] He needed nine votes to be selected by the 12-man committee, but only received five.[3]
The Mickey Vernon Museum Collection inRadnor, Pennsylvania, honors Vernon's career, military service, and friendship with Murtaugh, among other artifacts.[128] In September 2003, Marcus Hook dedicated a life-size statue of Vernon on a baseball field one block from his former home.[129] A youthLittle League in Delaware County, Pennsylvania was first named for Vernon during his Major League career, and continued thereafter. Vernon would attend its opening game every year.[3][130][131] He is a member of the Delaware County Chapter of thePennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.[132]
Mickey and Lib (Firth) Vernon were married for 63 years at the time of her death in 2004. While they met in high school, Vernon was too shy to ask her for a date until they were 19.[133] Their daughter Gay Vernon was aBoston radio newscaster.[4][3]
Vernon died from a stroke at age 90, on September 24, 2008 at Riddle Hospital inMedia, Pennsylvania after living in nearbyWallingford, Pennsylvania for many years.[134][6] Vernon is interred at the Lawn Croft Cemetery inLinwood, Pennsylvania.[135]
| Achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Hitting for the cycle May 19, 1946 | Succeeded by |
| Sporting positions | ||
| Preceded by | Pittsburgh Piratesfirst-base coach 1960 1964 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | St. Louis Cardinalsfirst-base coach 1965 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
