Alta Cohen

Who was Alta Cohen?

Albert Cohen, nicknamed "Alta,", was a professional baseball player.

In the minor leagues, he was an All Star with the Triple A Toledo Mud Hens.

In 1931 he batted .316–5–47 for the Hartford Senators, and led the league in walks. Cohen made hid major league debut in the second game of the 1931 season, taking over for pinch hitter Ike Boone.

The next day, Cohen was farmed out to Hartford. Cohen was leading the Eastern League in hitting in 1932 with a .409 average in 59 games when the league folded in mid-season. He became a pitcher and had two good years with Toledo in 1936–37 with a 29–19 record. He played outfield in the majors from 1931–33 with the Brooklyn Robins/Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds.

Cohen’s father gave him the name Alta as the traditional Jewish trick to fool the angel of death during the 1918 flu epidemic. In the majors, Alta’s teammates called him “Schoolboy.”

Cohen founded the Altco Products Co. in 1940, with offices throughout the state, and served as president for 44 years years before retiring in 1984.