Catfish Metkovich

Who was Catfish Metkovich?

George Michael "Catfish" Metkovich was an American outfielder and first baseman in Major League Baseball for the Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Braves. Born in Angels Camp, California, to Croatian parents, Metkovich earned his nickname when he stepped on a catfish during a fishing trip and cut his foot; the injury and ensuing infection caused him to miss several games.

Metkovich stood 6'1" tall, weighed 185 pounds, and batted and threw left-handed. He helped the Red Sox win the 1946 American League pennant as the team's semi-regular right fielder.

Metkovich's early career was spent in the "Junior Circuit," but his salad days were in the National League of the early 1950s. He finished 38th in voting for the 1952 National League Most Valuable Player, playing in 125 games and having 373 at bats, 41 runs scored, 101 hits, 18 doubles, 3 triples, 7 home runs, 41 runs batted in, 5 stolen bases, 32 walks, .271 batting Average, .335 on-base percentage, .391 slugging percentage, 146 total bases and 5 sacrifice hits. In his 10 MLB seasons he played in 1,055 games, batting .261 with 934 hits, 47 homers and 373 RBI. He managed in the Pacific Coast League of the late 1950s with the San Diego Padres.