Mickey Cochrane

Who was Mickey Cochrane?

Gordon Stanley "Mickey" Cochrane, nicknamed "Black Mike", was a professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Philadelphia Athletics and Detroit Tigers. Cochrane was considered one of the best catchers in baseball history and is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Cochrane was born in Massachusetts and was a multi-sport athlete at Boston University. After college, he chose baseball over basketball and football. He made his major league debut in 1925, having spent only one season in the minor leagues. He was chosen as the American League Most Valuable Player in 1928 and he appeared in the World Series from 1929 to 1931. Philadelphia won the first two of those World Series, but Cochrane was criticized for giving up stolen bases when his team lost the series in 1931. Cochrane's career batting average stood as a record for MLB catchers until 2009.

Cochrane's career ended abruptly after a near-fatal head injury from a pitched ball in 1937. After his baseball career, he served in the United States Navy in World War II and ran an automobile business. Cochrane died of cancer in 1962.