View source for Mickey Cochrane

{{Short description|American baseball player and manager (1903–1962)}}
{{For|the jazz pianist|Michael Cochrane (musician)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Mickey Cochrane
|image= Mickey Cochrane card.jpg
|caption=Cochrane 1929 Becker Brothers baseball card
|position=[[Catcher]] / [[Manager (baseball)|Manager]]
|birth_date={{Birth date|1903|4|6}}
|birth_place=[[Bridgewater, Massachusetts]], U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|1962|6|28|1903|4|6}}
|death_place=[[Lake Forest, Illinois]], U.S.
|bats=Left
|throws=Right
|debutleague=MLB
|debutdate=April 14
|debutyear=1925
|debutteam=Philadelphia Athletics
|finalleague=MLB
|finaldate=May 25
|finalyear=1937
|finalteam=Detroit Tigers
|statleague=MLB
|stat1label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
|stat1value=.320
|stat2label=[[Home run]]s
|stat2value=119
|stat3label=[[Run batted in|Runs batted in]]
|stat3value=830
|stat4label=Managerial record
|stat4value=348–250
|stat5label=Winning %
|stat5value={{Winning percentage|348|250}}
|teams=
'''As player'''
* [[Philadelphia Athletics]] ({{mlby|1925}}–{{mlby|1933}})
* [[Detroit Tigers]] ({{mlby|1934}}–{{mlby|1937}})
'''As manager'''
* [[Detroit Tigers]] ({{mlby|1934}}–{{mlby|1938}})
|highlights=
* 2× [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1934 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1934]], [[1935 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1935]])
* 3× [[World Series champion]] ({{wsy|1929}}, {{wsy|1930}}, {{wsy|1935}})
* 2× [[AL MVP]] (1928, 1934)
* [[Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame]]
* [[Athletics Hall of Fame]]
|hoflink=National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
|hoftype=National
|hofdate=[[1947 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|1947]]
|hofvote=79.5% (sixth ballot)
}}

'''Gordon Stanley''' "'''Mickey'''" '''Cochrane''' (April 6, 1903 – June 28, 1962), nicknamed "'''Black Mike'''", was an American professional [[baseball]] player, [[manager (baseball)|manager]] and [[coach (baseball)|coach]].<ref name="Mickey Cochrane at Baseball Reference">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cochrmi01.shtml |title=Mickey Cochrane at Baseball Reference |website=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=2010-11-23}}</ref> 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]].<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Mickey Cochrane">{{cite web |last=Bevis |first=Charlie |title=The Baseball Biography Project: Mickey Cochrane |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/mickey-cochrane/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111120222114/http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&pid=2599&bid=139 |archive-date=20 November 2011 |access-date=13 April 2010 |website=[[Society for American Baseball Research]]}}</ref><ref name="Mickey Cochrane Obituary at Baseball Almanac">{{cite web|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/deaths/mickey_cochrane_obituary.shtml |title=Mickey Cochrane Obituary at Baseball Almanac |publisher=Baseball-almanac.com |access-date=2010-11-23}}</ref><ref name="Mickey Cochrane at The Baseball Hall of Fame">{{cite web|url=http://baseballhall.org/hof/cochrane-mickey |title=Mickey Cochrane at The Baseball Hall of Fame |publisher=Baseballhall.org |access-date=2010-11-23}}</ref> In his first season as manager, he led the Tigers to 101 wins, which was the most for a rookie manager for 27 years (since Cochrane, six other managers have won 100 games as a rookie).<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/twins-make-history-as-4th-100-win-team-beat-royals-6-2/ | title=Twins make history as 4th 100-win team, beat Royals 6-2 | date=28 September 2019 }}</ref>

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]] (AL) 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 (.320) is still an MLB record for a catcher.

Cochrane's career ended abruptly after a near-fatal head injury from a [[beanball]] in 1937. After his [[professional baseball]] career, he served in the United States Navy in World War II and ran an automobile business. Cochrane died of cancer in 1962. In 1999, ''[[The Sporting News]]'' ranked him 65th on its list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players.

==Early life==
Cochrane was born in [[Bridgewater, Massachusetts]]. His father, John Cochrane, had immigrated from [[Omagh]], [[County Tyrone]] in what is now [[Northern Ireland]] and his mother, Sadie Campbell, had come from [[Prince Edward Island]], Canada, whence her family had immigrated from [[Scotland]].<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Mickey Cochrane"/> He was also known as "Black Mike" because of his fiery, competitive nature.<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Mickey Cochrane"/><ref name="Mickey Cochrane Obituary at Baseball Almanac"/> Cochrane was educated at [[Boston University]], where he played five sports, excelling at football and basketball.<ref name="The Detroit Tigers Encyclopedia Honoring a Detroit Legend">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UJVas2JMjLUC&q=mickey+cochrane&pg=PA52 |title=''The Detroit Tigers Encyclopedia, Honoring a Detroit Legend'', by Jim Hawkins, Dan Ewald, George Van Dusen, Sports Publishing LLC, 2002, ISBN 1-58261-222-6, ISBN 978-1-58261-222-5 |access-date=2010-11-23|isbn=9781582612225|year=2003|last1=Hawkins |first1=Jim |last2=Ewald |first2=Dan |last3=Dusen |first3=George Van |publisher=Sports Publishing LLC }}</ref> Although Cochrane considered himself a better football player than baseball player, professional football was not as established as Major League Baseball at the time, so he signed with the [[Portland Beavers]] of the [[Pacific Coast League]] in {{mlby|1924}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=cochra001gor |title=Mickey Cochrane minor league statistics |website=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=2010-11-23}}</ref>

==Playing career==
===Philadelphia Athletics===
After just one season in the [[Minor League Baseball|minor leagues]], Cochrane was promoted to the major leagues, making his debut with the Philadelphia Athletics on April 14, [[1925 Philadelphia Athletics season|1925]] at the age of 22.<ref name="Mickey Cochrane at Baseball Reference"/> He made an immediate impact by becoming [[Connie Mack]]'s starting catcher in place of [[Cy Perkins]], who was considered one of the best catchers in the major leagues at the time.<ref>{{cite news |title=Pick Mickey Cochrane As Biggest Find Of The Season |work=The Southeast Missourian |page=9 |date=20 August 1925 |access-date=30 March 2011 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=MndFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4445,1834410&dq=mickey+cochrane&hl=en}}</ref> A left-handed batter, he ran well enough that Mack would occasionally have him bat leadoff. He hit third more often, but whatever his place in the order his primary role was to get on base so that hard-hitting [[Al Simmons]] and [[Jimmie Foxx]] could drive him in. In May, he tied what was the 20th-century major league record by hitting three [[home run]]s in a game.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1925-05-22 |title=Home run record tied by Cochrane |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oregonian-home-run-record-tied-by-co/176405291/ |access-date=2025-07-11 |work=The Oregonian |pages=18}}</ref> He ended his rookie season with a .331 [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] and a .397 [[on-base percentage]], helping the Athletics to a second-place finish.

By the start of the [[1926 Philadelphia Athletics season|1926]] season, Cochrane was already considered the best catcher in the major leagues.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Farrell |first=Henry L. |date=1926-03-18 |title=Mack certain team to cop A.L. pennant |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-herald-press-mack-certain-team-to-co/176405358/ |access-date=2025-07-11 |work=The Herald-Press |pages=7 |agency=[[UPI]]}}</ref> He won the {{mlby|1928}} American League [[Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|Most Valuable Player Award]], mostly for his leadership and defensive skills, when he led the American League in [[putout]]s and hit .293 along with 10 [[home run]]s and 58 [[runs batted in]].<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Mickey Cochrane"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1928.shtml#ALmvp |title=1928 American League Most Valuable Player Award voting results |website=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=2010-11-23}}</ref> Cochrane was a catalyst in the Athletics' [[pennant (sports)|pennant]]-winning years of [[1929 Philadelphia Athletics season|1929]], [[1930 Philadelphia Athletics season|1930]] and [[1931 Philadelphia Athletics season|1931]], during which he hit .331, .357 and .349 respectively.<ref name="Mickey Cochrane at Baseball Reference"/><ref name="The Detroit Tigers Encyclopedia Honoring a Detroit Legend"/> He played in those three [[World Series]], winning the first two, but was sometimes blamed for the loss of the [[1931 World Series]], when the [[1931 St. Louis Cardinals season|St. Louis Cardinals]], led by [[Pepper Martin]], stole eight bases and the series. However, in his book ''The Life of a Baseball Hall of Fame Catcher'', author Charlie Bevis cites the Philadelphia pitching staff's carelessness in holding runners as a contributing factor.<ref name="The Life of a Baseball Hall of Fame Catcher">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Tt1ePW6HopEC&q=mickey%20cochrane&pg=PA84 |title=The Life of a Baseball Hall of Fame Catcher |author=Bevis, Charlie |year=1998 |publisher=McFarland |access-date=30 March 2011 |isbn=9780786405169 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Dollars Rolling In For The Great 'Diz' |agency=Associated Press |work=Rochester Evening Journal |page=3 |date=3 October 1934 |access-date=5 April 2011 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5WRjAAAAIBAJ&dq=pepper%20martin&pg=3122%2C1301714}}</ref> Notwithstanding this, the blame for the 1931 World Series loss dogged Cochrane for the rest of his life.<ref name="The Life of a Baseball Hall of Fame Catcher"/>

===Detroit Tigers===
[[File:Mickey Cochrane 1935.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Mickey Cochrane in the cover of ''Time'' magazine in 1935]]
In [[1934 in baseball|1934]], Mack started to disassemble his dynasty for financial reasons and put Cochrane on the trade bloc. He found a willing recipient in the [[Detroit Tigers]]. Their owner, [[Frank Navin]], was also suffering from financial troubles. They had not finished higher than third since 1923, and had developed a reputation for being content with mediocrity. Attendance at [[Navin Field]] had sagged for some time. Navin had originally hoped to acquire [[Babe Ruth]] and name him player-manager, but after those talks fizzled, he turned to the A's.<ref>Ferkovich, Scott. [http://seamheads.com/2014/07/14/a-look-back-at-when-babe-ruth-nearly-became-the-detroit-tigers-player-manager A Look Back at When Babe Ruth Nearly Became the Detroit Tigers’ Player-Manager]. Seamheads.com, 2014-07-14.</ref> A deal to send Cochrane to Detroit was quickly arranged, and Navin immediately named him [[player-manager]].<ref name="The Detroit Tigers Encyclopedia Honoring a Detroit Legend"/>

With Detroit, Cochrane cemented his reputation as a team leader, and his competitive nature drove the Tigers, who had been picked to finish in fourth or fifth place, to the {{mlby|1934}} American League championship, their first pennant in 25 years. They won 101 games, which was the most by the team for [[List of Major League Baseball 100 win seasons|34 years]], and Cochrane was the first ever rookie manager to achieve 100 wins.<ref name="The Detroit Tigers Encyclopedia Honoring a Detroit Legend"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1934_WS.shtml |title=1934 World Series at Baseball Reference |website=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=2010-11-23}}</ref><ref name="They Earned Their Stripes: The Detroit Tigers' All-Time Team">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5BRxw4nSqXUC&q=mickey+cochrane&pg=PA116 |title=''They Earned Their Stripes: The Detroit Tigers' All-Time Team'', Detroit News, Sports Publishing LLC, 2001, ISBN 1-58261-365-6, ISBN 978-1-58261-365-9 |date= 2001-05-01|access-date=2010-11-23|isbn=9781582613659 |last=Whitt |first=Alan |publisher=Sports Publishing LLC }}</ref> Cochrane routinely [[platoon system|platooned]] [[Gee Walker]], a right-handed batter, to spell left fielder [[Goose Goslin]] and [[center fielder]] [[Jo-Jo White]], who were both left-handed batters.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19870513&id=iycxAAAAIBAJ&pg=2127,4457202 |title=Don't Blame Casey Stengel For Inventing Platoon System |first=Tom |last=Loomis |newspaper=Toledo Blade |date=May 13, 1987 |page=26 |access-date=February 3, 2014}}</ref> Cochrane's leadership and strategic skills won him the [[1934 Detroit Tigers season|1934]] Most Valuable Player Award, shocking considering that [[Lou Gehrig]] had won the [[Major League Baseball Triple Crown|Triple Crown]], compiled a 10.0 WAR (Wins Above Replacement) rating which was more than double that of Cochrane's and utterly dominated the league in every major offensive category.<ref name="The Detroit Tigers Encyclopedia Honoring a Detroit Legend" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1934.shtml#ALmvp |title=1934 American League Most Valuable Player Award voting results |website=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=2010-11-23}}</ref> He followed this by leading the Tigers to another American League pennant in {{mlby|1935}} and earning a victory over the [[1935 Chicago Cubs season|Chicago Cubs]] in the [[1935 World Series]]; it was Detroit's first undisputed world championship.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1935_WS.shtml |title=1935 World Series at Baseball Reference |website=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=2010-11-23}}</ref> In late 1935, the ''[[Detroit Free Press]]'' speculated Cochrane might eventually succeed Navin as team president.<ref name=Presidency>{{cite news|title=Cochrane May Get Tiger Presidency|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=O1JPAAAAIBAJ&pg=5329,1572190&dq=mickey+cochrane&hl=en|access-date=August 5, 2013|newspaper=[[St. Petersburg Times]]|date=November 14, 1935}}</ref> Due in part to his high-strung nature, as well as considerable pressure to join the [[Black Legion (political movement)|Black Legion]], then-prominent in the Detroit area, he suffered a nervous breakdown during the [[1936 Detroit Tigers season|1936]] season.<ref name="The Detroit Tigers Encyclopedia Honoring a Detroit Legend"/>

On May 25, [[1937 Detroit Tigers season|1937]], Cochrane suddenly had his playing career come to an end. He hit a home run in the third inning off [[New York Yankees|Yankees]] [[pitcher]] [[Bump Hadley]], but on his next plate appearance in the fifth inning, he was hit by a pitch in the head. Hospitalized for seven days, Cochrane nearly died from the injury. This accident generated a call for protective helmets for batters, although tradition won out at that time.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Helmet for Baseball Batters is Urged as Safety Measure|journal=Popular Mechanics|date=July 1937|volume=68|issue=3|page=390|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rNoDAAAAMBAJ&q=Popular+Science+1935+plane+%22Popular+Mechanics%22&pg=PA390|access-date=23 September 2015}}</ref> Cochrane was forced to retire at the age of 34 after doctors ordered him not to attempt to play baseball again.<ref name="They Earned Their Stripes: The Detroit Tigers' All-Time Team"/>

{{MLBBioHon
|Image  = Cochrane Tigers.png
|Name   = Mickey Cochrane
|Team   = Detroit Tigers
|Year   = 2000
|}}
Cochrane compiled a .320 batting average while hitting 119 home runs and 830 runs batted in over a 13-year playing career. He also had 1,652 hits, 1,041 runs scored, 333 doubles, 64 triples, 64 stolen bases and a .478 slugging percentage.<ref name="Mickey Cochrane at Baseball Reference"/> His .320 batting average is the highest career mark for catchers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://members.tripod.com/bb_catchers/catchers/8coffavg.htm |title=Career Batting averages at The Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers |publisher=Members.tripod.com |access-date=2010-11-23}}</ref> His .419 [[on-base percentage]] is among the best in baseball history and is the highest all-time among catchers, aside from [[Negro league baseball|Negro Leagues]] players, such as [[Josh Gibson]].<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Mickey Cochrane"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://members.tripod.com/bb_catchers/catchers/obp_car.htm |title=On Base Percentages at The Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers |publisher=Members.tripod.com |access-date=2010-11-23}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Major League Leaders - Catchers |url=https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league?stats=bat&lg=all&qual=y&type=0&season=2025&month=0&season1=1871&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&players=0&pos=c&sortcol=21&sortdir=default&pagenum=1 |website=[[FanGraphs]]}}</ref> In {{mlby|1932}}, he became the first major league catcher to score 100 [[run (baseball)|runs]] and produce 100 runs batted in during the same season.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ySoDAAAAMBAJ&q=100+runs+100+rbi+by+catcher+baseball+digest&pg=PA47 |title=Baseball Digest, September 1995, Vol. 54, No. 9, ISSN 0005-609X |access-date=2010-11-23}}</ref>

He [[hitting for the cycle|hit for the cycle]] twice in his career, on July 22, [[1932 Philadelphia Athletics season|1932]] and August 2, [[1933 Philadelphia Athletics season|1933]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Catchers Hitting for the Cycle |url=http://members.tripod.com/bb_catchers/catchers/cycle.htm |access-date=2010-11-23 |website=The Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers}}</ref><ref name="Mickey Cochrane at www.thehitters.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.thehitters.com/profile.asp?i=1118&e=1 |title=Mickey Cochrane at www.thehitters.com |publisher=Thehitters.com |access-date=2010-11-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://retrosheet.org/boxesetc/C/PX_cochm101.htm|title=Mickey Cochrane Top Performances at Retrosheet|website=Retrosheet.org|accessdate= May 14, 2024}}</ref>

In his first 11 years, he never caught fewer than 110 games.<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Mickey Cochrane"/> He led American League catchers six times in putouts and twice each in [[double play]]s [[assist (baseball)|assists]] and [[fielding percentage]].<ref name="Mickey Cochrane at www.thehitters.com"/><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LSsDAAAAMBAJ&q=july+2001+fielding+leaders+baseball+digest&pg=PA86 |title=Baseball Digest, July 2001, P.86, Vol. 60, No. 7, ISSN 0005-609X |access-date=2010-11-23}}</ref>

Cochrane returned to the dugout to continue managing the Tigers but had lost his competitive fire.<ref name="They Earned Their Stripes: The Detroit Tigers' All-Time Team"/> He managed for the remainder of the 1937 season but was replaced midway through the [[1938 Detroit Tigers season|1938]] season by coach and former catcher [[Del Baker]].<ref name="The Detroit Tigers Encyclopedia Honoring a Detroit Legend"/> His all-time managerial record was 348–250, for a .582 winning percentage.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/cochrmi01.shtml |title=Mickey Cochrane manager statistics at Baseball Reference |website=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=2010-11-23}}</ref>

==Managerial record==
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"|Team !! rowspan="2"|Year !! colspan="5"|Regular season !! colspan="4"|Postseason
|-
!Games!!Won!!Lost!!Win %!!Finish!! Won !! Lost !! Win % !! Result
|-
|-style="background:#fdd"
![[1934 Detroit Tigers season|DET]]|| {{mlby|1934}}
||154||{{WinLossPct|101|53}}|| '''1st in AL''' || {{WinLossPct|3|4}} || Lost [[1934 World Series|World Series]] ([[1934 St. Louis Cardinals season|STL]])
|-style="background:#fde910"
![[1935 Detroit Tigers season|DET]]|| {{mlby|1935}}
||151||{{WinLossPct|93|58}}|| '''1st in AL''' || {{WinLossPct|4|2}} || '''Won [[1935 World Series|World Series]] ([[1935 Chicago Cubs season|CHC]])'''
|-
!rowspan=3|[[1936 Detroit Tigers season|DET]]|| rowspan=3|{{mlby|1936}}
||53||{{WinLossPct|29|24}}|| rowspan=3| 2nd in AL || rowspan=3| – || rowspan=3| – || rowspan=3| – || rowspan=3|
|-
!colspan=4|
|-
|-
||67||{{WinLossPct|36|31}}
|-
!rowspan=3|[[1937 Detroit Tigers season|DET]]|| rowspan=3|{{mlby|1937}}
||29||{{WinLossPct|16|13}}|| rowspan=3| Injured || rowspan=3| – || rowspan=3| – || rowspan=3| – || rowspan=3|
|-
!colspan=4|
|-
|-
||46||{{WinLossPct|26|20}}
|-
![[1938 Detroit Tigers season|DET]]|| {{mlby|1938}}
||98||{{WinLossPct|47|51}}|| Fired || – || – || – || 
|-
! colspan="2"|Total||598||{{WinLossPct|348|250}}|| || {{WinLossPct|7|6}} || 
|}

==Later life and legacy==
Despite his head injury, Cochrane served in the [[United States Navy]] during [[World War II]].<ref name="Mickey Cochrane Obituary at Baseball Almanac"/><ref name="The Detroit Tigers Encyclopedia Honoring a Detroit Legend"/> Commissioned as a [[Lieutenant (navy)|lieutenant]] and assigned to [[Naval Station Great Lakes]], he oversaw physical training of new recruits and coached the baseball team.<ref name="Bedingfield">{{cite web |last=Bedingfield |first=Gary |author-link=Gary Bedingfield |date=April 13, 2007 |title=Biography, Mickey Cochrane |url=http://www.baseballinwartime.com/player_biographies/cochrane_mickey.htm |website=Baseball in Wartime |publisher=}}</ref> On July 7, 1942, Cochrane managed an All-Service team that played against an American League all-star squad at Cleveland’s [[Cleveland Stadium|Municipal Stadium]]; the American League team beat the servicemen, 5–0.<ref name="Bedingfield"/> Later in the war Cochrane, by now a [[Lieutenant commander (United States)|lieutenant commander]], was assigned to a similar role in the [[Pacific War|Pacific Theater]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Westcott |first=Rich |date=2013 |title=Philadelphia's Top Fifty Baseball Players |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JwxEEWNNSv4C&pg=PA125 |location=Lincoln, NE |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |page=125 |isbn=978-0-8032-4607-2 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>

In [[1947 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|1947]], Cochrane became the third catcher enshrined in the [[Baseball Hall of Fame]], after [[Roger Bresnahan]] and [[Buck Ewing]].<ref name="Mickey Cochrane at The Baseball Hall of Fame"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://members.tripod.com/bb_catchers/catchers/cochrane.htm |title=Mickey Cochrane at The Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers |publisher=Members.tripod.com |access-date=2010-11-23}}</ref> Long after the Athletics left [[Philadelphia]] for [[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]] in [[1954 in baseball|1954]] without retiring his uniform number 2, the [[Philadelphia Phillies]] honored him by electing him to the [[Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame]] at [[Veterans Stadium]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame |url=https://www.mlb.com/phillies/history/records-stats-awards/wall-of-fame |access-date=2010-11-23 |website=MLB.com}}</ref> The Athletics' plaques from that display have since been moved to the Philadelphia Athletics Museum in [[Hatboro, Pennsylvania]]. The Tigers honored him by renaming National Avenue (behind the third-base stands of the old [[Tiger Stadium (Detroit)|Tiger Stadium]]) Cochrane Avenue. Despite making the Hall of Fame, the Tigers did not retire his uniform number No. 3. In 2018, the number was retired for [[Alan Trammell]]—22 years after Trammell's retirement.<ref>{{cite news |last=Calcaterra |first=Craig |date=2018-08-28 |title=Alan Trammell's number retired by the Tigers |url=https://mlb.nbcsports.com/2018/08/27/alan-trammells-number-retired-by-the-tigers/ |access-date=August 7, 2022 |publisher=NBC Sports}}</ref>

Cochrane briefly worked in baseball after World War II, notably serving as a coach and then as [[general manager (baseball)|general manager]] of the Athletics during the {{mlby|1950}} season, Mack's last year as manager. He also owned an automobile business after his baseball days; he sold it in the mid-1950s.<ref name=Blade>{{cite news|title=Mickey Cochrane Looking for Work|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19580125&id=t_ZOAAAAIBAJ&pg=2282,1842898|access-date=August 5, 2013|newspaper=[[Toledo Blade]]|date=January 25, 1958}}</ref> A heavy smoker, Cochrane was only 59 when he died in 1962 in [[Lake Forest, Illinois]] of [[lymphatic cancer]].<ref name="Mickey Cochrane Obituary at Baseball Almanac"/>

In his book, ''[[The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract]]'', baseball historian [[Bill James]] ranked Cochrane fourth all-time among major league catchers.<ref>{{cite book |author=James, Bill |title=[[The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract]] |publisher=Free Press |location=New York |year=2001 |page=[https://archive.org/details/newbilljameshist00jame/page/371 371] |isbn=0-684-80697-5}}</ref> During MLB’s Centennial celebrations in [[1969 in baseball|1969]], he was honored as the greatest catcher of all time by being named to the [[Major League Baseball Centennial All-Time Teams#All-time Team|All-Time Team]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-03-21 |title=National Pastime Museum: Baseball's Centennial "Greatest Players Ever" Poll |url=http://www.appelpr.com/?page_id=466 |access-date=2025-04-30 |website=Marty Appel |language=en}}</ref> In [[1999 in baseball|1999]], he was ranked 65th on ''[[The Sporting News]]'' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was a nominee for the [[Major League Baseball All-Century Team]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.sportingnews.com/baseball/100/ |title=Mickey Cochrane at The Sporting News 100 Greatest Baseball Players |work=The Sporting News |access-date=2010-11-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227144518/http://archive.sportingnews.com/baseball/100/ |archive-date=2009-02-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/mlb_history_moreinfo.jsp |title=Mickey Cochrane at The Major League Baseball All-Century Team |publisher=Mlb.mlb.com |access-date=2010-11-23}}</ref> Yankee Hall of Fame slugger [[Mickey Mantle]] was named after him.<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Mickey Cochrane"/><ref>{{cite web |author=Early |first=Lewis |date=1931-10-20 |title=Mickey Mantle biography |url=http://www.themick.com/mini-bio.htm |access-date=2010-11-23 |publisher=Themick.com}}</ref>

In 2013, the [[Bob Feller Act of Valor Award]] honored Cochrane as one of 37 Baseball Hall of Fame members for his service in the United States Navy during World War II.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://actofvaloraward.org/hof-players/|title=WWII HOF Players – Act of Valor Award|access-date=2021-08-18|archive-date=2021-10-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008204152/https://actofvaloraward.org/hof-players/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball player-managers]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball players with a home run in their final major league at bat]]

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite web |url=http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/a80307f0 |title=Mickey Cochrane |first=Charlie |last=Bevis |website=[[Society for American Baseball Research|SABR]]}}
*[http://www.thehitters.com/profile.asp?i=1118&e=1 Mickey Cochrane] at TheHitters.com

==External links==
*{{bbhof|cochrane-mickey}}
*{{baseballstats|mlb=|espn=|br=c/cochrmi01|fangraphs=1002384|brm=cochra001gor|retro=C/Pcochm101}}
*{{baseball-reference manager|cochrmi01}}
*{{official website|www.cmgww.com/baseball/cochrane/}}
* [https://archives-manuscripts.dartmouth.edu/repositories/2/resources/1508 ''Baseball: The Fans' Game'' Manuscript] at Dartmouth College Library

{{s-start}}
{{Succession box| before = [[Tony Lazzeri]]<br />[[Arky Vaughan]] | title = [[Hitting for the cycle]]| years = July 22, 1932<br />August 2, 1933 | after = [[Pepper Martin]]<br />[[Pinky Higgins]]}}
{{Succession box|title=[[List of Detroit Tigers owners and executives|Detroit Tigers]] [[General manager (baseball)|General Manager]]|before=n/a|after=[[Jack Zeller]]|years=[[1936 in baseball|1936]]&ndash;[[1938 in baseball|1938]]}}
{{Succession box|title=[[Philadelphia Athletics]] [[General manager (baseball)|General Manager]]|before=n/a|after=[[Arthur Ehlers]]|years=[[1950 in baseball|1950]]}}
{{S-end}}

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{{Philly Baseball Wall of Fame}}
{{Oakland Athletics Hall of Fame}}
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