View source for Mickey Vernon

{{Short description|American baseball player and manager (1918–2008)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{more citations needed|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Mickey Vernon
|image=Mickey Vernon 1961.jpg
|caption=Vernon in 1961
|position=[[First baseman]] / [[Manager (baseball)|Manager]]
|birth_date={{birth date|1918|4|22}}
|birth_place=[[Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania]], U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|2008|9|24|1918|4|22}}
|death_place=[[Media, Pennsylvania]], U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|bats=Left
|throws=Left
|debutdate=July 8
|debutyear=1939
|debutteam=Washington Senators
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=September 27
|finalyear=1960
|finalteam=Pittsburgh Pirates
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
|stat1value=.286
|stat2label=[[Hit (baseball)|Hits]]
|stat2value=2,495
|stat3label=[[Home run]]s
|stat3value=172
|stat4label=[[Run batted in|Runs batted in]]
|stat4value=1,311
|stat5label=Managerial record
|stat5value=135–227
|stat6label=Winning %
|stat6value={{winning percentage|135|227}}
|teams=
'''As player'''
* [[History of the Washington Senators (1901–1960)|Washington Senators]] ({{mlby|1939}}–{{mlby|1943}}, {{mlby|1946}}–{{mlby|1948}})
* [[Cleveland Guardians|Cleveland Indians]] ({{mlby|1949}}–{{mlby|1950}})
* [[History of the Washington Senators (1901–1960)|Washington Senators]] ({{mlby|1950}}–{{mlby|1955}})
* [[Boston Red Sox]] ({{mlby|1956}}–{{mlby|1957}})
* [[Cleveland Guardians|Cleveland Indians]] ({{mlby|1958}})
* [[History of the Atlanta Braves#Milwaukee|Milwaukee Braves]] ({{mlby|1959}})
* [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] ({{mlby|1960}})
'''As manager'''
* [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Washington Senators]] ({{mlby|1961}}–{{mlby|1963}})
|highlights=
* 7× [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1946 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1946]], [[1948 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1948]], [[1953 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1953]]–[[1956 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1956]], [[1958 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1958]])
* [[World Series champion]] ({{wsy|1960}})
* 2× [[List of Major League Baseball batting champions|AL batting champion]] (1946, 1953)
}}

'''James Barton''' '''"Mickey"''' '''Vernon''' (April 22, 1918 – September 24, 2008) was an American [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) [[first baseman]] who played for the [[History of the Washington Senators (1901–1960)|Washington Senators]] (1939–1948, 1950–1955), [[Cleveland Guardians|Cleveland Indians]] (1949–1950, 1958), [[Boston Red Sox]] (1956–1957), [[History of the Atlanta Braves#Milwaukee|Milwaukee Braves]] (1959) and [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] (1960). He also was the first [[manager (baseball)|manager]] in the history of the [[expansion team|expansion]] edition of the Senators (now the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]]), serving from 1961 through May 21, 1963, and was a [[coach (baseball)|coach]] for four MLB teams between 1960 and 1982.

Vernon retired as a player in 1960 with 2,495 [[hit (baseball)|hits]], and holds the major league record for career [[double play]]s at first base (2,044). He has the [[American League]] (AL) record for career games (2,227), [[putout]]s (19,754), [[assist (baseball)|assists]] (1,444) and [[total chances]] (21,408). The lanky Vernon was listed as {{convert|6|ft|2|in}} tall and {{convert|170|lb}}; he batted and threw left-handed.

==Early life==
Mickey Vernon was born in [[Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania]], and attended [[Villanova University]], before making his major league debut on July 8, 1939. He was the father of Gay Vernon.

During [[World War II]], he served in the [[United States Navy]], missing the 1944 and 1945 seasons. He served with major league players [[Larry Doby]] and [[Billy Goodman]] on [[Ulithi]] in the [[Pacific Ocean theater of World War II|South Pacific]] in 1945; both Goodman and Vernon personally inspired Doby to become a major league baseball player; Doby became the first [[African-American]] to break the [[baseball color line]] in the [[American League]], in 1947 with the Cleveland Indians.

==Baseball career==
===Playing career===
Vernon played for 14 full major league seasons (400 [[at bat]]s or more) in his 20-year career. He wound up [[batting average (baseball)|batting]] over .335 twice, over .300 five times, and over .290 nine times. He was a two-time [[American League]] batting champion. In {{mlby|1946}}, his .353 batting mark eclipsed [[Ted Williams]]' .342 by 11 points. Then, in {{mlby|1953}}, Vernon's .337 average denied Cleveland's [[Al Rosen]] (.336) the [[Triple Crown (baseball)|Triple Crown]] by just one one-thousandth of a point.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/15/sports/baseball/al-rosen-who-missed-triple-crown-by-a-hit-dies-at-91.html Goldstein, Richard (14 March 2015), "Al Rosen, Who Missed Triple Crown by a Step, Dies at 91."] [[The New York Times]]</ref> The following year, {{mlby|1954}}, Vernon had a career-high 20 home runs, 97 RBIs, and 14 [[triple (baseball)|triples]]. He led the AL with 33 doubles and 67 extra-base hits. He also had 294 [[total bases]], which was second in the AL, behind [[Minnie Miñoso]].

In December 1948, Vernon and [[Early Wynn]] were sent to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for [[Joe Haynes (baseball)|Joe Haynes]], [[Ed Klieman]] and [[Eddie Robinson (baseball)|Eddie Robinson]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Cleveland Gets Mickey Vernon, Early Wynn From Senators|work=[[The Boston Globe]]|date=December 14, 1948|page=60}}</ref>

Over time, Vernon became one of the best-liked ballplayers, mainly through his unique personality and charismatic, but quiet, style. On [[1960 Pittsburgh Pirates season|September 1, 1960]], after a season spent as the Pittsburgh Pirates' first-base [[coach (baseball)|coach]], Vernon was placed on the active list when MLB rosters expanded to 40 men. He appeared in nine regular-season games as a [[pinch hitter]] for Pittsburgh, notching an RBI [[single (baseball)|single]] and an [[intentional walk]] in his nine [[plate appearance]]s to become one of only 29 players in baseball history to have appeared in a major league game in four decades. By his final game played, on September 27, 1960, he was, at 42, the oldest player in the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] by almost a year, and one of the most popular figures in the game.

He appeared in 2,409 MLB games without playing in the postseason, third most in history behind [[Ernie Banks]] and [[Luke Appling]].<ref>[https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/leaders_most_gamesnops.shtml Baseball Reference]</ref> Notably, on September 25, 1960, during Vernon's time on the active list, the Pirates clinched the NL [[pennant (sports)|pennant]]; but he was not on the Pirate playing roster for the [[1960 World Series]], resuming his full-time coaching duties. He earned a World Series ring when the Bucs triumphed in seven games over the [[New York Yankees]].

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&nbsp;stolen bases and a .359 on-base percentage. His career [[slugging percentage]] was .428, with a career high of .518 in 1953. He compiled 2,495 [[hit (baseball)|hits]], 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).

[[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."<ref name="Garver">{{cite book|last1=Garver|first1=Ned|last2=Bozman|first2=Bill|last3=Joyner|first3=Ronnie|title=Touching All the Bases|publisher=Pepperpot Productions, Inc.|year=2003|asin=B00B6JBVV6|page=90}}</ref> [[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."<ref name="Garver"/>

===Coaching and managing===
[[File:Mickey Vernon 1963.jpg|thumb|left|Vernon in 1963 as manager of the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|expansion Washington Senators]]]]
Vernon's career as a coach and manager began during his 1960 stint on the staff of his longtime friend, Pirates' skipper [[Danny Murtaugh]].

The following year, in {{baseball year|1961}}, he returned to [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]] when he was named manager of the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|expansion Senators]] in their first [[1961 Washington Senators season|year]] of existence. Inheriting the name and [[Griffith Stadium|home field]] of the 1901–1960 Washington franchise, now the [[Minnesota Twins]], the expansion Senators were hastily constructed with an undercapitalized ownership, an MLB roster of castoff players,<ref>[https://sabr.org/research/mis-management-101-american-league-expansion-1961 McCue, Andy, and Thompson, Eric (2011), "Mismanagement 101: The American League's Expansion of 1961." ''The National Pastime 2011,''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190706153224/https://sabr.org/research/mis-management-101-american-league-expansion-1961 |date=2019-07-06 }} [[Society for American Baseball Research]]</ref> and an almost-nonexistent [[farm system]]. In Vernon's two full seasons at the helm, 1961 and {{mlby|1962}}, the Senators lost a combined 201 games. They were 14–26 and last in the ten-team American League when Vernon was fired on [[1963 in baseball|May 21, 1963]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Hodges to Pilot Senators |url=https://newspapers.com/article/lincoln-journal-star-mickey-vernon-fired/159579900/ |access-date=November 22, 2024 |work=Lincoln Evening Journal |date=May 22, 1963 |location=[[Lincoln, Nebraska]] |page=24|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref> He finished with a career record of 135–227, a .373&nbsp;[[winning percentage]].

Vernon remained in the game into the 1980s as a major league coach for the Pirates (returning there for a second term in 1964), [[St.&nbsp;Louis Cardinals]] (1965), [[Montreal Expos]] (1977–1978) and Yankees (1982). He also managed at the [[Triple-A (baseball)|Triple-A]] and [[Double-A (baseball)|Double-A]] levels of the [[Minor League Baseball|minor leagues]], and served as a roving batting instructor for the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]], [[Kansas City Royals]] and Yankees before retiring from baseball.

==Death==
Vernon died from a stroke at age 90, on September 24, 2008 at Riddle Hospital in [[Media, Pennsylvania]] after living in [[Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lentz |first1=Bob |title=Mickey Vernon, 90; Won Two Batting Titles |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-obituary-for-mickey-ver/159565967/ |access-date=November 22, 2024 |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=September 26, 2008 |page=A13|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref>

==MLB highlights==
* MLB Record: Double plays at first base (2,044)
* American League All-Star (1946, 1948, 1953–1956, 1958)
* American League batting champion (1946, 1953)
* American League leader in doubles (1946, 1953, 1954)
* American League leader in extra base hits (1954)
* American League leader in [[Fielding percentage|fielding average]] (1950-1952, 1954)
* American League top 10 in [[MLB Most Valuable Player Award|MVP voting]] (1946, 1953, 1954)
* American League top 10 in triples (1941, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1951–1955)

==Legacy==
In August 2008, Vernon was named as one of the ten former players who began their careers before 1943 to be considered by the [[Veterans Committee]] for induction into the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame]] in [[Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 2009|2009]].

Playing in four different decades (1939–1960), Vernon ended his career with 2,237 games at first base, second to only [[Jake Beckley]] (2,377) in major league history. He led the American League in [[fielding percentage]] four times, and the majors twice.

He became one of the few first basemen to finish his career with a .990 [[fielding percentage]], and participated in more double plays than any other.

The Mickey Vernon Museum Collection in [[Radnor, Pennsylvania]], honors Vernon's career, military service, and friendship with Murtaugh, among other artifacts.<ref>[http://mickeyvernonsportsmuseum.com The Mickey Vernon Sports Museum]</ref>

Vernon is interred at the Lawn Croft Cemetery in [[Linwood, Pennsylvania]].<ref>[http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=vernomi01 Baseball Almanac]</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography|Baseball}}
{{div col}}
* [[Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 2009]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career triples leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball batting champions]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball players who played in four decades]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle]]
* [[List of St. Louis Cardinals coaches]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite web |url=http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/news/2007/election/vc/vernon.htm |title=Line-drive hitting Vernon won pair of batting titles for Washington Senators |first=Dawn |last=Klemish |website=baseballhalloffame.org |date=February 24, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070423153846/http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/news/2007/election/vc/vernon.htm |archive-date=April 23, 2007 |via=[[Wayback Machine]]}}
*{{cite book |title=Mickey Vernon: The Gentleman First Baseman |first=Rich |last=Westcott |publisher=Camino Books Inc. |date=2005 |isbn=0940159945}}
*{{cite web |url=http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/7aa63aab |title=Mickey Vernon |first=Rich |last=Westcott |website=[[Society for American Baseball Research|SABR]]}}

==External links==
*{{Baseballstats |mlb=123711 |espn=27631 |br=v/vernomi01 |fangraphs=1013416 |brm=vernon001jam |retro=V/Pvernm101 }}
*{{Baseball-reference manager|vernomi01}}
*{{SABR Baseball Biography Project|mickey-vernon}}
*[https://cdm16014.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p4014coll27/id/34/rec/63 Interview with Mickey Vernon] conducted by [[Eugene Murdock]], February 19, 1974, in Marietta, Ohio (40 minutes)
*{{Find a Grave}}
:

{{s-start}}
{{s-ach|ach}}
{{succession box| before = [[Bill Salkeld]] | title = [[Hitting for the cycle]]| years = May 19, 1946 | after = [[Ted Williams]]}}
{{s-sports}}
{{succession box|title=[[Pittsburgh Pirates]] [[coach (baseball)|first-base coach]]|years=1960<br>1964|before=[[George Detore]]<br>[[Ron Northey]]|after=[[Ron Northey]]<br>[[Johnny Pesky]]}}
{{succession box|title=[[St. Louis Cardinals]] [[coach (baseball)|first-base coach]]|years=1965|before=[[Joe Schultz]]|after=[[Dick Sisler]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{1960 Pittsburgh Pirates}}
{{AL batting title}}
{{Texas Rangers managers}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vernon, Mickey}}
[[Category:1918 births]]
[[Category:2008 deaths]]
[[Category:American League All-Stars]]
[[Category:American League batting champions]]
[[Category:Boston Red Sox players]]
[[Category:Burials at Lawn Croft Cemetery]]
[[Category:Cleveland Indians players]]
[[Category:Easton Browns players]]
[[Category:Jersey City Giants players]]
[[Category:Los Angeles Dodgers coaches]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball first base coaches]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball first basemen]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball hitting coaches]]
[[Category:Milwaukee Braves players]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:Montreal Expos coaches]]
[[Category:New York Yankees coaches]]
[[Category:New York Yankees scouts]]
[[Category:People from Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Media, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Pirates coaches]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Pirates players]]
[[Category:St. Louis Cardinals coaches]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Delaware County, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Springfield Nationals players]]
[[Category:United States Navy personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Villanova Wildcats baseball players]]
[[Category:Washington Senators (1901–1960) players]]
[[Category:Washington Senators (1961–1971) managers]]
[[Category:Vancouver Mounties managers]]