Mickey Vernon

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

Vernon retired as a player in 1960 with 2,495 hits, and holds the major league record for career double plays at first base (2,044). He has the American League (AL) record for first basemen for career games (2,227), putouts (19,754), assists (1,444) and total chances (21,408). The lanky Vernon was listed as 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall and 170 pounds (77 kg); he batted and threw left-handed.

Mickey Vernon was born on April 22, 1918, in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania, located in Delaware County. Vernon's grandfather Samuel Vernon was an American Civil War veteran who became the first mayor of Marcus Hook in 1893. His father Clarence Vernon worked for the Sun Oil Company refinery, and played semiprofessional baseball for the company team. Vernon played sandlot baseball and played on a championship American Legion Baseball team as a teenager, and played with older men on Sun Oil's industrial league team. Vernon and his future wife Anne Elizabeth "Lib" Firth attended Eddystone High School. Vernon was a basketball star at Eddystone, which did not have a baseball team. Lib also was a stellar athlete in high school, both of them graduating in 1936. Growing up in Marcus Hook, an aunt started calling him Mickey and the nickname stuck.

He attended Villanova University for one year on a baseball scholarship, where he played baseball under coach George "Doc" Jacobs. Washington Senators scout Joe Cambria had observed him at Villanova. Since he was 13-years old, Vernon had been close friends with fellow Delaware County native and childhood baseball teammate, and future MLB player and manager, Danny Murtaugh. In 1937, Vernon and Murtaugh went to try out for professional baseball teams in the Class D Eastern Shore League; Vernon making the Easton, Maryland Browns and Murtaugh making the Cambridge, Maryland Cardinals teams. It is also reported that Doc Jacobs was the manager and part owner of the Easton Browns, and Jacobs signed Vernon to go and play for the Browns in 1937.

Vernon played for three Minor League Baseball (MiLB) teams before making his Major League debut on July 8, 1939; and then spent one more MiLB season before permanently becoming a Major League player.

In 1937, he played for Jacobs and the Easton Browns, who were affiliated with the American League's St. Louis Browns. Vernon played in 83 games for the Browns, with a .287 batting average, ten home runs and 64 runs batted in (RBI) in just 300 at bats.

Vernon was signed by the original Washington Senators as an amateur free agent in 1937. In 1938, he played for the Greenville Spinners of the Class B South Atlantic (Sally) League. He played first base and batted .328, with 84 runs scored, 72 RBIs, 31 doubles, 12 triples, an .820 OPS (on-base plus slugging) and only one home run. He was sixth in the Sally League in batting average among players with over 500 at bats. In 1939, he played in 69 games for the Single-A Springfield Nationals, the Senators' affiliate in the Eastern League, before being called up to the Senators in early July. He was hitting a league leading .343 at the time he was promoted to the Major Leagues.

After playing a portion of the 1939 season with the Senators, Vernon spent most of 1940 playing for the Double-A Jersey City Giants of the International League. He hit .283 in 569 at bats, with nine home runs. This was his last season in Minor League Baseball.