Damn Yankees by Edward Drobinski - HTML preview

Damn Yankees

Page 230

John Robert Mize, nicknamed "Big Jawn" and "the Big Cat," was a first baseman for 15 seasons between 1936 and 1953, losing three seasons to military service during World War II. Mize was a ten time All-Star who played for the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants, and the New York Yankees. It may not be coincidental that during his tenure with the Yankees, the team won five consecutive World Series.

Mize retired in 1953 with 359 career home runs and a .312 batting average along with 1,118 runs, 2,011 hits, 367 doubles, 83 triples, 1,337 RBI and 856 bases on balls. Defensively, he

recorded a .992 fielding percentage as a first baseman. He served as a radio commentator, scout and coach in the major leagues after he retired as a player. He was selected for induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1981. In 2014, he was inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum.

Mize was born to Edward and Emma Mize. After his parents separated, his mother went to Atlanta for work, but Mize remained in Demorest, Georgia with his grandmother. He excelled in tennis as a child and played on his high school baseball team. He later played baseball for Piedmont College. Mize was a

distant cousin of Ty Cobb and his second cousin married Babe Ruth.