Vernon, former Pirate player, coach, dead at 90

By The Associated Press
Thursday, September 25, 2008

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Mickey Vernon, a two-time American League batting champion with the Washington Senators and seven-time All-Star first baseman during a four-decade career, has died. He was 90.


American League All-Stars: Al Rosen, Mickey Vernon, Mickey Mantle circa 1954

Vernon died Wednesday at Riddle Memorial Hospital in Media, a hospital spokeswoman told The Associated Press. He had suffered a stroke last week, said Jim Vankoski, Vernon's friend of 25 years.

Vernon played 20 major league seasons (1939-43 and 1946-60) with Washington, the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates. He won the AL batting title in 1946 and 1953 and was career .286 hitter. He played 2,409 games, finishing with 2,495 hits, including 490 doubles and 120 triples and 1,311 RBIs.

He also was the first manager of the Senators' second incarnation in the 1960s and had career record of 135-227 as a manager.

In August, Vernon was among 10 players whose careers started before 1943 named by the Veterans Comm ittee for consideration for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. The results are to be announced Dec. 8.

Vernon made his playing debut with the Senators midseason 1939, and the 21-year-old left-handed first-baseman hit .267 in 79 at-bats. He spent most of the next season in Jersey City and returned to Washington in 1941, when he began establishing himself as one of the league's solid first basemen.

He missed the 1944 and 1945 seasons due to military service in the Navy during World War II.

When Vernon returned to baseball in 1946, he had arguably his finest season, winning his first American League batting title with a .353 average. He had a career-high 207 hits in 587 at-bats and finished with 51 doubles, eight triples, eight home runs and 85 RBIs.

He won his second batting title in 1953, batting .337 and edging Cleveland first baseman Al Rosen by .001 for the title. Vernon had 205 hits in 608 at-bats, including 43 doubles, 11 triples, 15 homers and a career-high 115 RBIs.

He closed out his career with the 1960 World Series champion Pirates, spending most of the season as a coach before being activated late in the season and becoming one of a few players to compete in four decades.

Vernon was named manager of the expansion Senators in 1961 and held the position until 1963. He went on to coach with the Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees. He also managed at the Triple-A and Double-A levels.

Born April 22, 1918, in Marcus Hook, Pa., James Barton "Mickey" Vernon attended Villanova University. He returned to area after retiring from baseball and made his home there until his death.

His hometown of Marcus Hook dedicated a life-size statue of Vernon in September 2003 on the very sandlot fields he played as a child, one block from his former home.

Vernon is survived by his daughter, Gay.