Mize, "Johnny" (John R.)
Baseball
b. Jan. 7, 1913, Demorest, GA
d. June 2, 1992
Asked to name the ideal designated hitter, long-time manager Ralph Houk picked Johnny Mize without a moment of thought. A left-handed hitter, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound Mize was nicknamed the "Big Cat," but not for his agile fielding. He got the nickname from a teammate who saw him lying, half asleep, in the sun before a game. The teammate commented, "He looks just like a big cat."
Mize joined the NL's St. Louis Cardinals as a first baseman during the 1936 season. He led the league with 16 triples and a .614 slugging percentage in 1938, when he batted .337 with 27 home runs and 102 RBI.
In 1939, Mize was the league leader with 28 home runs, a .349 batting average, and a .626 slugging percentage. He led in home runs with 43, RBI with 137 and slugging with a .636 percentage in 1940, when he batted .314.
After hitting 39 doubles to lead the league in 1941, Mize was traded to the New York Giants. He led the league with 110 RBI and a .521 slugging percentage in 1942 and then spent three years in the service during World War II.
When he returned to the Giants in 1946, Mize became the only player ever to hit more than 50 home runs while striking out fewer than 50 times. His 51 home runs, 137 runs scored, and 138 RBI led the league, and he had only 42 strikeouts. After leading the league in home runs for a fourth time with 40 in 1948, Mize was traded to the AL's New York Yankees during the 1949 season.
With the Yankees, Mize was usually platooned against right-handed pitchers and he was often used as a pinch-hitter. He hit 25 home runs with 72 RBI in only 90 games in 1950, his last big season. Mize retired after going to bat only 104 times in 81 games in 1953. During his 15-year career, he hit a home run in every major league park.
Mize had a career .312 average with 2,011 hits in 1.884 games, including 367 doubles, 83 triples, and 359 home runs. He scored 1,118 runs and drove in 1,337.