Barney McCosky, baseball player, 1939-1953

Barney McCosky

Born: 4/11/1917 in Coal Run, PA, USA

Died: 9/6/1996 in Venice, FL, USA

MLB Debut: 1939-04-18 | Final Game: 1953-07-08

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 184 lbs

Full name: William Barney McCosky

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Barney McCosky was a prominent American baseball player who made his mark in Major League Baseball from 1939 to 1953. Born in 1917, McCosky showcased his talents primarily as a position player over the course of his career, appearing in 1,170 games. He established himself as a reliable hitter, amassing 1,301 hits and achieving a commendable batting average of .312, which underscored his offensive capabilities during an era when batting prowess was highly prized. Known for his speed and agility on the bases, McCosky recorded 58 stolen bases and contributed significantly to his teams with 397 RBIs and 24 home runs. His playing style combined a keen eye for hitting with the ability to drive in runs, making him a valuable asset to the clubs he represented. Over his career, McCosky's achievements reflected the competitive spirit of the game in the early 20th century, a time marked by the transition from the deadball era to a more dynamic offensive game. His contributions to baseball have left a lasting legacy, and he remains a noteworthy figure among the players of his time.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
5.0 3.0 1.0 1.0 0 0 0 0 2.0 0 0 0.333 0.600 0.333 0.933

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1943 5.0 3.0 1.0 1.0 0 0 0 0 2.0 0 0 0.333 0.600 0.333 0.933

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1170 4172 664 1301 214 71 24 397 58 497 261 0.312 0.386 0.414 0.801 11388.8

Career AVG .312 vs. league average .262 across their career seasons — +18.9% above league average.

Career OBP .386 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — +15.4% above league average.

Career SLG .414 vs. league average .379 across their career seasons — +9.4% above league average.

Career OPS 0.801 vs. league average 0.713 across their career seasons — +12.2% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1939 DET AL 147 611 120 190 33 14 4 58 20 70 45 0.311 .274 (+13%) .342 (+12%) .393 (+10%) .735 (+11%) 1426.1
1940 DET AL 143 589 123 200 39 19 4 57 13 67 41 0.340 .267 (+27%) .335 (+22%) .387 (+27%) .722 (+24%) 2912.4
1941 DET AL 127 494 80 160 25 8 3 55 8 61 33 0.324 .262 (+24%) .332 (+21%) .373 (+14%) .705 (+17%) 1808.7
1942 DET AL 154 600 75 176 28 11 7 50 11 68 37 0.293 .253 (+16%) .323 (+13%) .349 (+18%) .672 (+15%) 1813.0
1946 DET AL 25 91 11 18 5 0 1 11 0 17 9 0.198 .256 (-23%) .328 (-1%) .358 (-20%) .687 (-11%) -126.1
1946 PHA AL 92 308 33 109 17 4 1 34 2 43 13 0.354 .256 (+38%) .328 (+32%) .358 (+24%) .687 (+28%) -126.1
1947 PHA AL 137 546 77 179 22 7 1 52 1 57 29 0.328 .262 (+25%) .336 (+17%) .376 (+6%) .712 (+11%) 1396.5
1948 PHA AL 135 515 95 168 21 5 0 46 1 68 22 0.326 .263 (+24%) .340 (+19%) .379 (+2%) .719 (+10%) 1268.0
1950 PHA AL 66 179 19 43 10 1 0 11 0 22 12 0.240 .265 (-10%) .346 (-7%) .401 (-24%) .747 (-16%) -506.9
1951 PHA AL 12 27 4 8 2 0 1 1 0 3 4 0.296 — — — — 0.0
1951 CIN NL 25 50 2 16 2 1 1 11 0 4 2 0.320 .260 (+23%) .336 (+10%) .385 (+19%) .721 (+15%) 0.0
1951 CLE AL 31 61 8 13 3 0 0 2 1 8 5 0.213 .260 (-18%) .336 (-10%) .385 (-32%) .721 (-22%) 0.0
1952 CLE AL 54 80 14 17 4 1 1 6 1 8 5 0.212 .252 (-16%) .326 (-13%) .369 (-12%) .696 (-13%) -185.7
1953 CLE AL 22 21 3 4 3 0 0 3 0 1 4 0.190 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
7 23 5 7 1 0 0 1 7 0 0.304

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1940 WS DET 7 23 5 7 1 0 0 1 7 0 0.304

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
OF 1036 0 2490 48 41 12

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1939 DET OF 145 0 428 7 6 2
1940 DET OF 141 0 349 7 6 2
1941 DET OF 122 0 328 6 5 2
1942 DET OF 154 0 351 7 7 2
1946 DET OF 24 0 56 1 2 0
1946 PHA OF 85 0 207 2 4 0
1947 PHA OF 136 0 346 8 6 2
1948 PHA OF 134 0 277 9 3 1
1950 PHA OF 42 0 73 1 1 1
1951 PHA OF 7 0 13 0 0 0
1951 CIN OF 11 0 17 0 0 0
1951 CLE OF 16 0 28 0 0 0
1952 CLE OF 19 0 17 0 1 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Left Field 489
Center Field 523
Right Field 26

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1948 Most Valuable Player AL 27th 4.0 336 0
1947 Most Valuable Player AL 11th 35.0 336 0
1942 Most Valuable Player AL 29th 1.0 336 0
1941 Most Valuable Player AL 15th 12.0 336 0
1940 Most Valuable Player AL 16th 11.0 336 0
1939 Most Valuable Player AL 27th 6.0 336 0