Mickey Vernon, baseball player, 172 home runs, 1939-1960

Mickey Vernon

Born: 4/22/1918 in Marcus Hook, PA, USA

Died: 9/24/2008 in Media, PA, USA

MLB Debut: 1939-07-08 | Final Game: 1960-09-27

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 170 lbs

Full name: James Barton Vernon

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Biography

Mickey Vernon, born in 1918, was a prominent American baseball player whose career spanned from 1939 to 1960. Known for his exceptional hitting and consistency at the plate, Vernon played primarily as a first baseman and left a lasting impact on the game during his era. Over the course of his career, he appeared in 2,409 games, accumulating a remarkable 2,495 hits and posting a batting average of .286. With 172 home runs and 1,311 RBIs, he demonstrated a well-rounded offensive skill set, complemented by his speed on the basepaths, as evidenced by his 137 stolen bases. Vernon was selected as an All-Star seven times, a testament to his prowess and popularity during the peak of his career. His contributions were particularly significant during the post-World War II period, a time when baseball was undergoing significant changes, including the emergence of new talent and the integration of the sport. Throughout his tenure, Vernon established himself as a reliable player who could consistently deliver in clutch situations, making him a valuable asset to the teams he played for, including the Washington Senators and the Pittsburgh Pirates. His legacy endures as one of the standout players of his generation, remembered for his skillful approach to the game and his contributions to baseball history.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
78.0 71.0 13.0 28.0 6.0 1.0 1.0 8.0 6.0 5.0 2.0 0.394 0.449 0.549 0.998

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1939 3.0 2.0 0 1.0 0 0 0 0 1.0 0 0 0.500 0.667 0.500 1.167
1946 75.0 69.0 13.0 27.0 6.0 1.0 1.0 8.0 5.0 5.0 2.0 0.391 0.440 0.551 0.991

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
2409 8731 1196 2495 490 120 172 1311 137 955 869 0.286 0.359 0.428 0.787 18535.7

Career AVG .286 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — +9.7% above league average.

Career OBP .359 vs. league average .332 across their career seasons — +7.9% above league average.

Career SLG .428 vs. league average .382 across their career seasons — +12.3% above league average.

Career OPS 0.787 vs. league average 0.714 across their career seasons — +10.3% 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 WSN AL 76 276 23 71 15 4 1 30 1 24 28 0.257 .274 (-6%) .342 (-7%) .393 (-11%) .735 (-9%) -499.2
1940 WSN AL 5 19 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.158 — — — — 0.0
1941 WSN AL 138 531 73 159 27 11 9 93 9 43 51 0.299 .262 (+14%) .332 (+6%) .373 (+19%) .705 (+13%) 1174.2
1942 WSN AL 151 621 76 168 34 6 9 86 25 59 63 0.271 .253 (+7%) .323 (+4%) .349 (+11%) .672 (+8%) 871.9
1943 WSN AL 145 553 89 148 29 8 7 70 24 67 55 0.268 .255 (+5%) .324 (+10%) .346 (+12%) .671 (+11%) 1267.9
1946 WSN AL 148 587 88 207 51 8 8 85 14 49 64 0.353 .256 (+37%) .328 (+22%) .358 (+42%) .687 (+32%) 3554.8
1947 WSN AL 154 600 77 159 29 12 7 85 12 49 42 0.265 .262 (+1%) .336 (-5%) .376 (+3%) .712 (-1%) -265.8
1948 WSN AL 150 558 78 135 27 7 3 48 15 54 43 0.242 .263 (-8%) .340 (-9%) .379 (-13%) .719 (-11%) -1313.7
1949 CLE AL 153 584 72 170 27 4 18 83 9 58 51 0.291 .262 (+11%) .343 (+4%) .384 (+15%) .727 (+10%) 1135.1
1950 CLE AL 28 90 8 17 0 0 0 10 2 12 10 0.189 .265 (-29%) .346 (-18%) .401 (-53%) .747 (-37%) -548.2
1950 WSN AL 90 327 47 100 17 3 9 65 6 50 29 0.306 .265 (+15%) .346 (+17%) .401 (+14%) .747 (+15%) -548.2
1951 WSN AL 141 546 69 160 30 7 9 87 7 53 45 0.293 .260 (+12%) .336 (+6%) .385 (+10%) .721 (+8%) 851.7
1952 WSN AL 154 569 71 143 33 9 10 80 7 89 66 0.251 .252 (-1%) .326 (+8%) .369 (+7%) .696 (+7%) 920.7
1953 WSN AL 152 608 101 205 43 11 15 115 4 63 57 0.337 .264 (+28%) .335 (+20%) .397 (+30%) .733 (+26%) 3228.8
1954 WSN AL 151 597 90 173 33 14 20 97 1 61 61 0.290 .261 (+11%) .333 (+7%) .390 (+26%) .723 (+17%) 1990.1
1955 WSN AL 150 538 74 162 23 8 14 85 0 74 50 0.301 .258 (+16%) .332 (+16%) .393 (+15%) .726 (+15%) 1779.9
1956 BOS AL 119 403 67 125 28 4 15 84 1 57 40 0.310 .258 (+20%) .331 (+22%) .397 (+29%) .728 (+25%) 2166.2
1957 BOS AL 102 270 36 65 18 1 7 38 0 41 35 0.241 .257 (-7%) .323 (+8%) .391 (avg) .715 (+4%) 313.4
1958 CLE AL 119 355 49 104 22 3 8 55 0 44 56 0.293 .257 (+14%) .324 (+15%) .394 (+11%) .719 (+13%) 975.5
1959 ATL NL 74 91 8 20 4 0 3 14 0 7 20 0.220 .256 (-14%) .323 (-13%) .392 (-7%) .715 (-10%) -166.3
1960 PIT NL 9 8 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0.125 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 2237 550 19808 1448 211 2044
OF 4 3 11 0 1 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1939 WS1 1B 75 0 690 40 11 75
1940 WS1 1B 4 0 41 2 0 5
1941 WS1 1B 132 0 1186 80 10 122
1942 WS1 1B 151 0 1360 95 26 109
1943 WS1 1B 143 0 1351 75 14 125
1946 WS1 1B 147 0 1320 101 15 133
1947 WS1 1B 154 0 1299 105 19 123
1948 WS1 1B 150 0 1297 113 15 128
1949 CLE 1B 153 0 1438 155 14 168
1950 CLE 1B 25 0 216 17 1 28
1950 WS1 1B 85 0 743 61 8 93
1951 WS1 1B 137 0 1157 87 8 121
1952 WS1 1B 153 0 1291 115 10 139
1953 WS1 1B 152 0 1376 94 12 158
1954 WS1 1B 148 148 1365 76 11 144
1955 WS1 1B 144 141 1258 69 8 137
1956 BOS 1B 108 102 930 58 11 96
1957 BOS 1B 70 68 662 51 6 47
1958 CLE 1B 96 87 774 50 11 90
1959 ML1 1B 10 4 54 4 1 3
1959 ML1 OF 4 3 11 0 1 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 2237
Left Field 2
Right Field 2

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1953 TSN All-Star 1B
1946 Baseball Magazine All-Star 1B

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Villanova University Villanova PA 1937, 1938

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1956 Most Valuable Player AL 21th 14.0 336 0
1955 Most Valuable Player AL 23th 4.0 336 0
1954 Most Valuable Player AL 9th 30.0 336 0
1953 Most Valuable Player AL 3rd 162.0 336 0
1946 Most Valuable Player AL 5th 134.0 336 1