Mickey Owen

Arnold Malcolm (Mickey) Owen (April 4, 1916 - July 11, 2005) was a catcher in Major League Baseball. Between 1937 and 1954, Owen played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1937-40), Brooklyn Dodgers (1941-45), Chicago Cubs (1949-51) and Boston Red Sox (1954). He batted and threw right handed.

Related Topics:
April 4 - 1916 - July 11 - 2005 - Catcher - Major League Baseball - 1937 - 1954 - St. Louis Cardinals - Brooklyn Dodgers - Chicago Cubs - Boston Red Sox

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In a 13-season career, Owen posted a .255 batting average with 14 home runs and 378 RBI in 1209 games.

Related Topics:
Batting average - Home run - RBI - Games

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A native of Nixa, Missouri, Owen was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1935. He made his major league debut in 1937, appearing in 80 games, and spent the next three full seasons in St. Louis before being traded to the Brooklyn Dodgers for catcher Gus Mancuso, a minor league player and $60,000.

Related Topics:
Nixa, Missouri - Gus Mancuso - Minor league

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From 1941 to 1944, Owen averaged 46 RBI a season for the Dodgers and played for the Brooklyn team that faced the New York Yankees in the 1941 World Series. During that championship season, he set a record for most errorless fielding chances by a catcher with 508 perfect attempts and finished with a .995 average. Ironically, Owen earned a place in baseball lore for a costly passed ball during the Series. In Game 4, the Yankees had a 2-games-to-1 lead but the Dodgers were leading 4-3 in the ninth inning at their home, Ebbets Field. On a 3-2 pitch with two outs, Owen dropped a third strike on Tommy Henrich that would have been the final out of the game. The Yankees rallied to score four runs in that inning, and to win the game 7-4. The victory gave the Yankees a 3-1 lead in the series and, the next day, New York won the World Championship. The Dodgers didn?t get back to the World Series until 1947 and didn?t win the series until 1955.

Related Topics:
New York Yankees - 1941 World Series - Passed ball - Ebbets Field - Tommy Henrich - 1947 - 1955

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A four-consecutive All-Star from 1941-44, in 1942 Owen became the first player to pinch-hit a home run in an All-Star game, and during the 1944 regular season, he became the third National League catcher to ever record an unassisted double play. Owen played for Brooklyn until the end of the 1945 season. He then served in the Navy at the end of World War II.

Related Topics:
All-Star - Pinch-hit - National League - Double play - Navy - World War II

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After his discharge from the military in 1946, Owen expected to return to Brooklyn, but he failed to reach a agreement with the Dodgers and signed a contract to be a player-manager in the Mexican League. There were others several big leaguers that fled to Mexico, including Alex Carrasquel, Danny Gardella, Max Lanier, Sal Maglie, Luis Olmo and Vern Stephens, attracted by good salaries. In retaliation for the defections, Commissioner Happy Chandler sought a lifetime suspension for them, but his penalty was later reduced to three years.

Related Topics:
Military - 1946 - Manager - Mexican League - Mexico - Alex Carrasquel - Danny Gardella - Max Lanier - Sal Maglie - Luis Olmo - Vern Stephens - Commissioner - Happy Chandler

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Owen returned to the majors in 1949 with the Chicago Cubs and played for them until the 1951 season. He finished his major league playing career with the Boston Red Sox in 1954.

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Following his retirement as a player, Owen worked for the Cubs as a scout. Then, he returned to the Ozarks and founded the Mickey Owen Baseball School on Route 66 near Miller County in 1959. That academy still bears his name even though he sold it many years ago.

Related Topics:
Scout - Ozarks - Route 66 - Miller County - 1959

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In 1964, Owen ran for Greene County sheriff and won. He also won three more elections, serving in the office until the end of 1980,and was still playing in oldtimers' games in the 1980s.

Related Topics:
1964 - Greene County - Sheriff - 1980 - 1980s

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Owen lived the last years of his life in the Missouri Veterans Home in Mount Vernon. He died in Springfield, Missouri at age of 89.

Related Topics:
Missouri Veterans Home - Mount Vernon - Springfield, Missouri

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