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Mize, Johnny

John Robert Mize
Born: January 7, 1913, Demorest, Georgia
Died: June 2, 1993, Demorest, Georgia
Bats: 
Left
Throws: 
Right
Played For: 
St. Louis Cardinals (1936-1941), New York Giants (1942, 1946-1949), New York Yankees (1949-1953)
Elected to the Hall of Fame by Veterans Committee: 1981
Biography: 

Johnny Mize, the burly first baseman for the Cards and Giants, paced or tied for the National League lead in home runs four times, hitting three in a single game on six occasions. He also won three RBI crowns and one batting championship. After the Big Cat joined the Yankees, they won five straight World Series titles (1949-53), with Mize hitting three homers in the 1952 Fall Classic. He finished his career with 359 home runs and a .312 batting average.

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Induction Speech

Did You Know: 
that in 1947 Johnny Mize became the only player in Major League history to hit 50 or more home runs in a season while striking out fewer than 50 times?
Taking a pitch, Mize actually followed the ball with his eyes right into the catcher's mitt, and he maintained he could see the bat hit the ball.
sportswriter Tom Meany