About Johnny Mize
John Robert Mize (January 7, 1913 – June 2, 1993), nicknamed "Big Jawn" and "the Big Cat", was an American professional baseball first baseman. He played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants, and New York Yankees from 1936 to 1953, losing three seasons to military service during World War II. Mize was a ten-time All-Star and won five consecutive World Series with the Yankees. Mize retired in 1953 with 359 career home runs and a.312 batting average along with 1,118 runs, 2,011 hits, 367 doubles, 83 triples, 1,337 RBI and 856 bases on balls. Defensively, he recorded a.992 fielding percentage as a first baseman. He served as a radio commentator, scout and coach in the major leagues after he retired as a player. He was selected for induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1981. In 2014, he was inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame. He later said, "I'm the only guy who played in the major leagues because I couldn't play in the minors." Mize was known as both "Big Jawn" and "The Big Cat" for his smooth fielding at first base. Mize's 43 home runs in 1940 set a Cardinals team record that stood for nearly 60 years. During his tenure with the Yankees, the team won five consecutive World Series. Mize was a ten-time All-Star who played for the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants, and the New York Yankees.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.