Books and articles about Barney McCosky

RELATED LINKS Photos » Photo: Dick Bartell, Barney McCosky, and Birdie Tebbetts

McCosky hit .300 in six of his first seven seasons and was an integral part of the Tigers' drive to the 1940 AL pennant. The league's finest leadoff hitter in his first two seasons, he hit .311 with 120 runs (fourth in the AL), 14 triples (second), and 20 steals (fourth, and caught only four times) in his 1939 rookie season and led AL outfielders in putouts. In his career season in 1940, he reached career highs with a .340 batting average (sixth in the AL), 123 runs (third), 19 triples (first), 200 hits (tied for first), and 39 doubles. In the World Series, he hit .304 and scored five runs as Detroit lost to the Reds in seven games. He declined to .324 and .293 in the next two seasons, and then lost three years in the military (1943-45). When he returned in 1946, he hit just .198 for the Tigers, who traded him to the Athletics that May for George Kell. He rebounded, hitting .354 the rest of the way, and had two more .300 seasons (95 runs in 1948). But he lost all of 1949 to a back injury and was never the same afterwards. (WOR)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » February 15, 1940: The Tiger roster lists Hank Greenberg as an OF. The willingness of the team's leading power hitter to switch, at a contract boost, from 1B allows manager Del Baker to find a position for Rudy York. Also on the list are Dick Bartell, picked up from the Cubs for Billy Rogell, and Pinky Higgins, who had been shopped around. The four, along with Barney McCosky and Charlie Gehringer, produce the stuff that will move the Tigers from fifth to first, although its .588 mark will be as low as that of any pennant-winner yet. » May 18, 1946: In a great trade for Detroit, the Tigers acquire 3B George Kell from the A's for popular hometown outfielder Barney McCosky. McCosky, back from the war, is hitting just .198. The Tigers then sell veteran 3B Pinky Higgins to the Red Sox. » April 26, 1951: Connie Marrero of Washington allows just one hit -- a homer by the A's Barney McCosky -- in topping Philadelphia, 2–1. Joe Coleman is the loser, serving up solo homers to Mickey Vernon and Gil Coan.