One of baseball's most popular players in the 1940s and 1950s, Vernon had a quiet
type of charisma. A four-decade player, the consistent, hardy Vernon set the major
league record for most games played at first base (2,237).
Vernon led AL first
basemen in fielding percentage four times (twice leading the majors) but in three
different seasons led ML first basemen in errors. He set the AL mark for most lifetime
assists (1,444); his 155 assists in 1949 set the AL first basemen's record. In one
1943 game, he made two unassisted double plays. He was TSN's ML All-Star
first baseman in 1953.
The soft-spoken, lefthanded slugger led the AL in batting
with the Senators in 1946 (.353), and again in 1953 (.337) at the age of thirty-five.
He clinched the 1953 title on the last day of the season in a game against the Athletics.
Late in the contest, Vernon hit a line drive that was caught by outfielder Elmer
Valo, bringing his average down to .337. Word arrived from Cleveland that Al Rosen,
who was vying for the triple crown, was through for the day. If Vernon didn't bat
again, he would best Rosen by a margin of .0011. He would have come up again had
not teammate Mickey Grasso, who had doubled, been picked off second base, or had
not Kite Thomas been thrown out at second when he "leisurely" tried to stretch a
single into a double. Some felt
Vernon's teammates were protecting his title.
Vernon
collected 2,495 lifetime hits, an average of more than one per game. He led the AL
in doubles in 1946, 1953, and 1954, and drove in 80 or more runs 11 times, with a
high of 115 in 1953.
Vernon was President Eisenhower's favorite player. On Opening
Day 1954, with Eisenhower in attendance, Vernon hit a two-run, tenth-inning homer
off the Yankees' Allie Reynolds to win the game for Washington. In Eisenhower's excitement,
he started to leave his seat and go on to the field, but was stopped by Secret Service
men, who brought the Senators' hero to the President's box.
Vernon managed the
Senators from 1961 through 40 games in 1963. Under his leadership, they finished
in a tie for last in 1961, and last in 1962.
(RTM)
FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY
»May 19, 1946: The oldest star to go into the military was the White Sox P Ted Lyons, who finished each of the 20 games he started in 1942. Lyons continues to pitch on the first five Sundays of the 1946 season. Although the 46-year-old former Marine has an ERA of 2.32, he loses three of his four starts including today's opener to Washington, 4–3. The Nats Johnny Niggeling beats Ed Lopat in the nitecap, 7–1, as Mickey Vernon cycles for the Nationals.
»December 14, 1948: The Indians send Eddie Klieman, Eddie Robinson, and P Joe Haynes, acquired from the White Sox three weeks earlier for C Joe Tipton, to Washington for Early Wynn and Mickey Vernon. Vernon will go back to the Nats in 1950 but Wynn will stay in Cleveland for nine seasons and 163 wins.
»May 27, 1953: Eddie Lopat beats the Senators for the 8th straight time as he allows three hits in a 3–1 Yankee win. Joe Collins, Billy Martin, and Yogi Berra hit solo homers for New York. Mickey Vernon has a pair of hits to extend his hitting streak to 20 games. The win starts the Yankees on an 18-game winning streak, the 3rd longest American League streak of the century.
»September 27, 1953:
Washington's Mickey Vernon goes into the last game
of the season still fighting for the batting
title with Cleveland's Al Rosen. Near the end of the
game Vernon is hitting .337 when word arrives that
Rosen's game is over and Vernon is ahead by .0011
points. The possibility of Vernon coming up to bat
again and maybe losing a point is scotched when his
teammates contrive to make an out to end the game.
»April 13, 1954:
In the presidential opener in Washington, President Dwight D. Eisenhower is thrilled by Mickey Vernon's 10th inning 2-run homer off Allie Reynolds which beats the Yankees 5–3. Ike skipped last year's opener, which was rained out, and the political hue and cry was so great he made sure he tossed out the first ball today. Chuck Stobbs and Whitey Ford start the game, but the winning Nats pitcher is reliever Sonny Dixon. Hank Bauer, with two singles, drives in all three Yankee runs.
»May 27, 1954: At Washington, President Eisenhower presents a silver bat to Mickey Vernon for winning the batting title last year. Vernon goes hitless today but the Nats score six unearned runs to beat the Yankees, 7–3.
»September 2, 1954:
Mickey Vernon of the Senators gets his 2,000th
hit. He also hits his 19th HR (he will add one more
before the end of the season) for a team record for
left-handers. Teammate Roy Sievers also sets a team
record by hitting his 23rd HR. He will hit one more
before the end of the season.
»May 21, 1955:
In a game marked by a fight between Maury McDermott and Jackie Jensen, the Senators top the Red Sox, 1–0, in 12 innings. In the 12th, Jensen is trapped off 1B but his way back to the bag is obstructed by first baseman Mickey Vernon: it is called by 2B ump Ed Runge but he makes no gestures and Jensen continues back to 1B. McDermott, waiting to put the tag on, is knocked over by Jensen, and Hank Soar at 1B calls the runner out. Soar is overruled and then the fight starts between Jensen and the pitcher and both are tossed. Pedro Ramos, who succeeds McDermott, draws a walk and scores the winning run.
»January 29, 1958:
The Indians buy 1B Mickey Vernon from the Red Sox for the waiver price.
»November 19, 1960: Mickey Vernon is hired as the first manager of the new Washington team.
»May 22, 1963: The all-time shortest managerial career ends after one game—a loss—when Eddie Yost, who replaced Mickey Vernon (14-26) as the Senators pilot, is replaced by Gil Hodges. Hodges was acquired today from the Mets, who receive veteran Jimmy Piersall.
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