Ain’t he a wonder? Why he’s a big cat.
Joe Orengo
Early Years
John Robert Mize was born Januray 7, 1913, in Demorest, Georgia. He grew up an avid fan of the local Piedmont College baseball team, and he signed up to play against them as part of the local semipro team. One day, a St. Louis Cardinals scout came through town to watch the game, and was so impressed by Mize, that he signed him on the spot to a minor league team. At the tender age of 18, Johnny played his first year of professional ball. It took him five years to make it to the majors with the Cards, after a bone spur in his knee nullified a contract he had signed with the Cincinnati Reds in 1935.
The Big Cat Strikes
The greatest rookie I’ve ever seen.
Charley Dressen, Cincinnati Reds manager
Nicknamed "The Big Cat", Mize stood at 6'2" and weighed nearly 220 pounds. His first year in the big leagues he hit 19 home runs and batted an astounding .329. The following year he batted .364 in his first full campaign with the team and appeared in the first of ten All-Star Games for him, and in 1938 he batted .337 while leading the league in triples, despite being something less than a speed threat. He also captured his first OPS title, a feat he would repeat in 1939 and 1940. 1939 proved to be his peak season, when he hit .349 to lead the league in batting, while also hitting 28 home runs to capture that title. He fell just 20 RBIs short of capturing the National League Triple Crown.
The Big Cat In the Big Apple
We always did know how to pitch to him,
but some days when you’re squatting behind the plate Mr. Mize’s bat swells up.
Roy Campanella
Despite Mize's mighty hitting contributions, the late thirties Cardinals were lackluster, and never contended seriously for a pennant. In 1941, the team decided to ship their star slugger to the New York Giants for $50,000 and three average starters, a move possibly precipitated by Branch Rickey's contract clause giving him 20% of the team's profits. The next year, Johnny batted .305 with the new club and knocked in 110 runs to lead the league, but before he could step up and play any more with the Giants, he was drafted and joined the Navy. Though he never saw combat, Johnny spent three years of his life defending our country during World war II. By the time he returned to baseball in 1946, he was 33 years old and his knees were not as strong as they used to be.
This of course didn't stop his feats with the bat: after a respectable 22 home run, .337 campaign in his shortened 1946 season, Mize clubbed 51 home runs in 1947 to tie for the league lead with Ralph Kiner. He also became the only player in major league history to hit 50 homers and strike out less than 50 times. He led the league again in home runs the following year, slamming 40 dingers over the walls at the Polo Grounds.
The Big Cat Strikes Again
In 1949, the Giants were struggling to stay afloat financially, and as the season neared its end, they sold The Big Cat to their crosstown rivals the New York Yankees. He finished out the year with the Yankees, and then played for them in his first World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers. Twice he was called up to pinch hit; twice he got a hit and knocked in a run, and helped his team sweep the Dodgers.
From 1950 to 1953, Mize platooned at first base with Joe Collins, playing on days when his knees felt well enough to be on the field. His famous bat speed had diminished, but he still proved to be a valuable backup (leading the league in pinch hits twice), and the team made it to the World Series every year that he played with them. In the 1952 Fall Classic, Johnny was called up to pinch hit in the bottom of the ninth of a game the Yankees were losing 3-2 to the Dodgers. He stepped in and promptly hit a two run double to give the Yankees the victory. He also hit three home runs in that series, and was named the Team MVP by his teammates.
After Baseball
After 17 years in professional baseball, Johnny finally retired after the 1953 season and became a scout for the Giants. He moved up to coach a few minor league squads, and served as bench coach for the Kansas City Athletics from 1960 to 1961.
In 1981, Johnny Mize was elected to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee. He passed away June 2, 1993, in his hometown of Demorest. He was 80 years old. His National League record for home runs in a season by a left handed batter stood until 2001, when some upstart named Barry Bonds finally passed him. Today you can visit the Johnny Mize Museum and Johnny Mize Athletic Center at his old school, Piedmont College.
Career Statistics
YEAR TEAM G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA
1936 STL NL 126 414 76 136 30 8 19 93 1 50 32 .329
1937 STL NL 145 560 103 204 40 7 25 113 2 56 57 .364
1938 STL NL 149 531 85 179 34 16 27 102 0 74 47 .337
1939 STL NL 153 564 104 197 44 14 28 108 0 92 49 .349
1940 STL NL 155 579 111 182 31 13 43 137 7 82 49 .314
1941 STL NL 126 473 67 150 39 8 16 100 4 70 45 .317
1942 NYG NL 142 541 97 165 25 7 26 110 3 60 39 .305
1946 NYG NL 101 377 70 127 18 3 22 70 3 62 26 .337
1947 NYG NL 154 586 137 177 26 2 51 138 2 74 42 .302
1948 NYG NL 152 560 110 162 26 4 40 125 4 94 37 .289
1949 NYG NL 106 388 59 102 15 0 18 62 1 50 19 .263
NYY AL 13 23 4 6 1 0 1 2 0 0 4 2 .261
TOT 119 411 63 108 16 0 19 64 1 0 54 21 .263
1950 NYY AL 90 274 43 76 12 0 25 72 0 1 29 24 .277
1951 NYY AL 113 332 37 86 14 1 10 49 1 0 36 24 .259
1952 NYY AL 78 137 9 36 9 0 4 29 0 0 11 15 .263
1953 NYY AL 81 104 6 26 3 0 4 27 0 0 12 17 .250
CAREER 1884 6443 1118 2011 367 83 359 1337 28 1 856 524 .312
* Bold denotes led league.
Hall of Fame Index
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