Johnny Mize

1.1. Childhood and education

Mize was born in Demorest, Georgia, on January 7, 1913, to Edward and Emma Mize. Following his parents' separation, his mother moved to Atlanta for work, but Mize remained in Demorest, living with his grandmother. As a child, he excelled in tennis and played on his high school baseball team. He later continued his baseball career at Piedmont College. Mize was a distant cousin of baseball legend Ty Cobb, and his second cousin married another iconic player, Babe Ruth.

1.2. Early career development

Mize began his professional baseball journey within the St. Louis Cardinals' minor league system, signing an amateur contract in 1930 while still attending Piedmont College. In 1934, he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds, but the trade was nullified after he suffered a groin injury. The following year, while still recovering from one leg injury, he unfortunately injured his other leg. These setbacks led Mize to temporarily retire from baseball and return home. However, the Cardinals organization reached out, asking him to consult a physician in St. Louis. He subsequently underwent surgery for bone spurs.

After his surgery, Mize was kept with the Cardinals in St. Louis because he would not have been able to play regularly in the minor leagues that season anyway. The organization believed he might get some opportunities to pinch hit with the major league team. Mize made his major league debut for the Cardinals in 1936. In his rookie season, he played 126 games, achieving a .329 batting average, hitting 19 home runs, and driving in 93 RBI. Reflecting on his unusual path, Mize once remarked, "I'm the only guy who played in the major leagues because I couldn't play in the minors."

2.1. St. Louis Cardinals (1936-1941)

During his time with the St. Louis Cardinals, Mize earned the nicknames "Big Jawn" and "The Big Cat" due to his smooth and agile fielding at first base. In 1937, he batted an impressive .364, narrowly missing the batting title to his Cardinals teammate Joe Medwick, who finished with a .374 average. In 1938, Mize led the National League in triples with 16 and in OPS with 1.036. The following year, 1939, he finished second in the league's MVP voting after leading the league with a .349 batting average and 28 home runs, securing his first batting and home run titles.

Mize continued his powerful hitting in 1940, smashing 43 home runs and driving in 137 RBI, earning him his second consecutive home run and RBI titles. His 43 home runs set a Cardinals team record that stood for nearly 60 years. However, at the end of the 1941 season, Cardinals general manager Branch Rickey, known for his philosophy of trading players before their skills began to decline, traded Mize to the New York Giants. In exchange for Mize, the Cardinals received Bill Lohrman, Johnny McCarthy, Ken O'Dea, and 50.00 K USD.

In 1941, Mize was involved in a lawsuit against Gum Products Inc., a company that produced a set of baseball cards called "Double Play." Mize sued, arguing that the company did not have his consent to use his image in the card set. Although Gum Products Inc. ultimately won the lawsuit, the company ceased production of its "Double Play" series due to the significant expenses incurred during the legal proceedings with Mize.

2.2. New York Giants (1942-1949)

The New York Giants pursued Mize after learning that their first baseman, Babe Young, was going to be forced into military service. In 1942, Mize recorded his lowest batting average to that point in his career, hitting .305, but he still managed to hit 26 home runs and led the National League with 110 RBI.

Mize spent the 1943 through 1945 seasons serving in the military during World War II. Upon his return to the Giants in 1946, a broken toe caused him to fall one home run short of the league title, which was won by Ralph Kiner of the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 1947, Mize rebounded spectacularly, hitting 51 home runs and tying Kiner for the league lead. He also led the league in runs scored and RBI. Remarkably, he became the only player in MLB history to hit 50 or more home runs in a season while also striking out fewer than 50 times (he had 51 home runs and 42 strikeouts that year). Mize's 1947 totals in runs, home runs, and RBI were all career highs. In 1948, Mize and Kiner once again tied for the league home run championship, each hitting 40. Mize was traded to the New York Yankees late in the 1949 season after expressing discontent with his playing time.

2.3. New York Yankees (1949-1953)

John Mize spent the final five years of his career with the New York Yankees, primarily serving as a part-time player, concluding his career in 1953. Despite his part-time role, he was considered a valuable contributor to the Yankees' remarkable achievement of winning five consecutive American League pennants and World Series titles from 1949 to 1953.

Although he spent part of the 1950 season on minor league rehab, Mize hit 25 home runs that year, becoming only the second player in MLB history to have a 25-home run season in both the National and American Leagues. In the 1952 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers, Mize hit three home runs, one of which came as a pinch-hitter. He was nearly robbed of a fourth home run in the 11th inning when Dodgers right fielder Carl Furillo made a leaping catch above the fence, preserving a win for the Dodgers.

In October 1953, Mize announced his retirement. He stated that he would rather retire while he was still popular with fans than to "hang around until they start to boo." Mize holds the major league record for the most times hitting three home runs in a single game, a feat he accomplished six times throughout his career. He was also one of a handful of players, including Babe Ruth, to achieve this in both leagues-five times in the National League and once in the American League. He was the first player to hit three home runs in a game twice in one season, doing so in 1938 and again in 1940. He concluded his career with 359 home runs.

Mize still holds several St. Louis Cardinals team records, including most home runs in a season by a left-handed batter, most season RBI by a left-hander, and most games with three or more home runs (6). He and Carl Yastrzemski are the only players to have three seasons of hitting 40 or more home runs without ever having a season with between 30 and 39 home runs.

4.1. Playing style and skills

John Mize was widely known by his nicknames "Big Jawn" and "The Big Cat," the latter earned for his exceptionally smooth and agile fielding at first base. He possessed a keen eye for pitches and, early in his career, focused on batting average. After winning the batting title in 1939, Mize consciously shifted his batting style to prioritize power hitting. This adjustment proved highly successful, as evidenced by his career OPS of .959, including four consecutive years from 1937 to 1940 where his OPS exceeded 1.000.

One of Mize's most unique statistical achievements occurred in 1947, when he hit 51 home runs while striking out only 42 times. This made him the only player in MLB history (as of 2022) to record 50 or more home runs in a season with fewer than 50 strikeouts. He was also noted for his disciplined approach at the plate, reportedly never stepping out of the batter's box during an at-bat. Mize was also a strong pinch hitter throughout his MLB career, posting a .292 batting average (52-for-178) with 7 home runs and 56 RBI in 215 pinch-hitting appearances.

4.2. Batting and defense statistics

John Mize's career spanned 15 seasons, during which he played 1,884 games. He accumulated 6,443 at-bats, 1,118 runs scored, and 2,011 hits. His power numbers included 367 doubles, 83 triples, and 359 home runs, resulting in 3,621 total bases. He drove in 1,337 runs and drew 856 walks. His career batting average was .312, with an on-base percentage of .397 and a slugging percentage of .562, leading to a career OPS of .959. Defensively, he maintained an impressive .992 fielding percentage at first base.

Bold indicates league leader.

4.3. Home run and batting titles

John Mize was a formidable hitter who earned multiple league titles throughout his career. He won the National League batting title once in 1939 with a .349 average. He was a four-time National League home run champion, leading the league in 1939 (28 HR), 1940 (43 HR), 1947 (51 HR), and 1948 (40 HR). In 1947 and 1948, he shared the home run title with Ralph Kiner. Mize also led the National League in runs batted in three times: in 1940 (137 RBI), 1942 (110 RBI), and 1947 (138 RBI).

He holds several St. Louis Cardinals team records, including the most home runs in a season by a left-handed batter, the most season RBI by a left-hander, and the most games with three or more home runs, achieving this feat six times. Mize was the first player to hit three home runs in a game twice in one season, doing so in 1938 and repeating it in 1940. He and Carl Yastrzemski are the only players in MLB history to have three seasons of hitting 40 or more home runs without ever having a season with between 30 and 39 home runs.