Editing Mickey Cochrane (section)

===Philadelphia Athletics===
After just one season in the [[Minor League Baseball|minor leagues]], Cochrane was promoted to the major leagues, making his debut with the Philadelphia Athletics on April 14, [[1925 Philadelphia Athletics season|1925]] at the age of 22.<ref name="Mickey Cochrane at Baseball Reference"/> He made an immediate impact by becoming [[Connie Mack]]'s starting catcher in place of [[Cy Perkins]], who was considered one of the best catchers in the major leagues at the time.<ref>{{cite news |title=Pick Mickey Cochrane As Biggest Find Of The Season |work=The Southeast Missourian |page=9 |date=20 August 1925 |access-date=30 March 2011 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=MndFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4445,1834410&dq=mickey+cochrane&hl=en}}</ref> A left-handed batter, he ran well enough that Mack would occasionally have him bat leadoff. He hit third more often, but whatever his place in the order his primary role was to get on base so that hard-hitting [[Al Simmons]] and [[Jimmie Foxx]] could drive him in. In May, he tied a twentieth-century major league record by hitting three [[home run]]s in a game.<ref>{{cite news |title=Connie Mack Is Well Satisfied With Payouts |work=The Miami News |page=3 |date=5 June 1925 |access-date=30 March 2011 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_EguAAAAIBAJ&pg=5860,5244789&dq=mickey+cochrane&hl=en }}{{Dead link|date=May 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> He ended his rookie season with a .331 [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] and a .397 [[on-base percentage]], helping the Athletics to a second-place finish.

By the start of the [[1926 Philadelphia Athletics season|1926]] season, Cochrane was already considered the best catcher in the major leagues.<ref>{{cite news |title='We're In' Scribe Hears The 'Kid' Say |agency=United Press International |work=Palm Beach Daily News |date=19 March 1926 |access-date=30 March 2011 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=tn8hAAAAIBAJ&dq=mickey%20cochrane&pg=1437%2C1377292 }}{{Dead link|date=May 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> He won the {{mlby|1928}} American League [[Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|Most Valuable Player Award]], mostly for his leadership and defensive skills, when he led the American League in [[putout]]s and hit .293 along with 10 [[home run]]s and 58 [[runs batted in]].<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Mickey Cochrane"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1928.shtml#ALmvp |title=1928 American League Most Valuable Player Award voting results |website=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=2010-11-23}}</ref> Cochrane was a catalyst in the Athletics' [[pennant (sports)|pennant]]-winning years of [[1929 Philadelphia Athletics season|1929]], [[1930 Philadelphia Athletics season|1930]] and [[1931 Philadelphia Athletics season|1931]], during which he hit .331, .357 and .349 respectively.<ref name="Mickey Cochrane at Baseball Reference"/><ref name="The Detroit Tigers Encyclopedia Honoring a Detroit Legend"/> He played in those three [[World Series]], winning the first two, but was sometimes blamed for the loss of the [[1931 World Series]], when the [[1931 St. Louis Cardinals season|St. Louis Cardinals]], led by [[Pepper Martin]], stole eight bases and the Series. However, in his book ''The Life of a Baseball Hall of Fame Catcher'', author Charlie Bevis cites the Philadelphia pitching staff's carelessness in holding runners as a contributing factor.<ref name="The Life of a Baseball Hall of Fame Catcher">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Tt1ePW6HopEC&q=mickey%20cochrane&pg=PA84 |title=The Life of a Baseball Hall of Fame Catcher |author=Bevis, Charlie |year=1998 |publisher=McFarland |access-date=30 March 2011 |isbn=9780786405169 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Dollars Rolling In For The Great 'Diz' |agency=Associated Press |work=Rochester Evening Journal |page=3 |date=3 October 1934 |access-date=5 April 2011 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5WRjAAAAIBAJ&dq=pepper%20martin&pg=3122%2C1301714}}</ref> Notwithstanding this, the blame for the 1931 World Series loss dogged Cochrane for the rest of his life.<ref name="The Life of a Baseball Hall of Fame Catcher"/>