Editing Mickey Cochrane (section)

===Detroit Tigers===
[[File:Mickey Cochrane 1935.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Mickey Cochrane in the cover of ''Time'' magazine in 1935]]
In [[1934 in baseball|1934]], Mack started to disassemble his dynasty for financial reasons and put Cochrane on the trade block. He found a willing recipient in the [[Detroit Tigers]]. Their owner, [[Frank Navin]], was also suffering from financial troubles. They had not finished higher than third since 1923, and had developed a reputation for being content with mediocrity. Attendance at [[Navin Field]] had sagged for some time. Navin had originally hoped to acquire [[Babe Ruth]] and name him player-manager, but after those talks fizzled, he turned to the A's.<ref>Ferkovich, Scott. [http://seamheads.com/2014/07/14/a-look-back-at-when-babe-ruth-nearly-became-the-detroit-tigers-player-manager A Look Back at When Babe Ruth Nearly Became the Detroit Tigers’ Player-Manager]. Seamheads.com, 2014-07-14.</ref> A deal to send Cochrane to Detroit was quickly arranged, and Navin immediately named him player-manager.<ref name="The Detroit Tigers Encyclopedia Honoring a Detroit Legend"/>

It was with Detroit where Cochrane cemented his reputation as a team leader and his competitive nature drove the Tigers, who had been picked to finish in fourth or fifth place, to the {{mlby|1934}} American League championship, their first pennant in 25 years. They won 101 games, which was the most by the team for [[List of Major League Baseball 100 win seasons|34 years]], and Cochrane was the first ever rookie manager to achieve 100 wins.<ref name="The Detroit Tigers Encyclopedia Honoring a Detroit Legend"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1934_WS.shtml |title=1934 World Series at Baseball Reference |website=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=2010-11-23}}</ref><ref name="They Earned Their Stripes: The Detroit Tigers' All-Time Team">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5BRxw4nSqXUC&q=mickey+cochrane&pg=PA116 |title=''They Earned Their Stripes: The Detroit Tigers' All-Time Team'', Detroit News, Sports Publishing LLC, 2001, ISBN 1-58261-365-6, ISBN 978-1-58261-365-9 |date= 2001-05-01|access-date=2010-11-23|isbn=9781582613659 |last=Whitt |first=Alan |publisher=Sports Publishing LLC }}</ref> Cochrane routinely [[platoon system|platooned]] [[Gee Walker]], a right-handed batter, to spell left fielder [[Goose Goslin]] and [[center fielder]] [[Jo-Jo White]], who were both left-handed batters.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19870513&id=iycxAAAAIBAJ&pg=2127,4457202 |title=Don't Blame Casey Stengel For Inventing Platoon System |first=Tom |last=Loomis |newspaper=Toledo Blade |date=May 13, 1987 |page=26 |access-date=February 3, 2014}}</ref> Cochrane's leadership and strategic skills won him the [[1934 Detroit Tigers season|1934]] Most Valuable Player Award, shocking considering that [[Lou Gehrig]] had won the [[Major League Baseball Triple Crown|Triple Crown]], compiled a 10.0 WAR (Wins Above Replacement) rating which was more than double that of Cochrane's and utterly dominated the league in every major offensive category.<ref name="The Detroit Tigers Encyclopedia Honoring a Detroit Legend" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1934.shtml#ALmvp |title=1934 American League Most Valuable Player Award voting results |website=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=2010-11-23}}</ref> He followed this by leading the Tigers to another American League pennant in {{mlby|1935}} and earning a victory over the [[1935 Chicago Cubs season|Chicago Cubs]] in the [[1935 World Series]]; it was Detroit's first undisputed world championship.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1935_WS.shtml |title=1935 World Series at Baseball Reference |website=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=2010-11-23}}</ref> In late 1935, the ''[[Detroit Free Press]]'' speculated Cochrane might eventually succeed Navin as team president.<ref name=Presidency>{{cite news|title=Cochrane May Get Tiger Presidency|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=O1JPAAAAIBAJ&pg=5329,1572190&dq=mickey+cochrane&hl=en|access-date=August 5, 2013|newspaper=[[St. Petersburg Times]]|date=November 14, 1935}}</ref> Due in part to his high-strung nature, as well as considerable pressure to join the [[Black Legion (political movement)|Black Legion]], then-prominent in the Detroit area, he suffered a nervous breakdown during the [[1936 Detroit Tigers season|1936]] season.<ref name="The Detroit Tigers Encyclopedia Honoring a Detroit Legend"/>

On May 25, [[1937 Detroit Tigers season|1937]], Cochrane was hit in the head by a pitch from [[New York Yankees|Yankees]] [[pitcher]] [[Bump Hadley]]. Cochrane had homered in his previous at-bat that day. Hospitalized for seven days, Cochrane nearly died from the injury. This accident generated a call for protective helmets for batters, although tradition won out at that time.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Helmet for Baseball Batters is Urged as Safety Measure|journal=Popular Mechanics|date=July 1937|volume=68|issue=3|page=390|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rNoDAAAAMBAJ&q=Popular+Science+1935+plane+%22Popular+Mechanics%22&pg=PA390|access-date=23 September 2015}}</ref> Cochrane was forced to retire at the age of 34 after doctors ordered him not to attempt to play baseball again.<ref name="They Earned Their Stripes: The Detroit Tigers' All-Time Team"/>

{{MLBBioHon
|Image  = Cochrane Tigers.png
|Name   = Mickey Cochrane
|Team   = Detroit Tigers
|Year   = 2000
|}}
Cochrane compiled a .320 batting average while hitting 119 home runs and 830 runs batted in over a 13-year playing career. He also had 1,652 hits, 1,041 runs scored, 333 doubles, 64 triples, 64 stolen bases and a .478 slugging percentage.<ref name="Mickey Cochrane at Baseball Reference"/> His .320 batting average is the highest career mark for catchers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://members.tripod.com/bb_catchers/catchers/8coffavg.htm |title=Career Batting averages at The Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers |publisher=Members.tripod.com |access-date=2010-11-23}}</ref> His .419 [[on-base percentage]] is among the best in baseball history, and is the highest all-time among catchers.<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Mickey Cochrane"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://members.tripod.com/bb_catchers/catchers/obp_car.htm |title=On Base Percentages at The Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers |publisher=Members.tripod.com |access-date=2010-11-23}}</ref> In {{mlby|1932}}, he became the first major league catcher to score 100 [[run (baseball)|runs]] and produce 100 runs batted in during the same season.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ySoDAAAAMBAJ&q=100+runs+100+rbi+by+catcher+baseball+digest&pg=PA47 |title=Baseball Digest, September 1995, Vol. 54, No. 9, ISSN 0005-609X |access-date=2010-11-23}}</ref>

He [[hitting for the cycle|hit for the cycle]] twice in his career, on July 22, [[1932 Philadelphia Athletics season|1932]] and August 2, [[1933 Philadelphia Athletics season|1933]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://members.tripod.com/bb_catchers/catchers/cycle.htm |title=Catchers Hitting for the Cycle at The Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers |publisher=Members.tripod.com |access-date=2010-11-23}}</ref><ref name="Mickey Cochrane at www.thehitters.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.thehitters.com/profile.asp?i=1118&e=1 |title=Mickey Cochrane at www.thehitters.com |publisher=Thehitters.com |access-date=2010-11-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://retrosheet.org/boxesetc/C/PX_cochm101.htm|title=Mickey Cochrane Top Performances at Retrosheet|website=Retrosheet.org|accessdate= May 14, 2024}}</ref>

In his first 11 years, he never caught fewer than 110 games.<ref name="The Baseball Biography Project: Mickey Cochrane"/> He led American League catchers six times in putouts and twice each in [[double play]]s [[assist (baseball)|assists]] and [[fielding percentage]].<ref name="Mickey Cochrane at www.thehitters.com"/><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LSsDAAAAMBAJ&q=july+2001+fielding+leaders+baseball+digest&pg=PA86 |title=Baseball Digest, July 2001, P.86, Vol. 60, No. 7, ISSN 0005-609X |access-date=2010-11-23}}</ref>

Cochrane returned to the dugout to continue managing the Tigers but had lost his competitive fire.<ref name="They Earned Their Stripes: The Detroit Tigers' All-Time Team"/> He managed for the remainder of the 1937 season but was replaced midway through the [[1938 Detroit Tigers season|1938]] season by coach and former catcher [[Del Baker]].<ref name="The Detroit Tigers Encyclopedia Honoring a Detroit Legend"/> His all-time managerial record was 348–250, for a .582 winning percentage.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/cochrmi01.shtml |title=Mickey Cochrane manager statistics at Baseball Reference |website=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=2010-11-23}}</ref>