Facts, Trivia, Memories and More about Johnny Mize

Transactions

Acquired: August 22, 1949: Johnny was purchased by the Yankees from the New York Giants for $40,000.

Notes

• Johnny would appear in all five World Series victories for the Yankees from 1949 to 1953.  His best series was 1952 when he would collect 6 hits in 15 at-bats (.400) with three home runs, a double and six RBI.  His solo shot in Game 4 gave the Yankees a 1-0 lead, which was all they needed as Allie Reynolds shut out the Dodgers 2-0 in the Bronx.

Highlights

July 18, 1950: Johnny goes 4-for-4 with four RBI on a pair of two-run homers, helping the Yankees to a 12-1 drubbing of the St. Louis Browns at the Stadium.  Hank Bauer and Yogi Berra also contributed three hits while Gene Woodling added a three-run inside-the-park home run in the sixth inning.  All of which helped Tommy Byrne improve to 10-4 on the season and cutting Detroit's lead in the standings to 3.5 games.

September 15, 1950: Johnny hits three home runs, a solo, a two-run, and a three-run shot each, in a 9-7 loss to the Detroit Tigers.  All three came off Detroit starter Art Houtteman. Mize's three-run homer in the top of the fifth put the Yankees ahead 7-5 in a see-saw affair in Detroit, but starter Allie Reynolds and reliever Tom Ferrick were unable to hold the lead, surrendering a run in the bottom of the fifth and three in the sixth.  Mize's bid for a fourth home run on the day was stopped in the top of the eighth when he struck out against reliever Hank Borowy.  This loss dealt a temporary blow to the Yankees pennant hopes.  Embroiled in a tight race with Detroit, the Yanks entered this crucial three-game set a half game behind the Tigers.  The Yankees won the first game 7-5 behind Vic Raschi to take the lead, but this loss the next night dropped them a half game behind yet again.  Rookie Whitey Ford would go all the way in the rubber match, an 8-1 victory as Ford improved to 7-0 on the season.  The Yankees never trailed again, finishing the season at a 10-5 clip while the Tigers and Red Sox were unable to overtake the Bombers who clinched the pennant when Detroit lost to Cleveland with only two games remaining in the season.

Memories

Don S. from Bastrop, TX wrote to say, "Big John was my childhood hero. I was a 12-13 year old kid during the 52-53 World Series and I remember him coming off the bench as a pinch hitter and hitting the ball over the fence."  Editor's Note: Johnny appeared in all five World Series with the Yankees from 1949-53.  His impact was greatest in the 1952 Series when he belted three home runs, a double and six RBI in fifteen at-bats with a .400 AVG and 1.567 OPS as the Yankees beat the Dodgers four games to three.

Johnny M. from Dallas, TX wrote to say, "My Dad and my oldest brother were big Yankee fans during Johnny's years with the Yankees. When I came along in 1955, I was named after the 'Big Cat.' My Dad always promised to take me to a Mize family reunion to meet him, but it never happened and I moved away to Texas. A couple of years before he died, I had the honor of meeting him at a baseball card show in Irving, Texas. He signed a baseball and a card for me and asked my name. He was surprised to learn that I was named after him. I rushed home to call my dad and tell him about meeting Johnny Mize.