Andrew Howard Cohen (October 25, 1904 – October 29, 1988), nicknamed the "Tuscaloosa Terror", was an American

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

player,

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

, and

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities o ...

. He played as a second baseman in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) for the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

, from to . Cohen would later be an

interim manager Interim management is the temporary provision of management resources and skills. Interim management can be seen as the short-term assignment of a proven heavyweight interim executive manager to manage a period of transition, crisis or change with ...

for the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

, in .

Biography

Cohen was born in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

, to

Jew Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""Th ...

ish parents who had been born in Europe.Cohen, Irwin
"Remembering The 'Yiddish Infielder'"
, ''

The Jewish Press ''The Jewish Press'' is an American weekly newspaper based in Brooklyn, New York, and geared toward the Modern Orthodox Jewish community. It describes itself as "America's Largest Independent Jewish Weekly". ''The Jewish Press'' has an online v ...

'', December 10, 2008. Retrieved December 14, 2008. Though most sources give his full birth name as "Andrew Howard Cohen,"Andy Cohen

Baseball-Reference.com Baseball-Reference is a website providing baseball statistics for every player in Major League Baseball history. The site is often used by major media organizations and baseball broadcasters as a source for statistics. It offers a variety of advan ...

. Retrieved December 15, 2008. a July 1928 profile published in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' calls him "Andrew Jackson Cohen", citing his insistence on retaining his name despite pressure to change it, saying that "he had done pretty well up to then as Andrew Jackson Cohen and he would continue under that name", besides it would hurt his mother to play under an assumed name.Vidmer, Richards
"ANDY COHEN KEEPS HIS NAME; ANDY COHEN"
''

'', July 22, 1928. Retrieved December 14, 2008. He was the brother of

Syd Cohen Syd or SYD may refer to: * Syd (name), including a list of people with the name * ''Syd.'', taxonomic author abbreviation of Hans Sydow (1879–1946), German mycologist * Sydney, New South Wales, Australia ** IATA code for Sydney Airport, New Sout ...

, who pitched in the major leagues from 1934 to 1937. Cohen's family moved to

El Paso, Texas El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the county seat, seat of El Paso County, Texas, El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau w ...

, when he was four years old. Cohen was a star at

El Paso High School El Paso High School is the oldest operating high school in El Paso, Texas, and is part of the El Paso Independent School District. It serves the west-central section of the city, roughly south and west of the Franklin Mountains and north of Inters ...

in baseball, basketball, and football. He was awarded a scholarship to the

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and la ...

, where he played all three sports. Cohen left college early and signed a minor league contract to play in the

Texas League The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...

Minor leagues

In 1925 Cohen batted .312 for Waco of the Texas League. In 1927, he batted .353 for the

Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen Fiel ...

, with a .508 slugging percentage. In 1931 he batted .317 for Newark of the

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...

New York Giants

Cohen's success in the

drew the attention of

John McGraw John Joseph McGraw (April 7, 1873 – February 25, 1934) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) player and manager who was for almost thirty years manager of the New York Giants. He was also the third baseman of the pennant-winning 1890 ...

, manager of the

, who had been looking to sign a Jewish player to help draw crowds to compete with the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

and

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...

playing across the

Harlem River The Harlem River is an tidal strait in New York, United States, flowing between the Hudson River and the East River and separating the island of Manhattan from the Bronx on the New York mainland. The northern stretch, also called the Spuyte ...

. In May 1926, the Giants purchased Cohen's contract for $20,000 ($ today) from the

Waco Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the st ...

team in the Texas League. Cohen debuted in a May 31, 1926, game against the

, with a

pinch hit In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead (not in active play); the manager may use any player who has not yet entered the game as a substitute. Unlike basketball, America ...

single to

center field A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the Baseball positions, baseball and softball fielding position between Left fielder, left field and Right fielder, right field. In the numberi ...

batting for

Frankie Frisch Frank Francis Frisch (September 9, 1898—March 12, 1973), nicknamed "The Fordham Flash" or "The Old Flash", was an American Major League Baseball player and manager of the first half of the twentieth century. Frisch was a switch-hitting secon ...

, and an assist in the field. Cohen batted .257 in 32 games with the Giants in the 1926 season, with 9 hits (including a triple) in 35

at bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...

s. Cohen played 10 games at second, 10 as

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...

, and two at

third base A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...

. McGraw gave Cohen the option to stay with the team, but Cohen chose to be sent to Buffalo of the

, where he would have an opportunity to be an everyday player.

The Sporting News The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...

wrote that he had: "all the natural characteristics (physically) of his race — thick, dark hair, dark skin and keen mentality." With the slot at second base filled by

Rogers Hornsby Rogers Hornsby Sr. (April 27, 1896 – January 5, 1963), nicknamed "The Rajah", was an American baseball infielder, manager, and coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1915–1926, 1933 ...

with the parent team, Cohen spent the 1927 season in Buffalo, with his .353 batting average leading the team to a league title. He was warmly welcomed by Buffalo's Jewish community, which held an "Andy Cohen Day" in which he was bestowed with gifts, including a diamond ring from fans and a black onyx ring from a jewelry store, among other gifts. Hornsby had played 155 games at second base in the 1927 season, but he was traded by the Giants to the

Boston Braves The Atlanta Braves, a current Major League Baseball franchise, originated in Boston, Massachusetts. This article details the history of the Boston Braves, from 1871 to 1952, after which they moved to Milwaukee, and then to Atlanta. During it ...

in January 1928, freeing up a slot for Cohen. With the

Mayor of New York City The mayor of New York City, officially Mayor of the City of New York, is head of the executive branch of the government of New York City and the chief executive of New York City. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property ...

Jimmy Walker James John Walker (June 19, 1881November 18, 1946), known colloquially as Beau James, was mayor of New York City from 1926 to 1932. A flamboyant politician, he was a liberal Democrat and part of the powerful Tammany Hall machine. He was forced t ...

, on hand to throw out the first ball at the 1928 Opening Day game, Cohen led the Giants to a 5–3 victory over the Boston Braves, hitting two singles and a double, knocking in two runs, and scoring two. Thousands of fans rushed onto the field after the game and carried Cohen off the field on their shoulders. As the Giants' regular second baseman, Cohen had his best season in the major leagues in 1928, batting .274 with 24 doubles, 7 triples, and 9 home runs, as on defense he was fourth in the NL in double plays turned by a second baseman (90). The Giants played on his success on the field, with vendors selling "Ice Cream Cohens" in the concession stands at the

Polo Grounds The Polo Grounds was the name of three stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used mainly for professional baseball and American football from 1880 through 1963. The original Polo Grounds, opened in 1876 and demolished in 1889, was built fo ...

. The ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' called the Giants' promotion of Cohen one of "the most efficient job of ballyhoo that has been performed in the sport industry..." ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

'' magazine noted his popularity, reporting on a note from an adoring fan that read "I understand you are Jewish and single... if you would care to meet a brunette... Anyway drop me a little note...", one of hundreds Cohen said he had received. He was part of a

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

act, telling jokes and singing parodies with

Shanty Hogan James Francis "Shanty" Hogan (March 21, 1906 – April 7, 1967) was an American professional baseball player.catcher Catcher is a Baseball positions, position in baseball and softball. When a Batter (baseball), batter takes their at bat, turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home plate, home) Umpire (baseball), umpire, and recei ...

for the team. After the 1928 season they started performing on the Loew Circuit, with their first appearance on stage at the Loew's Commodore Theatre in the

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

on October 15, 1928. The duo earned $1,800 ($ today) a week, billed as "Cohen & Hogan" except in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, when the billings were reversed. In a 1960 interview, Cohen reminisced that "if we didn't kill

, we sure helped."Daley, Arthur
"He Helped Kill Vaudeville"
''

'', March 27, 1960. Retrieved December 15, 2008. Cohen batted .294 in 101 games with the Giants in the 1929 season, hitting 12 doubles, two triples, and five home runs, while leading the league in range factor per nine innings by a second baseman (6.33), and playing what turned out to be his final major league game on October 5, 1929. The Giants sent Cohen to Newark during the 1929 season, to help refine Cohen's fielding. Cohen batted .318 and set an International League record with 59 consecutive errorless games. McGraw told Cohen that he would be called back up to the majors, and that day he broke his leg, never to play in the big leagues again.

After the major leagues

Cohen played for the

Newark Bears The Newark Bears were an American minor league professional baseball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They were a member of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and, later, the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball. T ...

from 1929 until June 1932, when he was assigned to Minneapolis of the

American Association American Association may refer to: Baseball * American Association (1882–1891), a major league active from 1882 to 1891 * American Association (1902–1997), a minor league active from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997 * American Association of Profe ...

. Despite the leg injury, Cohen led all International League second baseman in 1931 with a

fielding percentage In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, div ...

of .985, with 11 errors in 323 putouts and 412 assists, in addition to 66 double plays. With Minneapolis in 1933, Cohen led all American Association second basemen with a fielding percentage of .981 in 121 games. Cohen was inducted into the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

on May 26, 1942, reporting to

Fort Niagara Fort Niagara is a fortification originally built by New France to protect its interests in North America, specifically control of access between the Niagara River and Lake Ontario, the easternmost of the Great Lakes. The fort is on the river's e ...

. He was a first sergeant with the 21st Engineers, and saw action in Italy and Africa. After the war, Cohen continued his career as a manager in the minor leagues. Cohen managed the

Denver Bears Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...

, then of the Western League, from 1951 to 1954, leading the team to a championship in his final season. After

Ralph Houk Ralph George Houk (; August 9, 1919 – July 21, 2010), nicknamed The Major, was an American catcher, coach, manager, and front office executive in Major League Baseball. He is best known as the successor of Casey Stengel as manager of the New Yor ...

was named as a coach of the

for the 1958 season, Cohen was chosen to fill Houk's spot as manager of the Denver Bears, then the Yankees' top minor league team in the American Association. He was a minor league manager after his playing career ended from 1939 to 1957. In 1956–57, Cohen managed the Chesterfield Smokers of the

Panamanian Professional Baseball League The Panamanian Professional Baseball League ( es, Béisbol Profesional de Panamá, links=no), currently known as Probeis, is a professional baseball winter league consisting of three teams based in Panama. Since 2019, the league's winner takes p ...

. Cohen was also a coach with the

in 1960. After manager

Eddie Sawyer Edwin Milby Sawyer (September 10, 1910 – September 22, 1997) was an American manager and scout in Major League Baseball. As a manager, he led the 1950 Philadelphia Phillies — the "Whiz Kids", as the youthful club was known — to the second ...

stepped down after losing the first game of the season, the Phillies hired

Gene Mauch Gene William Mauch (November 18, 1925 – August 8, 2005) was an American professional baseball player and manager, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a second baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers (, ), Pittsburgh Pirates (), Chicago Cubs ...

as his replacement, but had Cohen manage one game before Mauch could join the team, leading the Phillies to a 5–4 win in ten innings over the Milwaukee Braves. This was the only game Cohen ever managed in the major leagues, leaving him with a perfect record as a manager. He returned to his hometown, where he coached the baseball team at the

University of Texas at El Paso The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is a public research university in El Paso, Texas. It is a member of the University of Texas System. UTEP is the second-largest university in the United States to have a majority Mexican American stud ...

for 17 years. Cohen died 4 days after his 84th birthday and 6 months after his brother Syd in El Paso, Texas on October 29, 1988. In 1989, the

El Paso Diablos "El Paso Diablos" refers to two different professional baseball teams based in El Paso, Texas, in the United States. The most recent Diablos were a member of the South Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, whi ...

moved into

Cohen Stadium Cohen Stadium was a stadium on the Northeast side of El Paso, Texas, by the Patriot Freeway, next to the Franklin Mountains. It replaced Dudley Field and has been replaced by Southwest University Park. It was primarily used for baseball, an ...

, a 9,725-seat stadium that was named in honor of Andy and his brother Syd.Corral, Alfredo
"A Baseball Team By Any Other Name"
,

El Paso Community College El Paso Community College (EPCC) is a community college district headquartered in El Paso, Texas, United States. EPCC operates five campuses in the Greater El Paso area, as well as courses offered at nearby Fort Bliss. As defined by the Texas Le ...

. Retrieved December 15, 2008.

References

External links