William Barney McCosky (April 11, 1917 – September 6, 1996) was an

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...

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), ...

. From 1939 through 1953, he played for the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

(1939–42, 1946),

Philadelphia Athletics The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, the team became the Oaklan ...

(1946–1948, 1950–1951),

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

(1951) and

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

(1951–1953). McCosky batted left-handed and threw right-handed. McCosky played in 1,170 games, 535 in center field and 477 in left field. He had a career batting average of .312.

Early years

McCosky was born in Coal Run, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, the last of nine children. His mother died when he was one year old, and McCosky moved to Detroit at age 4 with his older brother Tony McCosky. McCosky grew up in Detroit in the midst of the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

. He later recalled: "Nobody had any money. We took mustard sandwiches and ketchup sandwiches to school." McCosky attended Southwestern High School in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

, where he was All-City and captain in both baseball and basketball. McCosky had a .727

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

his senior year — a Detroit public school record.

Professional baseball player

Minor leagues

In 1936, McCosky was signed out of high school by Tigers'

scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement **Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom **Scouts BSA, sectio ...

Wish Egan Aloysius Jerome "Wish" Egan (June 16, 1881 – April 13, 1951) was a Major League Baseball player and scout. Playing career Born in Evart, Michigan, Egan played three seasons as a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers (1902) and St. Louis Cardinals (1 ...

. In 1936, he hit .400 for the Charleston Senators and led the

Mid-Atlantic League The Middle Atlantic League (or Mid-Atlantic League) was a lower-level circuit in American minor league baseball that played during the second quarter of the 20th century. History The Middle Atlantic League played from 1925 through 1951, with t ...

. He played next for the

Beaumont Exporters The Beaumont Exporters was the predominant name of a minor league baseball team located in Beaumont, Texas that played between 1920 and 1957 in the Texas League and the Big State League. Beaumont rejoined the Class AA Texas League (1983-1986) and ...

from 1936 to 1938. He hit .318 in 1937 and .307 in 1938.

Detroit Tigers

In 11 major league seasons, McCosky was a .312 hitter with 24

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s and 397 RBIs in 1,170

games played Games played (GP) is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated (in any capacity); the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested. Basebal ...

. McCosky was a good contact hitter who hit over .300 in six of his first seven seasons. A fine

with a strong throwing arm, he collected a .984

fielding average 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, divi ...

with only 41 errors in 2579 chances. In 1939, McCosky's rookie season, he was an immediate success both at bat and in the field. He started 145 games in center field and hit for a .311

— trailing only

Hank Greenberg Henry Benjamin Greenberg (born Hyman Greenberg; January 1, 1911 – September 4, 1986), nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank", "Hankus Pankus", or "The Hebrew Hammer", was an American professional baseball player and team executive. He played in Major Leagu ...

and his boyhood hero,

Charlie Gehringer Charles Leonard Gehringer (May 11, 1903 – January 21, 1993), nicknamed "the Mechanical Man", was an American professional baseball second baseman, coach, general manager, and team vice president, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for t ...

, among the Tigers' starters. With great range and speed in the outfield, he led all American League outfielders with 428

putout In baseball statistics, a putout (denoted by ''PO'' or ''fly out'' when appropriate) is awarded to a defensive player who (generally while in secure possession of the ball) records an out by one of the following methods: * Tagging a runner wit ...

s and led the league's center fielders with a .986 fielding percentage. His 1939 Range factor of 3.00 was a career-high and 0.65 points above the league average. He was also near the top of the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

leaderboard in 1939 with 120 runs scored (fourth), 190 hits (fourth), 20 stolen bases (fourth), 262 times on base (fifth), 33 doubles (sixth) and 14 triples (second). He placed 27th in the American League Most Valuable Player voting. His most productive season came for the Detroit Tigers

champions, when he was among the AL league leaders with a .340

(6th in the AL), 200

hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album se ...

(tied for 1st in the AL), 19 triples (1st in the AL), 123 runs (3rd in the AL), 264 times on base (4th in the AL), and 39 doubles (7th in the AL). In the

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...

, he hit .304 (7-for-23) with five runs as Detroit lost to the Cincinnati Reds in seven games. McCosky finished No. 16 in the MVP voting for 1940. Since 1940, the only Tiger to exceed McCosky's 19 triples is

Curtis Granderson Curtis Granderson Jr. (born March 16, 1981), nicknamed the "Grandyman", is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Los Ang ...

in 2007. McCosky had another solid season in 1941, as he hit .324 and finished No. 15 in the American League MVP voting.

U. S. Navy

In December 1942, McCosky joined the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. McCosky lost three years in the prime of his career (at ages 26–28) to military service during World War II. He was discharged in October 1945.

Philadelphia Athletics

McCosky returned to Detroit in 1946. After a disappointing .198 start in 25 games, he was traded to the

in mid-May for

George Kell George Clyde Kell (August 23, 1922 – March 24, 2009) was an American Major League Baseball third baseman who played 15 seasons for the Philadelphia Athletics (1943–1946), Detroit Tigers (1947–1952), Boston Red Sox (1952–1954), Chicago W ...

. In his autobiography, Kell recalled being shocked that the Tigers would trade a "legitimate star" and "hometown boy" like McCosky for an "unknown third baseman." At the time of the trade, McCosky told Kell: "You'll be better off here in Detroit. You're going to love it here. I hate to leave because this is home. I've had good years here." Playing for manager

Connie Mack Cornelius McGillicuddy (December 22, 1862 – February 8, 1956), better known as Connie Mack, was an American professional baseball catcher, manager, and team owner. The longest-serving manager in Major League Baseball history, he holds untoucha ...

, McCosky broke out of his early season slump and hit .354 for the A's. In 1947, McCosky batted .328 (2nd best in the AL) for the Athletics and finished a career-best No. 11 in the AL MVP voting. In 1948, he hit .326 (5th best in the AL), had a .405 on-base percentage (6th in the AL), and scored 95 runs. McCosky missed the entire 1949 season after a back injury, and was never the same batter afterward. He returned to the Athletics in 1950, but his average dropped 86 points from .326 in 1948 to .240 in 1950. On April 26, 1951, McCosky broke up a

no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...

bid of Washington Senators

Connie Marrero Conrado Eugenio Marrero Ramos (April 25, 1911 – April 23, 2014), nicknamed "Connie", was a Cuban professional baseball pitcher. The right-handed Marrero pitched in Major League Baseball from to for the Washington Senators. Marrero made his m ...

with a home run.

Cincinnati and Cleveland

One week later, McCosky was sold to the

. He was then released and picked up off waivers by the

. He managed only 37 hits in 1951 for a .268 average. McCosky finished his career playing with the Indians, as his batting average dropped further to .213 in 1952 and .190 in 1953. Six times he was considered in the

American League MVP The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) is an annual Major League Baseball (MLB) award given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers' ...

vote (1939–42, 1947–48). In 1995, he was inducted into the

National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame The National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame and Museum was founded in 1973. The mission of the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame is to recognize and preserve outstanding achievement by individuals of Polish heritage in the field o ...

Later years

McCosky married his wife, Jane, in 1946. After his baseball career ended, he operated Barney McCosky's party store on Joy Road between Greenfield and Southfield in Detroit from 1953 to 1963. He then worked as an automobile salesman at Les Stanford Chevrolet in

Dearborn, Michigan Dearborn is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, it had a population of 109,976. Dearborn is the seventh most-populated city in Michigan and is home to the largest Muslim population in the United States pe ...

, until he retired in 1982. In 1982, McCosky and his wife moved in

Venice, Florida Venice is a city in Sarasota County, Florida, United States. The city includes what locals call "Venice Island", a portion of the mainland that is accessed via bridges over the artificially created Intracoastal Waterway. The city is located in Sou ...

, where they lived for 14 years. In 1996, McCosky died from jaw cancer at Bon Secour-Venice Hospital in Venice. He was buried at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in

Southfield, Michigan Southfield is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, the city had a population of 76,618. As a northern suburb of Detroit, Southfield shares part of its ...

.baseball-almanac.com
/ref> In 1957, a baseball little league was formed and named the Barney McCosky Little League.

References

External links

Barney McCosky
- Baseballbiography.com {{DEFAULTSORT:McCosky, Barney 1917 births 1996 deaths American people of Polish descent Baseball players from Detroit Baseball players from Pennsylvania Beaumont Exporters players Charleston Senators players Cincinnati Reds players Cleveland Indians players Detroit Tigers players Major League Baseball center fielders Major League Baseball left fielders People from Somerset County, Pennsylvania Philadelphia Athletics players Southwestern High School (Michigan) alumni United States Navy personnel of World War II