Barney McCosky
A pesky leadoff man and yearly .300 hitter, Barney McCosky led the American League in hits and triples in 1940, and finished in the top ten in batting five times. He missed three full seasons to World War II, and a back injury at the age of 31 effectively ended his everyday playing career. He rarely struck out, had fine range in center, and later left field, and finished with a lofty .312 career batting average.
Played For
Detroit Tigers (1939-1946)
Philadelphia Athletics (1946-1951)
Cincinnati Reds (1951)
Cleveland Indians (1951-1953)
Copying Charley
McCosky grew up in Detroit and idolized All-Star Tiger second baseman Charlie Gehringer. The left-handed hitting McCosky even copied Gehringer's batting stance. When McCosky made the Detroit club in 1939, the Tiger lineup featured nearly identical left-handed .300 hitters.
"My stance was so nearly a duplicate of his," McCosky said, "that a Detroit paper once ran photos of our batting postures with our uniform numbers blanked off. The caption read: 'Which is Charley? Which is Barney?' "
"I firmly believe my hitting success resulted from copying Gehringer."
Born
William Barney McCosky was born on April 11, 1917, in Coal Run, PA.
Died
September 6, 1996, Venice, FL
Batted: Left
Threw: Right
Primary Position: OF
Primary Team: DET
Major League Debut
April 18, 1939
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1939
Ted Williams
Mickey Vernon
Bob Elliott
Bob Kennedy
Early Wynn
Hal Newhouser
Dizzy Trout
Fred Hutchinson
Johnny Hopp
Post-Season Appearances
1940 World Series
Injuries and Explanation for Missed Playing Time
McCosky missed the entire 1949 season with a severe back injury. He was never able to play regularly again, and never hit very well aagain, either.
Replaced
Jo-Jo White
Replaced By
After his back injurn in 1949, Elmer Valo took his spot in left field for the A's.
Best Strength as a Player
Making contact and hitting the ball all over the field.
Largest Weakness as a Player
Hitting the longball.
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