Benny McCoy
When second baseman Benny McCoy raised his right hand to join the U.S. Navy in early 1942, he was one of the most promising and highest paid young players in the big leagues. When he returned after missing four years in the service, McCoy's skills had eroded and he never played another game. In 1939, along with dozens of other prospects in the Tigers farm system, McCoy was declared a free agent. Subsequently, several major league teams bid for his services, and he inked a two-year $20,000 deal with the Athletics that included a $45,000 bonus.
| Career Batting Stats |
| G |
AB |
H |
R |
HR |
RBI |
SB |
AVG |
SLG |
OBP |
OPS |
OPS+ |
| 337 |
1214 |
327 |
182 |
16 |
156 |
8 |
.269 |
.381 |
.369 |
.750 |
99.6 |
|
Best Season: 1939
Though he played just two months for the Tigers after Charlie Gehringer was injured, McCoy batted .302 with 33 RBI and 38 runs scored in 55 games. He was a major league calibre player, and for a middle infielder, he was a very good offensive player. But the Tigers had Gehringer and he was blocked in their minor league system. Finally, when Kenesaw M. Landis freed McCoy and 90 other Tiger players and declared them free agents, McCoy was given a chance in 1940 with the A's. Their big park was less friendly to McCoy's left-handed swing, but he still managed two solid seasons, batting .271 with 95 walks and 86 runs in 1941.
Born
Benjamin Jenison McCoy was born on November 9, 1915, in Jenison, MI.
Batted: Left
Threw: Right
Major League Debut
9 14,
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1938
Enos Slaughter
Lou Boudreau
Joe Gordon
Sam Chapman
Roy Cullenbine
Preacher Roe
Max Lanier
Mort Cooper
Taffy Wright
Uniform Numbers
#24 (1938), #27 (1939), #2 (1940-1941)
Similar Players
Mark Ellis
Related Players
Charlie Gehringer, Dizzy Trout
Transactions
The Tigers dealt McCoy to the A's on December 9, 1939, for outfielder for Wally Moses. The trade was voided and the players returned to their respective teams on January 14, 1940, when Commissioner Landis declared McCoy a free agent. The Tigers had been blocking players in the minor leagues for years, players with real major league skills. It was a fairly common practice in those days, as there were only 16 big league clubs and prescious few jobs. But McCoy and a few others, notably Dizzy Trout, were freed, and allowed to sign with any team. Trout stayed with Detroit, but many others went to other teams. McCoy was the most prized of the free agents, and after a bidding war, the A's got him a few weeks later.
Replaced
Joe Gantenbein
Replaced By
In 1942, with McCoy away in the war, the A's turned to veteran infielder Bill Knickerbocker and 22-year old Georgian Crash Davis to fill the second base hole. After a succession of also-rans filled the spot during the war, shortstop Pete Suder played second for the A's for about five more years, into the early 1950s.
Best Strength as a Player
Hitting and patience at the plate. McCoy walked 190 times and struck out just 122 times in his career.
Largest Weakness as a Player
McCoy was not a naturally gifted fielder. He had to work at it, and gradually he was getting more comfortable at the pivot, before his career was curtailed. His career range factor is average, and his fielding percentage is not very good. But eventually, he would have gotten better.
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