Former MLBer Ed Mickelson Talks Career and Satchel Paige

Baseball is a beautiful game that takes a significant amount of talent in order to play professionally. Although many players spend years honing their craft in an effort to get one of the golden tickets that is the chance to sign with a professional team, a select few come to the game by accident. Slugger Ed Mickelson was one of those players; a natural athlete whose first choice wasn’t the National Pastime, but ultimately drew him in like so many before.

Mickelson grew up in Missouri and excelled in basketball and football. He only really took up baseball after joining the service during World War II and playing with his fellow soldiers.

At 6’3” and 205 pounds, the right-hander was a large specimen whose size translated into impressive power. His acumen with a bat and ball was enough to earn a contract in the minor league system of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Playing primarily at first base, Mickelson suffered through some injuries but had an excellent 11-year career in the minors, hitting a combined .316 with 108 home runs in 1,189 games. In additional to the Cardinals, he also played in the systems of the St. Louis Browns, Pittsburgh Pirates, Brooklyn Dodgers and Chicago Cubs.

His best minor league season came in 1954 with the Double-A Shreveport Sports in the Texas League (Browns). Appearing in 150 games, he hit .335 with 17 home runs and 139 RBIs.

Despite spending most of his career in the minors, Mickelson did get a few cups of coffee in the majors, appearing in brief stints with the Cardinals (1950), the Browns (1953) and the Cubs (1957). All told, he had three hits and three RBIs in 37 at-bats.

Mickelson does hold a place in major league history, although he was barely there. On September 27th, 1953, he hit an RBI single to right field off Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Billy Pierce, accounting for the last RBI ever for the Browns- who became the Baltimore Orioles the following year. More details about his playing career are available here.

I had the opportunity to speak with Mickelson several years ago, and he regaled me with fantastic stories from his playing career. Make sure to check out our conversation- as the former player came away from baseball with quite a lot of great memories.

Ed Mickelson Interview:

How did you first become interested in baseball?: Well, actually, what I was interested in was basketball. That’s what I played all the way through junior high school and high school. I then went on to college and played basketball. I waited until my senior year.

I got a scholarship in football to Missouri, and I was a starter for them in football and basketball in 1944 and 1945. I was only 18 years old, but there were a lot of people in the war at the time.

But baseball, I didn’t play it until my senior year in high school, and only played in about 15 games. Then I played somewhat when I was in the service during World War II, when I was in Scottsdale and played for the base team. We played about 25 game games, so I was really a neophyte when it came to baseball.

When I signed up, I went down to Oklahoma A&M and played basketball after I got out of the service. The coach said ‘We don’t have any more basketball scholarships, but we have baseball scholarships.’ So I said, ‘Okay, I’ll give it a try.’ So, I think I was one-for-23, and I hit the heck out of the ball as long as it was a curve or a changeup

When I signed with the Cardinals, I went down there and worked out and hit some balls up into the bleachers because Del Wilber, the Cardinals catcher, was throwing them right down the middle about 75 miles an hour. I was laughing about it.

Playing with the Cardinals, I had to learn on the job really. I had to learn what the strike zone was. I knew what baseball was because I had watched a bunch of games.

Prior to college, you really didn’t play much baseball growing up?: Not at all. I was never on a team. I played softball, but never baseball.

What type of hitter were you?: I was a line drive hitter. I didn’t hit a lot of home runs, but I hit a lot of doubles, some triples, and every now and then I’d hit some home runs.

In 1950, when you earned your first major league promotion; how were you told?: My manager was Charlie Metro, and the last game of the season we played in Montgomery and I hit a home run over the scoreboard, and I was feeling good about that. Then he told me. He said, ‘The Cardinals want you to join them.’ So, I went home to get my stuff.

It took me about two days to get there, but I got there- in New York. The Cardinals were playing the Giants, and we were winning about 12 to 2, and Eddie Dyer put me in as a pinch hitter, with Larry Jansen pitching. I think he was going for his 19th victory. Anyways, I had a couple of good pitches to hit and then took a tall third strike, which I thought was a good three or four inches outside. But the umpire thought better about it and said, ‘Okay rookie, you gotta swing at those.’ So I got called out.

I didn’t play for four or five days, and then we went into Boston and we played the Boston Braves. I wasn’t playing at all; I was just sitting on the bench. Eddie Dyer came up to me and said, ‘Hey Eddie, Musial is back at the hotel with a 103-degree fever. He ain’t playing today. Warren Spahn is pitching.’ So he pitched a two-hitter that day, and they beat us 5-0, and I got one of the two hits. My first hit was off Warren Spahn.

Was your first hit against Spahn your favorite moment from your playing career?: I don’t think so. My favorite moment was in 1972. A kid I coached in high school, Ken Holtzman, pitched his first game in the World Series. I called Bing Devine, and said, ‘Hey Bing, you owe me one.’ He said, ‘Okay, you got my tickets.’ So I went to Cincinnati and saw the opening game of the 1972 World Series.

Kenny was pitching and I got to yelling at him while he was warming up. The first pitch he threw was a strike to Pete Rose. That was probably the most thrilling moment of my career.

Did you ever play against any Negro League teams?: Yeah, in the fall of 1949 I played a couple of games against some barnstormers. And that was it. I played with Satchel Paige. I played in a game that he pitched once.

What was Satchel Paige like?: He was one of a kind; absolutely one of a kind. He could back up just about anything he said he could do. Of course he was the best public relations man; Satchel himself. He would say anything to make people make a mess of themselves. As you may know, he could throw a ball 100 miles an hour and put it exactly where he wanted to.

How do you think he would have done if he could have played his entire career in the majors?: Bob Feller said he was the best pitcher he ever pitched against. Joe DiMaggio said he was the best pitcher he ever faced. Satchel, when he used to warm up before a game; now this was in ‘53 and he was with the Browns and I was with the Browns. Babe Martin was the third string catcher. Babe would tell me that Satchel wanted a chewing gum wrapper on home plate so he could hit the inside and outside corners of a chewing gum wrapper. When you can throw the ball 100 miles an hour and exactly where you want to, they aren’t going to hit you. He had a whole bunch of different pitches too.

I think I went to a Negro League All Star game around 1935 or 1936. There was always a feud between him and Josh Gibson. Satchel would tell him that if he came up to the plate again he would strike him out.

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Blather Up: Boston Red Sox Spring Training Preview Podcast

I thought I would give you something a little different to chew on as we get closer to spring training.

I had the pleasure of recording a podcast with Ron Juckett, the editor for Red Sox 101, a site with tremendous regular coverage of all the news and rumors concerning the Boston Red Sox.

It was decided, rather hurriedly I may add, to call our endeavor: Blather Up: Red Sox Chat. In our first installment, we discussed the team’s offseason, the best and worst moves the team made since winning the 2013 World Series, David Ortiz’s contract situation and our thoughts on some of the pressing questions as camp is about to open.

Check out the podcast HERE (right click to download).

For more, make sure to follow Ron on Twitter at @RedSox_101 or his personal account of @ronjuckett. Of course, you can also find me @historianandrew and through my work with the Yahoo Contributor Network.

We hope to make this a regular thing, so keep an eye out for future episodes once the 2014 season gets underway.

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Former New York Yankees Pitching Prospect Jack McMahan Recalls His Career

It’s hard enough to forge a professional baseball career today, so just imagine what it was like decades ago when there were fewer teams and not nearly as many ways to get noticed. Accordingly, the stories of players from decades gone by tend to have quite a bit of substance to them.

Right-handed pitcher Jack McMahan didn’t have a lengthy career but he made the majors, which is more than the vast majority of players can say. His time in the big leagues may have been brief but he came away with a lot of good memories.

McMahan was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas in 1932. He was signed by the New York Yankees in 1952, and while he pitched effectively in the minors, he couldn’t break through to the big leagues because the franchise was so stacked with talent.

In 1955, he was taken by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Rule-5 draft, which turned out to be the move that changed his career.

Because of his draft status, McMahan started the 1956 season on the Pittsburgh roster. He made his debut on April 18, pitching 1.2 innings of middle relief in a 5-4 loss to the New York Giants. However, he did strike out the first batter he faced, first baseman Gail Harris, providing an initial highlight right off the bat.

His stint with the Pirates didn’t last long, as he was traded with infielder Curt Roberts to the Kansas City Athletics on June 23 in exchange for infielder Spook Jacobs.

Unfortunately, McMahan’s major league career came to an end after that year. He finished with an 0-5 record and a 5.04 ERA in 34 games (nine starts) between the two teams. He was plagued by poor control, as he struck out just 22 batters while walking 40 in 75 innings.

Although the Yankees traded to get McMahan back in 1957, he never returned to the majors, and retired from professional ball following the 1959 season.

In addition to his major league service, he had an excellent minor league career, going a combined 50-39 with a 3.65 ERA in seven seasons, pitching as both a starter and reliever. More information about his playing career is available at: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcmahja02.shtml.

In 2011, I had an opportunity to chat with McMahan and ask some questions about his career. It was fascinating listening to him reminisce, and I invite you now to have that same pleasure.

Jack McMahan Interview:

What was your favorite moment from your playing career?: Well, it’s hard to determine what it would be because I only played one year in the major leagues. I didn’t have a lot of success, but I did play several years in the minor leagues. I had a lot of moments at different times. Probably, one of the biggest thrills is that I saw the first major league game I had ever seen at the opening of the 1956 season, playing the Giants at the old Polo Grounds. I had never seen a major league baseball game before that time.

What was the strangest thing you ever saw on a baseball diamond?: I was playing for the Pirates in the games when Dale Long hit his eight home runs (over two consecutive games).

What were the reactions like from fans and opposing players as Long’s streak grew?: Of course there was a lot of excitement. We were not one of the top clubs at that time. There weren’t very big crowds, maybe seven or eight thousand. But for somebody to be on a hot streak like that; there was a lot of enthusiasm among the press. Dale was not known as a long ball hitter, which is why it was an unusual feat.

Who was your favorite coach or manager?: Phil Page and Vern Hoscheit.

What was it about them that made them your favorites?: Hoscheit, I played for in the “Three-I” League. He had been a catcher and he caught me a few innings one time to try to help me learn a little bit about pitching. I had had some success, but needed to know a little bit more about throwing the slider. I was trying at that time to learn to throw the slider, and he worked with me a little bit along that line. He was always quite encouraging and giving me compliments, which I needed to have.

Phil Paige didn’t have a whole lot to say but I definitely had a good year with him in the Southern Association. He had a lot of confidence in me, and at that time they weren’t counting saves, so I don’t know how many games I may have saved, but I pitched I think in 47 games. A lot of them were saves, where I would come in anywhere from the last two innings. When I came into the game he would just give me the ball and say, ‘Lefty, you know what you need to do. Let’s get them out and go home.’ That made me feel good that he had that much confidence in me.

What was travel like between games in the minor leagues?: In the Southern Association, we went by train a lot. In the Majors, we flew. I enjoyed both.

If you could do anything differently about your playing career, what would that be?: I would have gone to college.

What have you done since you retired from baseball?: When I came back to Arkansas after I got out of baseball, I came home and had a liquor store with my brother, and coached an American Legion baseball team. After four or five years I went to work for a company that sold golf course equipment. At that time, Arkansas was starting to get a lot of retirement business. Our business was quite good, and I had a good career in the golf course related field.

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Why I'm Looking Forward to the 2014 Boston Red Sox’s Spring Training

The cold temperatures do a nice job of breaking a man’s spirit. However, even frigid conditions can’t temper the excitement over the dawning of a new baseball season, which for Boston Red Sox fans will kick off on February 15th when pitchers and catchers report to camp in Fort Myers, Florida. From there, it will all roll downhill until the regular season officially starts when the team visits the Baltimore Orioles on March 31st.

Spring training is a time to get to know the team. Sure, the roster is returning a lot of familiar faces but the attitude and feel of the squad changes from year to year. Heck, some seasons it even changes from week to week.

Personally, I like spring training. The games are glorified practices, and wins and losses really (or lack thereof) and what they can potentially bring, and in the worst cases, what they might take away from the team.

With less than a month remaining until spring training kicks off, here is what I am looking forward to most about the Red Sox’s camp:

-The kids. Boston recently placed nine players on MLB.com’s 2014 top-100  prospect list. Having nearly 10 percent of the top prospects in baseball in the organization is an embarrassment of riches, and there are a lot of talented youngsters who didn’t even make the rankings. A good chunk of Boston’s future will be on full display this spring, although only a few will actually break camp with the team.

-The 2013 team had some of the best camaraderie seen in the majors in recent memory. Although key members of that unit, including Jacoby Ellsbury, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Stephen Drew (for now) won’t be there, it will be interesting to see if they can continue the brotherly love. Win, lose or draw, the games are always more fun to watch if the players come across as enjoying themselves and playing together.

-In 2013, the ongoing team gimmick was the magnificent beards grown by a large portion of the roster. It appears that will largely be a thing of the past, as outfielder Jonny Gomes has already indicated the facial hair was so last year.

What will be planned for 2014? Perhaps nothing, but if another trend emerges, my vote would be for big belt buckles—assuming those pass MLB regulations muster. Fans should stay tuned on the edge of their seats because if there is something new, it will likely be fodder for popular t-shirt designs later in the season.

- Every spring training, an “It” player becomes the talk of camp. Last season, it was outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr., who seemingly hit around .850 and walked on water.

Although he went on to hit just .189 in 37 games in Boston during the regular season, his otherworldly performance before the games mattered, developed his reputation and solidified his stock as one of Boston’s most prized prospects.

With all the kids getting kudos on current prospect lists, any number of candidates might be this year’s Bradley. Seeing who pulls ahead around early March will be fun to say the least.

-The signing of outfielder Grady Sizemore may not have made big waves outside of Boston but his arrival is now being eagerly anticipated by the Fenway Faithful. Time and injuries have ravaged the 31-year-old but he is supposedly as healthy as he has been in years. He last played in 2011 and has since had major knee surgeries, and it remains to be seen what he has left in the tank.

It was only about five years ago he was considered one of the best players in the majors; a true five-tool player on the cusp of superstar status. Then things unraveled quickly.

Of course, the odds are stacked against Boston’s newest hero, but until he absolutely proves otherwise, there’s no reason to count him out before he even takes the field for the first time in a Red Sox uniform. Although his comeback may go off the tracks at any time, as long as he has a bat and a glove, and is still able to stand upright, there is always a chance he could go all Roy Hobbs.

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