Mickey Cochrane Marquee Hall of Fame 1947

Connie Mack's Athletics won three straight pennants with him catching, in 1929, 1930 and 1931, and the World Series in the first two. He was the American League's Most Valuable Player in 1928. In 1932 he hit 23 home runs with 112 runs batted in, 118 runs and 100 walks, and he hit for the cycle in both 1932 and 1933.

Detroit acquired him in 1934 and made him its manager while he was still its catcher. The Tigers won the pennant that season, won it again in 1935 and took the World Series, and he was Most Valuable Player a second time in 1934. He finished with 1,652 hits, 1,041 runs, 832 runs batted in and a .320 average.

On May 25, 1937 a pitch struck him in the head and fractured his skull. He was thirty-four, in his thirteenth season, and batting .306 at the time. He never played again. The writers elected him in 1947 with 128 of 161 ballots, and he died in 1962 at fifty-nine.