[Mick]

I was the first MLB player to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases, which wouldn't happen again until Willie Mays in 1956. I was also the first MLB player to have more home runs (39) than strikeouts (31). That year, I beat Babe Ruth for the home run title.* Like Ruth, I used a 48 ounce bat. I still hold my team's RBI record with 155. I was the first American League batter to have three home runs in a single game.

My career OPS is in the Top 50 in baseball, despite the fact that 1/3rd of my career was in the dead ball era...my career OPS is a little ahead of Duke Snider and Mike Piazza, and a little behind Frank Robinson, Tris Speaker and Henry Aaron.

I was the inspiration for the rule banning corked bats. I ordered some bats, they were too heavy for my liking, and I cored out the center of the bat and replaced it with lighter wood. I was cited for using a corked bat, but they weren't illegal at the time.

In my best year, my sad-sack, perennial last place team finished second to the Yankees by 1.5 games. Six of our eight starters batted .312 or better. If I hadn't been beaned by a pitcher and had a concussion -- and lost ten games -- we might have beat the Yankees for our first pennant.

I was in the Army in WWI. I didn't go to high school, but my namesake was a Stanford baseball player who played in MLB. After my career was over, I returned to my home town of Grants Pass, Oregon where I was a police officer and owned a billiard hall.

Who am I?



* Ruth was suspended for six weeks for barnstorming after the prior season.

[Mick]

I was the first MLB player to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases, which wouldn't happen again until Willie Mays in 1956. I was also the first MLB player to have more home runs (39) than strikeouts (31). That year, I beat Babe Ruth for the home run title.* Like Ruth, I used a 48 ounce bat. I still hold my team's RBI record with 155. I was the first American League batter to have three home runs in a single game.

My career OPS is in the Top 50 in baseball, despite the fact that 1/3rd of my career was in the dead ball era...my career OPS is a little ahead of Duke Snider and Mike Piazza, and a little behind Frank Robinson, Tris Speaker and Henry Aaron.

I was the inspiration for the rule banning corked bats. I ordered some bats, they were too heavy for my liking, and I cored out the center of the bat and replaced it with lighter wood. I was cited for using a corked bat, but they weren't illegal at the time.

In my best year, my sad-sack, perennial last place team finished second to the Yankees by 1.5 games. Six of our eight starters batted .312 or better. If I hadn't been beaned by a pitcher and had a concussion -- and lost ten games -- we might have beat the Yankees for our first pennant.

I was in the Army in WWI. I didn't go to high school, but my namesake was a Stanford baseball player who played in MLB. After my career was over, I returned to my home town of Grants Pass, Oregon where I was a police officer and owned a billiard hall.

Who am I?



* Ruth was suspended for six weeks for barnstorming after the prior season.