St. Louis Browns LHP George Mogridge was born on February 18, 1889 in Rochester, New York. Mogridge would appear in just two games for the Browns, but would enjoy a 16-season career that would leave him in the record books of Major League Baseball. He would never forget his roots in Rochester, where he attended the University of Rochester
St. Louis Browns LHP George Mogridge was born on February 18, 1889 in Rochester, New York. Mogridge would appear in just two games for the Browns, but would enjoy a 16-season career that would leave him in the record books of Major League Baseball. He would never forget his roots in Rochester, where he attended the University of Rochester and where he returned in his retirement.
Mogridge began his career with the Galesburg Pavers in 1911. It did not take long before he impressed the Chicago White Sox where he spent portions of the 1911-12 seasons. He would return to the minor leagues with the Lincoln Railsplitters (1912), Minneapolis Millers (1913), and the Des Moines Boosters (1914-15).
The New York Yankees were in need of a left-handed pitcher, and signed Modgridge in August of 1915. He would spend six seasons with New York, and become the first Yankee to pitch a no-hitter (April 24, 1917 vs. Boston Red Sox). He would pitch five seasons for the Washington Senators (1921-25), before joining the Browns on June 18, 1925.
The Browns would trade their longtime catcher, Hank Severeid, to the Senators for Mogridge and catcher Pinky Hargrave. Mogridge would pitch just two games (15.1 innings) for the Browns, including one complete game victory over the Chicago White Sox. In July of 1914, George Mogridge was shut down for the rest of the season due to synovitis in his pitching arm. The inflammation resulted in his arm being placed in a cast, and he was lost for the season. The Browns would trade George Mogridge to the New York Yankees for catcher Wally Schang on February 6, 1926.
The Yankees were going to send him to the St. Paul but Mogridge exercised his right to block the move, and he was sent to the Boston Braves. He finished his MLB career with the Braves (1926-27), before moving on to manage his hometown Rochester Tribe in 1927.
The St. Louis Cardinals purchased the Tribe in 1928, and did not renew Mogridge's contract.
George Mogridge would spend the rest of his life making Rochester a better place for its citizens. He opened the Mogridge Inn, a popular restaurant and 'gambling' hall that included a baseball field for the local semipro team. He would later go on to open a sporting good store, and then sell storm doors for the Weathermaster Company. He would raise his family in Rochester and spend time telling stories of playing with the Browns and Yankees.
Today's Browns Quote
“He is the best left-hander in the league. George Mogridge is not only the best southpaw in this league, but also the best pitcher.”
~ Tris Speaker, Washington Times, August 15, 1921
BROWNS' BIRTHDAYS ON THIS DAY
1925 - 1B Joe Lutz (1951)
1889 - LHP George Mogridge (1925)
DID YOU KNOW?
Many have said that baseball is psyc
Today's Browns Quote
“He is the best left-hander in the league. George Mogridge is not only the best southpaw in this league, but also the best pitcher.”
~ Tris Speaker, Washington Times, August 15, 1921
BROWNS' BIRTHDAYS ON THIS DAY
1925 - 1B Joe Lutz (1951)
1889 - LHP George Mogridge (1925)
DID YOU KNOW?
Many have said that baseball is psychological sport, where the mind is a player's most valuable tool. This is a game where a player fails more often than they succeed. Then add a long season of 162 games, where a player can play over 1450 innings, and one can see where a team may want to take advantage of every opportunity they can find to succeed. In today's MLB, players have the luxury to focus on their skills year round, and some players have entire entourages around them to take their game to the next level.
In the days of the St. Louis Browns, this was still an emerging side of the game. Bill DeWitt introduced the idea of having a psychologist come and study the Browns players to try an unlock the complete potential of the team. In 1949, they invited New York based Dr. David Tracy to introduce his practices of relaxation, hypnosis, and autosuggestion, designed to make each player more successful in their games.
The result of the study was a book called "The Psychologist at Bat". The players were studied during Spring Training of 1949, while the team was getting ready for the upcoming season. There was little evidence that this helped the Browns as the team as the season began. The Browns started the 1949 season with a 10-30 season. When the book was published in a 1951 book by Sterling press, it received mixed reviews. Another example of how the St. Louis Browns were ahead of the game.
The Browns lineup in 1953 was full of great individual performances, that did not lead to the team success one would expect. The team finished with a 57-93-3 record, and a seventh place finish in the American League. Led by LF Beau Bell and 3B Harlond Clift, the Browns had a solid line up. They had five players with over 30 doubles, three
The Browns lineup in 1953 was full of great individual performances, that did not lead to the team success one would expect. The team finished with a 57-93-3 record, and a seventh place finish in the American League. Led by LF Beau Bell and 3B Harlond Clift, the Browns had a solid line up. They had five players with over 30 doubles, three players with over 10 triples, two players with over 100 RBISs, two players with over 100 walks, and the league leader in stolen bases. This lineup was basically untouched all season. Five of the eight field positions played over 150 games, which is more impressive because only 19 players in the entire league played over 150 games.
Batting Leaders from the 1936 season with A.L. rankings in (#)
Team Statistics:
Player Statistics