St. Louis Browns second baseman, Mike Goliat, was born on November 5, 1921 in Yatesboro, Pennsylvania. Known as one of the "Whiz Kids" of the 1950 Philadelphia Phillies club, Goliat's time with the Browns was considerably shorter. Even though his career batting average was .225, his true value in baseball would be his fielding skills (.97
St. Louis Browns second baseman, Mike Goliat, was born on November 5, 1921 in Yatesboro, Pennsylvania. Known as one of the "Whiz Kids" of the 1950 Philadelphia Phillies club, Goliat's time with the Browns was considerably shorter. Even though his career batting average was .225, his true value in baseball would be his fielding skills (.971 career percentage).
Mike Goliat did not plan on being a major league baseball player. He grew up in the coal country surrounding Pittsburgh, and there are no records of him playing baseball in high school. He followed other family members into the coal mines, then joined the US Army in 1945 during the last months of Word War II. While in the service, Goilat discovered his knack for the game playing along side minor league players in his unit. By the time he was discharged in 1947, he had decided to give a career in baseball a serious look.
Goliat entered a tryout camp with the Phillies in 1947 and earned a minor league contract. He would be assigned to the Vandergrift Pioneers in 1947, before being promoted to the Wilmington Blue Sox (1948), and Toronto Maple Leafs (1949). He would make his MLB debut with the Phillies in 1949, and would become a solid addition to the "Whiz Kids" championship team. After a slow start in 1951, the Phillies optioned Goliat to the Baltimore Orioles of the International League.
The Browns acquired Mike Goliat on September 12, 1951, after the Phillies placed the second baseman on waivers. His debut with St. Louis would be his best game in a Browns uniform. On September 16, Goliat would go 2-for-5 recording his only two hits and RBI as a Brown. He would reach a .182 batting average over five games in the last month of the season. Goliat would start the 1952 season on the St. Louis roster out of spring training. He would appear in three games without a hit, run, or walk. He would be optioned to the Toronto Maple Leafs in April of 1952, and spend most of the next eight years (1952-59) north of the border. Prior to the 1953 season, the Browns would give him another chance to make the team but was eventually returned to Toronto.
Goliat would find success with the Maple Leafs in 1956 when he was awarded the MVP of the International League. He would close out his baseball career with the Montreal Royals (1959-60) and Spokane Indians (1961).
Mike Goliat retired from baseball and settled in Cleveland where he operated a trucking company and worked for the Ford Motor Company. He stayed active by hunting, bowling , and playing golf.
TRANSACTIONS
1907 - The St. Louis Browns and New York Highlanders were involved in a six player trade. The Browns sent RHP Fred Glade, OF Charlie Hemphill, and UTIL Harry Niles to the Highlanders for 2B/3B Hobie Ferris, CF Danny Hoffman, and 2B/3B Jimmy Williams. Before the trade, Fred Glade had won 52 of the 126 games he appeared in, with
TRANSACTIONS
1907 - The St. Louis Browns and New York Highlanders were involved in a six player trade. The Browns sent RHP Fred Glade, OF Charlie Hemphill, and UTIL Harry Niles to the Highlanders for 2B/3B Hobie Ferris, CF Danny Hoffman, and 2B/3B Jimmy Williams. Before the trade, Fred Glade had won 52 of the 126 games he appeared in, with a 2.52 ERA and 450 strikeouts. Charlie Hemphill had a batting average of .273, including 663 hits in 629 games, over five seasons with the Browns. Harry Niles played in 262 games in two seasons with the Browns, where he 266 hist and 49 stolen bases. After the trade, Hobie Ferris would hit .270 and .216 in two seasons, but would only strikeout 17 times while recording 270 hits. Danny Hoffman would play four seasons with the Browns, appearing in 339 games while batting .249. Jimmy Williams had a 3.6 WAR in his first season with the Browns, and in his two years in St. Louis he would have 200 hits, includng 23 doubles, 13 triples, and 75 runs batted in.
BROWNS BIRTHDAYS ON THIS DAY
1895 - RHP Wayne Wright (1917-23)
1904 - 3B/PH Ollie Sax (1928)
1921 - 2B Mike Goliat (1951-52)
The St. Louis Browns pitching staff of 1920 was build around two of the best pitchers in the history of the franchise. Between RHP Urban Shocker and RHP Dixie Davis, the pair would have a combined record of 38-24 in 76 total games (apprearing in nearly half of all games in 1920). Shocker and Davis would remain the key figures of the staff
The St. Louis Browns pitching staff of 1920 was build around two of the best pitchers in the history of the franchise. Between RHP Urban Shocker and RHP Dixie Davis, the pair would have a combined record of 38-24 in 76 total games (apprearing in nearly half of all games in 1920). Shocker and Davis would remain the key figures of the staff for the next several seasons. The Browns staff would have five pitchers appear in more than 30 games. St. Louis would finish in middle of the American League pack in most pitching categories. They would lead the league in walks (578), saves (14), and runners stranded on base (1193). In contrast, they had the fewest wild pitches in the league (17).
Team Pitching Statistics
(American League Rankings)
Player Statistics