On April 6, 1903 “Mickey” Cochrane was born on April 6, 1903 in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. The son of Northern Irish immigrant John Cochrane and Scottish immigrant Sadie Campbell, Gordon Stanley After graduating from Bridgewater High School, Cochrane attended Boston University, where he played five sports. Cochrane exhibited his outstanding athleticism and leadership skills on the football field, serving his team at quarterback, punter, and running back. The extremely competitive and hot-tempered Cochrane first acquired his nickname “Black Mike” in college, often erupting into fits of rage when either he or one of his teammates failed to perform up to expectations.
Cochrane is considered by many historians of the game to be the finest receiver to play in the major leagues during the first half of the 20th century. An exceptional line-drive hitter, Cochrane posted the highest lifetime batting average (.320) and on-base percentage (.419) of any catcher with more than 5,000 career at-bats. An outstanding team leader as well, Cochrane played for five pennant-winning teams and three world championship squads in his 13 major league seasons. He helped lead Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics to three straight pennants and two world championships from 1929 to 1931, before piloting the Detroit Tigers to back-to-back pennants in 1934 and 1935, and to victory in the 1935 World Series as the team’s player-manager.
