Johnny Mize

Pro team(s)

St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants, New York Yankees

Hall of Fame

⭐ National Baseball Hall of Fame

John Robert "Johnny" Mize was born on January 7, 1913, in Demorest, Georgia (Habersham County), and grew up in the mountains of northeast Georgia before becoming one of the most feared power hitters in the National League. Nicknamed "The Big Cat" for his surprising agility at first base despite his large frame (6-foot-2, 215 pounds), Mize led the NL in home runs four times and drove in 1,337 runs over his career — all while compiling a .312 lifetime batting average that placed him among the game's most complete hitters. He hit 51 home runs in 1947 with the New York Giants, tying the NL record at the time, and in 1950 — at age 37 — played a pivotal reserve role for the Yankees dynasty, providing clutch power off the bench in five consecutive World Series championships from 1949 to 1953. His career was interrupted by three years of military service during World War II (1943–1945), which almost certainly cost him both significant statistics and a much earlier Hall of Fame election. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981 by the Veterans Committee. Born in Demorest, Georgia.