Al Rosen
| Al Rosen | |||
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Al Rosen, circa 1953.
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| Third baseman | |||
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Born: February 29, 1924 Spartanburg, South Carolina |
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Died: March 13, 2015 (aged 91) Rancho Mirage, California |
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| MLB debut | |||
| September 10, 1947, for the Cleveland Indians | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| September 30, 1956, for the Cleveland Indians | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .285 | ||
| Home runs | 192 | ||
| Runs batted in | 717 | ||
| Teams | |||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Albert Leonard "Al" Rosen (February 29, 1924 – March 13, 2015), nicknamed "Flip" and "The Hebrew Hammer", was an American baseball third baseman and right-handed slugger in the Major Leagues for ten seasons in the 1940s and 1950s.
After serving for four years in the U.S. Navy during World War II, Rosen played his entire ten-year career (from 1947 to 1956) with the Cleveland Indians in the American League. A stand-out on both offense and defense, he drove in 100 or more runs five consecutive years, was a four-time All-Star, twice led the league in home runs and twice in RBIs, and was an MVP. Rosen was a .285 career hitter, with 192 home runs and 717 RBIs in 1,044 games. He was selected for the All-Star Game from 1952 to 1955. Rosen appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1955.
Following two decades as a stockbroker upon retirement from baseball, Rosen returned to the game as a top front office executive in the late 1970s, serving the New York Yankees, Houston Astros, and Giants variously as president, CEO, and general manager. Regarded as a GM who still thought like a player, he became the only former MVP to also earn baseball's Executive of the Year award.
Rosen was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina to Louis and Rose (née Levin) Rosen. His father left the family shortly thereafter, and Rosen's mother and grandmother moved the family to Miami, Florida, when he was 18 months old.
Rosen suffered from asthma as a child, which prompted his family to move further south. While growing up, his two favorite baseball players were Lou Gehrig and Hank Greenberg. He attended Riverside Elementary School, Ada Merritt Junior High School, and then Miami Senior High School for a year attending Florida Military Academy in St. Petersburg, Florida, on a boxing scholarship. After graduating from Florida Military Academy, Rosen enrolled in the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. He left the university after a semester to play minor league baseball in North Carolina.
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