Johnny Cooney | |||
---|---|---|---|
Outfielder/Pitcher | |||
Born: Cranston, Rhode Island |
March 18, 1901|||
Died: July 8, 1986 Sarasota, Florida |
(aged 85)|||
|
|||
MLB debut | |||
April 19, 1921, for the Boston Braves | |||
Last MLB appearance | |||
July 30, 1944, for the New York Yankees | |||
MLB statistics | |||
Batting average | .286 | ||
Home runs | 2 | ||
Runs batted in | 219 | ||
Win–loss record | 34–44 | ||
Earned run average | 3.72 | ||
Strikeouts | 224 | ||
Innings pitched | 795⅓ | ||
Teams | |||
As player
As manager |
As player
As manager
John Walter Cooney (March 18, 1901 – July 8, 1986) was an American professional baseball player. He was a pitcher, outfielder and first baseman, then a longtime coach, in Major League Baseball. Listed at 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) (178 cm) and 165 pounds (75 kg), Cooney batted right-handed but threw left-handed. He was born in Cranston, Rhode Island.
In a 20-season career, Cooney played for the Boston Bees/Braves (Braves, 1921–30, 1940–42; Bees, 1938–40) and also with the Brooklyn Dodgers (1935–37, 1943–44) and New York Yankees (1944), while hitting a .286 batting average (965-for-3372) with 219 RBI and only two home runs. He made 159 appearances as a pitcher from 1921 through 1930, all with Boston, winning 34 and losing 44 for a .436 winning percentage with 224 strikeouts and a 3.72 ERA in 795⅓ Innings pitched.
According to Hank Greenberg's biographer, before Greenberg's very first spring training exhibition game in 1930 when his Detroit Tigers were set to play the Braves, Cooney felt sympathy towards the 19-year-old then known as Henry, took him aside before the game and promised, "Kid, I'm going to give you one you can hit." He did, and Greenberg did, as the future Hall of Fame slugger launched an impressive homer over the fence.