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Mickey Cochrane played from 1925-1937, serving as the backbone for four pennant-winning clubs. A two-time Most Valuable Player, Cochrane played nine years for Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics and four more for the Detroit Tigers.

In the collection is this beautiful photo of Mickey Cochrane as a catcher for the Philadelphia Athletics. Cochrane offers a rather long inscription.

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The back of the photo features Cochrane’s handwritten pointers about proficiently playing the catching position. Perhaps what set Cochrane apart from his contemporaries was the willingness to do whatever it took to win. Indeed, his nickname was “Black Mike” because of his fire and competitiveness.

An incredible athlete, Cochrane played five sports at Boston University. Perhaps better on the gridiron than the diamond, Cochrane chose professional baseball because of the lack of an established pro football league at the time.

One of the best-hitting catchers ever, Cochrane’s .320 career batting average as and .419 on-base percentage remain the highest in baseball history among men at his position.

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Mickey Cochrane’s 1935 season was a dream. Coming off his ’34 MVP campaign as player/manager of the pennant-winning Tigers, Cochrane and his team were even better in ’35.

He hit .319 with a .452 on-base percentage. The catcher’s performance earned him a second-consecutive selection to the Mid Summer Classic. This time he was also the skipper of the star-studded squad.

Cochrane piloted the American League to their third-straight All Star triumph since the game’s inception in ’33.

By season’s end, Cochrane and the Tigers repeated as AL champs. In the World Series Detroit vanquished the Chicago Cubs to claim their first Fall Classic title.

Shown here is an invitation to play in the 1935 All Star Game sent to Senators third baseman Ossie Bluege. Authored and signed by Hall of Fame AL president William Harridge, the correspondence is dated June 29, 1935, thirteen days before the game.

Harridge mentioned Cochrane in the third paragraph, “Mr. Gordon Cochrane as accepted the assignment as Manager and will have the full charge of the American League team.”

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From 1933-1938 Mickey Cochrane pushed the Tigers to two pennants and the 1935 World Series title as their catcher/manager. Each of his teams won more than they lost while posting a .582 winning percentage overall.

Cochrane served as the battery mate and skipper in five of Elden Aucker’s six seasons in Detroit. The 6’2″ right hander thought highly of Cochrane.

In the letter above Auker writes, “Mickey Cochrane was a great catcher and great manager. He guided a group of young players two American League Championships and one World Championship.

“He was fine gentleman, a good family man. He lost his only son in World War II, his first day of combat. Mickey was never the same after Godron’s death.”

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Pitcher Elden Auker broke into the big leagues with the Tigers in 1933, playing the season’s final two months with the big club. The following year Auker was in the big leagues to stay. He won 15 games to start a string of five-straight seasons with double-digit win totals for Detroit. Auker’s primary backstop with the during his six years with the Tigers was Mickey Cochrane who served in the role of player/manager in in Auker’s final four seasons with the club.

In the collection is Elden Auker’s handwritten recollections of Hall of Famer Cochrane. “Mickey Cochrane was one of the great catchers of his day. I pitched to him for 5 years and played under his management. He was very aggressive, quick temper, and a great leader. Highly respected by all members of the Tigers. He was quick on his feet and an excellent hitter. High principles and very loyal to his club + his players. Best regards, Elden Auker”

The correspondence provides insight into the career of one of the best catchers in baseball history.

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Mickey Cochrane’s final game as a big league player came on May 25, 1937. Facing Bump Hadley and the New York Yankees, Cochrane hit a third-inning home run.

In his next time at bat, Cochrane took a Hadley fastball to his head. The beaning came long before helmets were used in baseball.

The pitch felled Cochrane and nearly killed him. The catcher spent the next seven days in a hospital bed, his playing days over.

Though his final plate appearance resulted in the injury, Cochrane’s final at bat remains the home run. The first Cooperstown man to hit a long ball in his last at bat, Cochrane’s feat was duplicated by Ted Williams in 1960.

In the collection is this Major League Baseball Players Association document. Teddy Ballgame has filled it out entirely in his hand, lending his signature to the top.

The document reads in part, “In order to have the Association act on matters important to you and the Association itself we would appreciate your stating any opinions or suggestions you may have. These opinions and suggestions will be treated with the upmost confidence and will be categorized and analyzed.”

Interestingly, Williams suggests playing double headers as two 7-inning contests. More importantly the eagle-eyed Red Sox hitter writes, “Improve Baltimore, Chicago & KC backgrounds, check intensity of lights in the older parks”.

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After leading the Tigers to back-to-back pennants as their All Star catcher and manager in ’34 and ’35, Mickey Cochrane was given the additional duty of general manager for ’36. The added stress soon became too much. Fifty-three games into the season, Cochrane suffered a breakdown. He left the team and was temporarily replaced in the dugout by trusted bench coach Del Baker.

Mickey improved enough to return to the for the final 68 games of ’36. By Opening Day of ’37 he continued to juggle his responsibilities as player, manager, and GM while still recovering from his breakdown.

By May 25th that year Cochrane found his stride at the plate, hitting .306 average with a .452 on-base percentage. That day he hit a third-inning home run off of Yankee hurler Bump Hadley. In Mickey’s next turn at bat Hadley uncorked a fastball that hit Cochrane squarely in the head. The beaning put the future Hall of Famer in the hospital for a week. It also ended his playing career.

Cochrane did return to the dugout for 46 more games until leaving the team for the rest of the year in hopes of a full recuperation. Despite the distractions, the Tigers finished as the AL’s runner-up.

In Spring Training of ’38, Cochrane and the Tigers had high hopes. Since he took over in ’34, the team averaged 91.5 wins per season.

Detroit stumbled out of the gate, losing five of the first six contests. By June 19th they stood at the breakeven-point with 29 wins and 29 losses. That night Cochrane sat down to write his suggestions for the American League’s lineup the July 6th All Star Game. Detroit owner Walter Briggs then sent them and the telegram shown above along to AL president William Harridge.

Joe McCarthy managed the Junior Circuit squad with Cochrane’s lieutenant Del Baker on his coaching staff. Their American League stars lost the game 4-1. A month later on August 6th, the Tigers lost 14-8 to the Red Sox and dropped to 47-51 overall. Briggs fired Cochrane who never again wore a big league uniform.