Mickey Cochrane, 1936
Source: Acme Newspictures. Believed to be in the public domain.
Photo Subject: Mickey Cochrane, Hall of Fame catcher in full uniform, photographed before a 1936 Spring Training game in Lakeland, Florida.
Sad Tale: At first blush, 1936 had all the makings of being a banner year for Mickey Cochrane. As player/manager for Detroit, he led the Tigers to the AL pennant in 1934 and to their first World Series championship against the Chicago Cubs in 1935. But two months into the 1936 season, team owner Frank Navin suffered a fatal heart attack and “Black Mike” was promoted to the Tigers’ front office as general manager/vice president. As player, manager and vice president, Cochrane did not wear all three hats well. Under the stress, he couldn’t sleep, was prone to foul moods and eventually had a breakdown.
On May 25, 1937, Cochrane was struck on the head by a pitch from Yankee pitcher Bump Hadley. It is unclear if this brushback was delivered as payment to Mickey for hitting a home run on his previous time at bat. The pitch nearly killed him and essentially ended his career as a player.
Painting Detail: Printed on 8 1/2” x 11” canvas and painted using Schmincke Mussini and Marshall’s oil paints. Finer details were made using Prismacolor pencils.