Mike Goliat
Encyclopedia
Mike Mitchell Goliat was an American
second baseman
in Major League Baseball
who played for the Philadelphia Phillies
(1949-51) and St. Louis Browns
(1951-52). He batted and threw right-handed.
A native of Yatesboro, Pennsylvania
, Goliat was the starting second baseman for the Phillies "Whiz Kids"
team which won the 1950 National League
pennant. In that season, Goliat batted
.234, with 13 home run
s, 64 runs batted in
, 49 runs scored
, 113 hits
, 13 doubles
and 6 triples
in 145 games played; it was his only season as a regular starting player. In the World Series
loss to the New York Yankees
, he hit .214 with one RBI in 14 at-bats. Goliat finished his major league career with a batting average of .225, 20 HRs and 99 RBI.
He played in the minor leagues
for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and was the International League
MVP
in 1956. Goliat holds the franchise career records for games played (1,077), home runs (138), doubles (186), and RBIs (556).
.
Goliat died in Seven Hills, Ohio
at 82 years of age.
ace) Don Newcombe
the year we won the pennant." - Hall of Famer / Teammate Robin Roberts
.
"He hit the better pitchers in the league. The ones that got him out were the lesser ones." - Phillies manager Eddie Sawyer
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
who played for the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
(1949-51) and St. Louis Browns
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
(1951-52). He batted and threw right-handed.
A native of Yatesboro, Pennsylvania
Yatesboro, Pennsylvania
Yatesboro is an unincorporated village located in Cowanshannock Township, Pennsylvania....
, Goliat was the starting second baseman for the Phillies "Whiz Kids"
Whiz Kids (baseball)
The Whiz Kids was a nickname given to the 1950 Philadelphia Phillies in Major League Baseball. This team, averaging only 26.4 years of age, won the National League pennant during that season.After owner R. R. M. Carpenter, Jr...
team which won the 1950 National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
pennant. In that season, Goliat batted
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.234, with 13 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s, 64 runs batted in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
, 49 runs scored
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
, 113 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, 13 doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
and 6 triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
in 145 games played; it was his only season as a regular starting player. In the World Series
1950 World Series
The 1950 World Series was the 47th World Series between the American and National Leagues for the championship of Major League Baseball. The Philadelphia Phillies as 1950 champions of the National League and the New York Yankees, as 1950 American League champions, competed to win a best-of-seven...
loss to the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, he hit .214 with one RBI in 14 at-bats. Goliat finished his major league career with a batting average of .225, 20 HRs and 99 RBI.
He played in the minor leagues
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and was the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
in 1956. Goliat holds the franchise career records for games played (1,077), home runs (138), doubles (186), and RBIs (556).
Post-baseball life
After retiring from the minors in 1961, Goliat ran a small trucking firm for several years before joining the Ford Motor CompanyFord Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
.
Goliat died in Seven Hills, Ohio
Seven Hills, Ohio
Seven Hills is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The population was 11,804 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Seven Hills is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land....
at 82 years of age.
Quotations
"He was really a third baseman, but he played second for us to fill a need. He really had a strong arm. He was a battler who gave everything he had and he had a lot of big hits off (Brooklyn DodgersLos Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
ace) Don Newcombe
Don Newcombe
Donald Newcombe , nicknamed "Newk", is an American former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher who played for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers , Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians .Until 2011 when Detroit Tigers Pitcher Justin Verlander did it, Newcombe was the only baseball...
the year we won the pennant." - Hall of Famer / Teammate Robin Roberts
Robin Roberts (baseball player)
Robin Evan Roberts was a Major League Baseball starting pitcher who pitched primarily for the Philadelphia Phillies . He spent the latter part of his career with the Baltimore Orioles , Houston Astros , and Chicago Cubs...
.
"He hit the better pitchers in the league. The ones that got him out were the lesser ones." - Phillies manager Eddie Sawyer
Eddie Sawyer
Edwin Milby Sawyer was an American manager and scout in Major League Baseball. As a manager, he led the 1950 Philadelphia Phillies — the "Whiz Kids", as the youthful club was known — to the second National League championship in team history.-A scholar-athlete:Born in Westerly, Rhode Island,...
External links
- Baseball Digest - 1950: when Philadelphia's Whiz Kids won the NL pennant