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| *1945 National League All-Star | *1945 National League All-Star | ||
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| '''Goodwin George "Goody" Rosen''' (August 28, 1912 – April 6, 1994) was a Canadian ] in ]. From 1937 to 1946, Rosen played outfield for the ] (1937–39, 1944–46) and ] (1946). He batted and threw left |
'''Goodwin George "Goody" Rosen''' (August 28, 1912 – April 6, 1994) was a Canadian ] in ]. From 1937 to 1946, Rosen played outfield for the ] (1937–39, 1944–46) and ] (1946). He was a 1945 National League All-Star. He batted and threw left-handed. | ||
| ==Early years== | ==Early years== | ||
| Rosen was born in ], Canada, to ] immigrants from ] (now, ]), Samuel and Rebecca Rosen, was the fifth of eight children, and was Jewish.<ref></ref><ref></ref> Rosen played in the city's playground leagues—including two years with the Elizabeth Playground team under Bob Abate—and attended ].<ref></ref> His older brother Jake was a boxer who fought out of New York and Chicago in the 1920s under the name Johnny Rosen. Another brother, Willie, had a tryout with the ] in 1941. As a teenager, Rosen was a top player in Toronto's Jewish Fraternal Softball League. Rosen drove to ], to try out with some minor league professional baseball teams, but he was told he was too small (5 ft 9 in) and returned to Toronto to play for the ] senior team. | |||
| ==Professional baseball== | ==Professional baseball== | ||
| Rosen turned professional in 1931, signing a contract with the ] of the ], but did not stick with the team. In 1933, he |
Rosen turned professional in 1931, signing a contract with the ] of the ], but did not stick with the team. In 1933, while weighing only 135 pounds, he hit .301 while playing for the ] of the AAA ],<ref></ref> and played under manager ]. He batted .309 For Louisville in 1934, .293 in 1935, .314 in 1936, and .312 in 1937.<ref></ref> | ||
| When Grimes joined the ] in 1937, he convinced the team to acquire Rosen in August for $10,000 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|10000|1937|r=-3}}}} today) and a player. Rosen hit .312 in 22 games with the Dodgers.<ref></ref> | |||
| ⚫ | He then joined the ] of the International League, playing there from 1940 until being re-acquired by the Dodgers during the 1944 season. | ||
| In 1938, his first full season, he hit .281, finishing sixth in the ] in ] (11), leading all league ]s in ] (.989) and ]s (19).<ref></ref> The next season, he split his time between the Dodgers and their Triple-A ] affiliate, the ], for whom he batted .302.<ref></ref> | |||
| ⚫ | With the Dodgers, he enjoyed the best year of his career in 1945, |
||
| ⚫ | He then joined the ] of the International League, playing there from 1940 until being re-acquired by the Dodgers during the 1944 season in exchange for ] and ].<ref></ref> | ||
| ⚫ | With the Dodgers, he enjoyed the best year of his career in 1945, when he was voted an All Star and finished 10th in voting for ].<ref></ref><ref></ref> He led the NL in batting during most of 1945.<ref></ref> That season he had a .325 ] (3rd in NL), 197 ] (2nd), 126 ] (2nd), 11 triples (3rd), 606 at bats (6th) and a .460 ] (6th), a .379 ] (9th), 14 ]s (10th), 12 ]s and 19 outfield assists.<ref></ref> | ||
| In that season, he also had the distinction of being the first Canadian-born major leaguer to be named to the ]. | In that season, he also had the distinction of being the first Canadian-born major leaguer to be named to the ]. | ||
| Three games into the 1946 season, Rosen was traded to the Dodgers' cross-town rivals, the New York Giants. It would be his last year in the major leagues. Before the end of the season, he was sent down to the ] of the International League. | Three games into the 1946 season, Rosen was traded to the Dodgers' cross-town rivals, the ].<ref></ref> It would be his last year in the major leagues. Before the end of the season, he was sent down to the ] of the International League. | ||
| Rosen rejected an offer from Jersey City to return in 1947 and said he would only continue to play if he were sent to Toronto, where he had opened a restaurant.<ref name="hot stove">"Goody finds own hot stove league is stirring business", '']'', January 10, 1947, p. 14</ref> The deal was made, and Rosen played for the ] of the International League in 1947. After a |
Rosen rejected an offer from Jersey City to return in 1947 and said he would only continue to play if he were sent to Toronto, where he had opened a restaurant.<ref name="hot stove">"Goody finds own hot stove league is stirring business", '']'', January 10, 1947, p. 14</ref> The deal was made, and Rosen played for the ] of the International League in 1947.<ref></ref> After a season in which he batted .274/.397/.369, he was given an unconditional release,<ref>"They've parted", '']'', February 26, 1948, p. 24</ref> ending his professional baseball career. | ||
| ==Toronto softball, Ontario baseball== | ==Toronto softball, Ontario baseball== | ||
| In 1948, Rosen switched to softball, playing for the Daltons in the Toronto Ki-Y (Kiwanis-YMCA) senior league and then joining the Levys in the ] Fastball League, winning the league championship in 1949. Gooden started the 1950 season playing for the world champion ] team in the Beaches |
In 1948, Rosen switched to softball, playing for the Daltons in the Toronto Ki-Y (]-]) senior league and then joining the Levys in the ] Fastball League, winning the league championship in 1949. Gooden started the 1950 season playing for the world champion ] team in the Beaches League but then returned to baseball as player-manager of the ] of the ]. He was named manager of the Ontario all-star team that played the ] in an exhibition game in August. Rosen returned to softball and the Beaches League in 1951, playing for Peoples Credit Jewellers, then officially retired. | ||
| After his retirement he owned and ran the Dunsway Restaurant in Toronto at ] and ] for a time.<ref name="hot stove"/> He was also a business executive with a major Canadian brewery, ], in their sales staff and was still so popular in baseball circles he was answering around 2,000 pieces of fan mail annually in his later years.<ref name="star obit">{{cite news | After his retirement he owned and ran the Dunsway Restaurant in Toronto at ] and ] for a time.<ref name="hot stove"/> He was also a business executive with a major Canadian brewery, ], in their sales staff and was still so popular in baseball circles he was answering around 2,000 pieces of fan mail annually in his later years.<ref name="star obit">{{cite news | ||
| Line 63: | Line 67: | ||
| | date = April 7, 1994 | | date = April 7, 1994 | ||
| | page = F5 | | page = F5 | ||
| | accessdate = June 28, 2010}}</ref> He died in Toronto's ] on April 6, 1994, at age 81 |
| accessdate = June 28, 2010}}</ref> He died in Toronto's ] on April 6, 1994, at age 81 and was buried at ].<ref name="star obit"/><ref></ref> | ||
| ==Achievements== | ==Achievements== | ||
| Rosen was inducted into the ] in {{Baseball year|1984}} in its second year |
Rosen was inducted into the ] in {{Baseball year|1984}} in its second year.<ref></ref> | ||
| His .291 career batting average |
His .291 career batting average was eighth-best of all ]ish major leaguers (directly behind ]), through 2010.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://jewishmajorleaguers.org/crrldrs/crrldrs.html |title=Jewish Major Leaguers career batting leaders |publisher=Jewishmajorleaguers.org |date= |accessdate=January 23, 2011 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://archive.is/20120711003607/http://jewishmajorleaguers.org/crrldrs/crrldrs.html |archivedate=July 11, 2012 |df= }}</ref> Rosen said that his "proudest accomplishment was being the only Jewish Canadian ever to play in the majors."<ref></ref> He held that distinction for almost 70 years as it was not until {{Baseball year|2005}} the major leagues saw another Jewish Canadian when ]-born ] suited up for the ].<ref></ref> | ||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
Revision as of 04:40, 6 April 2018
Baseball player| Goody Rosen | |
|---|---|
| Outfielder | |
| Born: (1912-08-28)August 28, 1912 Toronto, Ontario | |
| Died: April 6, 1994(1994-04-06) (aged 81) Toronto, Ontario | |
| Batted: LeftThrew: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 14, 1937, for the Brooklyn Dodgers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 26, 1946, for the New York Giants | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .291 |
| Home runs | 22 |
| Runs batted in | 197 |
Stats at Baseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Goodwin George "Goody" Rosen (August 28, 1912 – April 6, 1994) was a Canadian center fielder in Major League Baseball. From 1937 to 1946, Rosen played outfield for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1937–39, 1944–46) and New York Giants (1946). He was a 1945 National League All-Star. He batted and threw left-handed.
Early years
Rosen was born in Toronto, Canada, to Russian Jewish immigrants from Minsk (now, Belarus), Samuel and Rebecca Rosen, was the fifth of eight children, and was Jewish. Rosen played in the city's playground leagues—including two years with the Elizabeth Playground team under Bob Abate—and attended Parkdale Collegiate Institute. His older brother Jake was a boxer who fought out of New York and Chicago in the 1920s under the name Johnny Rosen. Another brother, Willie, had a tryout with the Syracuse Chiefs in 1941. As a teenager, Rosen was a top player in Toronto's Jewish Fraternal Softball League. Rosen drove to Tampa, Florida, to try out with some minor league professional baseball teams, but he was told he was too small (5 ft 9 in) and returned to Toronto to play for the St. Mary's senior team.
Professional baseball
Rosen turned professional in 1931, signing a contract with the Rochester Red Wings of the International League, but did not stick with the team. In 1933, while weighing only 135 pounds, he hit .301 while playing for the Louisville Colonels of the AAA American Association, and played under manager Burleigh Grimes. He batted .309 For Louisville in 1934, .293 in 1935, .314 in 1936, and .312 in 1937.
When Grimes joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1937, he convinced the team to acquire Rosen in August for $10,000 ($212,000 today) and a player. Rosen hit .312 in 22 games with the Dodgers.
In 1938, his first full season, he hit .281, finishing sixth in the National League in triples (11), leading all league outfielders in fielding percentage (.989) and assists (19). The next season, he split his time between the Dodgers and their Triple-A International League affiliate, the Montreal Royals, for whom he batted .302.
He then joined the Syracuse Chiefs of the International League, playing there from 1940 until being re-acquired by the Dodgers during the 1944 season in exchange for Bill Lohrman and Fritz Ostermueller.
With the Dodgers, he enjoyed the best year of his career in 1945, when he was voted an All Star and finished 10th in voting for Most Valuable Player Award. He led the NL in batting during most of 1945. That season he had a .325 batting average (3rd in NL), 197 hits (2nd), 126 runs (2nd), 11 triples (3rd), 606 at bats (6th) and a .460 slugging percentage (6th), a .379 on-base percentage (9th), 14 sacrifice hits (10th), 12 home runs and 19 outfield assists.
In that season, he also had the distinction of being the first Canadian-born major leaguer to be named to the All-Star Game.
Three games into the 1946 season, Rosen was traded to the Dodgers' cross-town rivals, the New York Giants. It would be his last year in the major leagues. Before the end of the season, he was sent down to the Jersey City Giants of the International League.
Rosen rejected an offer from Jersey City to return in 1947 and said he would only continue to play if he were sent to Toronto, where he had opened a restaurant. The deal was made, and Rosen played for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League in 1947. After a season in which he batted .274/.397/.369, he was given an unconditional release, ending his professional baseball career.
Toronto softball, Ontario baseball
In 1948, Rosen switched to softball, playing for the Daltons in the Toronto Ki-Y (Kiwanis-YMCA) senior league and then joining the Levys in the Beaches Fastball League, winning the league championship in 1949. Gooden started the 1950 season playing for the world champion Tip Top Tailors team in the Beaches League but then returned to baseball as player-manager of the Galt Terriers of the Intercounty Baseball League. He was named manager of the Ontario all-star team that played the Intercounty Maple Leafs in an exhibition game in August. Rosen returned to softball and the Beaches League in 1951, playing for Peoples Credit Jewellers, then officially retired.
After his retirement he owned and ran the Dunsway Restaurant in Toronto at Bloor and Dundas Streets for a time. He was also a business executive with a major Canadian brewery, John Labatt Limited, in their sales staff and was still so popular in baseball circles he was answering around 2,000 pieces of fan mail annually in his later years. He died in Toronto's Sunnybrook Hospital on April 6, 1994, at age 81 and was buried at Beth Tzedec Memorial Park.
Achievements
Rosen was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984 in its second year.
His .291 career batting average was eighth-best of all Jewish major leaguers (directly behind Ron Blomberg), through 2010. Rosen said that his "proudest accomplishment was being the only Jewish Canadian ever to play in the majors." He held that distinction for almost 70 years as it was not until 2005 the major leagues saw another Jewish Canadian when London, Ontario-born Adam Stern suited up for the Boston Red Sox.
See also
References
- ^ "Goody finds own hot stove league is stirring business", Toronto Star, January 10, 1947, p. 14
- "They've parted", Toronto Star, February 26, 1948, p. 24
- ^ Jim, Proudfoot (April 7, 1994). "Goody Rosen jumped from Toronto sandlots to the major leagues". The Toronto Star. Toronto: Torstar. p. F5. Retrieved June 28, 2010.
- "Jewish Major Leaguers career batting leaders". Jewishmajorleaguers.org. Archived from the original on July 11, 2012. Retrieved January 23, 2011.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help)
Further reading
- Van Blair, Rick (1994). Dugout to Foxhole: Interviews with Baseball Players Whose Careers Were Affected by World War II. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company Publishers.
External links
- Career statistics from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Baseball Cube stats
- Fangraphs stats
- BR Bullpen profile
- 1912 births
- 1994 deaths
- American League All-Stars
- Baseball people from Ontario
- Brooklyn Dodgers players
- Canadian expatriate baseball players in the United States
- Canadian people of Russian-Jewish descent
- Columbus Red Birds players
- Jewish Canadian sportspeople
- Jewish Major League Baseball players
- Louisville Colonels (minor league) players
- Major League Baseball center fielders
- Major League Baseball players from Canada
- Montreal Royals players
- New York Giants (NL) players
- Sportspeople from Toronto
- Stroudsburg Poconos players
- Syracuse Chiefs players
- Toronto Maple Leafs (International League) players