Rosen, Goody

Goodwin George Rosen

Not to be confused with Al Rosen, to whom he is unrelated, Goody nonetheless hit .325 in 1945. This small but hustling ballplayer, a fan favorite, was born in Canada, but played in New York for both the Giants and the Dodgers. When he broke into the big leagues, he was the smallest man in the majors. He said that his "proudest accomplishment was being the only Canadian Jew ever to play in the majors."

Birth and Death Dates:
b. August 28, 1912 - d. April 6, 1994

Career Highlights:
After playing on a Toronto team that won the Canadian Amateur Baseball Championship when he was 14, Goody broke into the majors in 1937 with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He hit .312 in 22 games that year and then played full-time the following season. He hit a solid .281, finishing sixth in the league in triples (6) and eighth in walks (65), and leading all NL outfielders in fielding (.989) and assists (19). Goody then played with Syracuse in the American Association from 1940-43 before returning to the Dodgers in 1944. The following year, he had his best season, batting an outstanding .325, finishing second in the league in runs (126), hits (197), and total bases (279), and was chosen to the All-Star team. In 1946, Rosen was sold to the New York Giants -- the first time he faced the Dodgers that season (only two days after the sale), Goody got five hits, including a three-run homer to win the second game of a doubleheader. When the Dodgers ended the season in a tie with the Cardinals, many fans speculated that Brooklyn sold Goody two days too soon. Later that year, though, he sustained a career-ending clavicle injury when he crashed into a fence. Over his 6-year big-league career, his lifetime batting average was a healthy .291. He also hit 34 triples during his career. He is a member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.

Career Dates:
Rosen played for the Brooklyn Dodgers, 1937-39,and 1944-46, and the New York Giants, 1946.

Position:
Outfield

Physical description:
5'9 1/2", 160 pounds
Left-handed

Career Statistics:
Games: 551
Batting Avg.: .291
Slugging Avg.: .398

At-bats: 1916
Hits: 557
Doubles: 71
Triples: 34

Home Runs: 22
Home Run %: 1.1
Runs: 310
RBI: 197

BB: 218
Strike Outs: 166
Stolen Bases: 12

Pinch Hitting
At-bats: 62
Hits: 10

Fielding Statistics
Put-outs: 1210
Assists: 42
Errors: 14
Double-plays: 6

Total Chances per Game: 2.7
Fielding Avg: .989

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