- Goodwin Rosen
Infobox MLB retired
name=Goody Rosen
position=Outfielder
bgcolor1=black
bgcolor2=black
textcolor1=white
textcolor2=white
bats=Left
throws=Left
birthdate=August 28 ,1912
deathdate=death date and age|1994|4|6|1912|8|28
debutdate=September 14
debutyear= 1937
debutteam= Brooklyn Dodgers
finaldate=September 26
finalyear=1946
finalteam=New York Giants
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.291
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=22
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=197
teams=
* Brooklyn Dodgers (1937-1939, 1944-1946)
* New York Giants (1946)
highlights=
*1945 National League All-StarGoodwin George "Goody" Rosen (
August 28 ,1912 –April 6 ,1994 ) was aCanadian center fielder inMajor League Baseball . From 1937 through 1946, Rosen played outfield for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1937-39, 1944-46) and New York Giants (1946). He batted and threwleft handed .Early years
Born in
Toronto to Russian immigrants, Rosen played in the city's playground leagues—including two years with the Elizabeth Playground team underBob Abate —and attended Parkdale Collegiate Institute. His brother Jack was a boxer under the ring name Jackie Rose. As a teenager, Rosen was a top player in Toronto's Jewish Fraternal Softball League. Rosen drove toTampa, Florida to try out with some minor league professional baseball teams, but he was told he was too small (5' 9") 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 theInternational League , but didn't stick with the team. In 1933, he joined theLouisville Colonels of the American Association and played under managerBurleigh Grimes . When Grimes joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1937, he convinced the team to acquire Rosen in August for $10,000 and a player. Rosen broke into the major leagues hitting .312 in 22 games with the Dodgers. In 1938, his first full season, he hit .281, finishing sixth in theNational League in triples (11) and leading all leagueoutfielder s infielding percentage (.989) and assists (19). The next season, he split his time between the Dodgers and their International League affiliate, theMontreal Royals .He then joined the
Syracuse Chiefs of the International League, and played there from 1940 until being re-acquired by the Brooklyn Dodgers during the 1944 season.With the Dodgers, he enjoyed the best year of his career in 1945, finishing 10th in voting for Most Valuable Player Award with 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), 12home run s and 19 outfield assists. In that season, he also had the distinction of being the first Canadian 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. ["Goody finds own hot stove league is stirring business," "
Toronto Star ",January 10 ,1947 , p. 14] The deal was made, and Rosen played for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League in 1947. After a poor season, he was given an unconditional release, ["They've parted," "Toronto Star ",February 26 ,1948 , p. 24] 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 theIntercounty Baseball League . He was named manager of the Ontario all-star team that played the Maple Leafs in an exhibition game in August. Rosen returned to softball and the Beaches league in 1951, playing for Peoples Credit Jewellers, and then retired.After he retired he had a restaurant in Toronto at Bloor and Dundas street. He died in Toronto at age 81.
Achievements
Rosen was inducted in to the
Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in by|1984.His .291 career batting average is seventh-best of all
Jew ish major leaguers. [ [http://jewishmajorleaguers.org/crrldrs/crrldrs.html Jewish Major Leaguers career batting leaders] ] Rosen said that his "proudest accomplishment was being the only Jewish Canadian ever to play in the majors."Fact|date=February 2007 He held that distinction for almost 70 years. It was not until by|2005 that the Major Leagues saw another Jewish Canadian when London, Ontario-bornAdam Stern suited up for theBoston Red Sox .References
External links
*baseball-reference|id=r/rosengo01
* [http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/R/Goody-Rosen.shtml Baseball Cube stats]
* [http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1011209&position=OF Fangraphs stats]
* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Goody_Rosen BR Bullpen profile]
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