Ed Mierkowicz – Baseball Player Biography, Career, Net Worth Information

Ed Mierkowicz’s baseball career is honestly one of the more remarkable stories you’ll find in Major League Baseball history. Even though he played just 35 games in the major leagues, Edward Frank Mierkowicz pulled off something most long-time stars never do: he snagged a World Series championship ring as a 21-year-old rookie with the Detroit Tigers in 1945.

He’d later joke about his short time in the majors, saying he got “a cup of coffee, but no cream.” That sums it up, really.

Born in Wyandotte, Michigan, folks called Mierkowicz “Mouse”—which is kind of funny, considering he stood 6-foot-4 and weighed 205 pounds. He started his professional baseball journey during World War II, when teams were scrambling for talent.

Detroit gave him a shot, and after his last major league appearance with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1950, he kept playing in the minors for a few more years before finally hanging up his spikes.

His story stretches from high school glory to that World Series win, then through the struggle to stay in the big leagues, and finally to life after baseball. Mierkowicz’s career gives a glimpse into the tough road players faced trying to break into the majors right after the war, when veterans poured back into the game.

Early Life and Background

Edward Frank Mierkowicz was born March 6, 1924, in Wyandotte, Michigan. His parents raised him with a strong work ethic and some pretty solid values.

He showed off his athletic talents early at Roosevelt High School, where he played a bunch of sports and wowed both football and baseball scouts.

Childhood in Wyandotte, Michigan

Mierkowicz grew up in Wyandotte, a working-class town just outside Detroit. His dad, Ignatius, worked in a gasket factory to keep the family afloat.

There were three kids in the house: Ed, his brother Joe, and his sister Clara. Their mom, Helen, kept things running at home.

Wyandotte gave Ed a strong foundation for sports. Being close to Detroit meant he saw pro athletes up close and had a shot to get noticed by scouts.

Ed’s size set him apart right away. Even as a teenager, he towered over his friends at 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds—impossible to miss on the field.

Family and Heritage

The Mierkowicz family lived the classic immigrant story in Michigan’s industrial heartland. Ignatius put in long hours at the factory, making sure Helen and the three kids had what they needed.

Ed’s parents pushed him to do well in school and in sports, even though money was tight. They supported him in every sport he tried at Roosevelt High.

His Polish heritage showed in his last name, but people called him “Mouse” once he started playing pro ball. There’s a bit of irony there, considering his size.

Growing up with working-class values shaped Ed’s character. He carried those lessons into his baseball career and later, when he worked at Wyandotte’s waste treatment plant.

Roosevelt High School Athletic Achievements

At Roosevelt High, Ed Mierkowicz became a star in three sports: baseball, basketball, and football. He played them all with real skill.

His biggest moment came in his junior year on the football team. He made the all-state honors as an end and kicker for Roosevelt’s undefeated squad.

That football season got college recruiters interested. He had scholarship offers thanks to his athletic and academic achievements.

But baseball was always his best sport. His size and power made him a standout, and soon enough, pro scouts were watching.

His high school career peaked with a legendary performance against a top pitcher. Ed drove in five runs with two home runs and a double, beating a guy who hadn’t lost in four years.

Influential Friendships and Mentors

King Boring made a huge impact on Ed. He coached sandlot baseball in town and had already helped several players reach the majors.

King Boring gave Ed tough competition and smart coaching every summer. That made a real difference in Ed’s development.

Wish Egan, a Detroit Tigers scout, also played a key role. He saw Ed’s big game against the unbeaten pitcher and told people, “A star was born.”

Ed’s athletic relationships opened doors that money couldn’t. Those connections mattered when pro teams came calling.

His teammates and coaches always praised his work ethic and character. Those friendships stuck with him through his baseball days and long after, back in Wyandotte.

Path to Professional Baseball

Ed Mierkowicz’s path to pro baseball started with his standout high school performance. He got noticed in multiple sports, and military service during World War II both got in the way and opened some doors for his baseball career.

High School Baseball Stardom

Mierkowicz was a three-sport athlete at Roosevelt High in Wyandotte. He played baseball, basketball, and football, and he was good at all of them.

As a junior, he made the all-state football team, playing end and kicker for an undefeated squad.

Summers meant sandlot baseball with King Boring, who helped Ed sharpen his skills.

Everything changed his senior year. Scouts came to watch an opposing pitcher who hadn’t lost in four years, but Ed stole the show, driving in five runs with two homers and a double.

Detroit Tigers scout Wish Egan noticed right away. Ed would later say, “A star was born”—that game put him on the pro baseball map.

Signing with Wish Egan and the Detroit Tigers

After high school, Ed got a bunch of college scholarship offers. But World War II changed everything; like so many others, he went into the army.

After his discharge, Wish Egan called Ed up in 1944. The Detroit Tigers scout offered him a professional contract, and Ed jumped at the chance.

The Detroit Tigers sent him to Hagerstown in the Class-B Interstate League for his first pro season. He had a great year in 1944, batting .331 with 5 home runs in 139 games.

That debut showed he could handle pro pitching. His size and hitting made him a real asset for Detroit.

Military Service and Its Impact

World War II definitely shaped Ed’s baseball career. He joined the army as a high school senior, like a lot of young guys back then.

But things took a turn—Ed got rheumatic fever and was discharged after only eight months.

That early discharge turned out to be a blessing for his baseball dream. He came home in 1944, while a lot of others were still overseas.

It’s tough to think about, but the pitcher he beat in high school went into the service and died on Iwo Jima. The war sent people down very different paths.

Coming home early let Ed start his professional baseball player career ahead of many of his peers. Signing with Detroit and working through their minor league system happened sooner than he ever expected.

Major League Career Highlights

Ed Mierkowicz’s major league career lasted from 1945 to 1950. He won a World Series as a rookie and had short runs with two teams.

Even though he played just 35 games, he earned a World Series ring with the Detroit Tigers before finishing up with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Detroit Tigers Debut and Early MLB Years

Mierkowicz made his MLB debut on August 31, 1945, at just 21, right in the middle of a heated pennant race. Detroit called him up from Buffalo, along with three other guys, as the Tigers fought for the title.

His first big league hit was a clutch one. On September 10, 1945, in a doubleheader against the Red Sox, Ed ripped a ninth-inning double off Emmett O’Neill, breaking a 1-1 tie. That hit helped keep Detroit a game ahead in the standings.

He finished his rookie season with a .133 batting average, just 2-for-15. His timing, though, couldn’t have been better. The Tigers clinched the pennant on the last day, thanks to Hank Greenberg’s grand slam.

Role in the 1945 World Series Champion Team

The 1945 World Series went the distance, with the Tigers and Cubs battling to Game Seven at Wrigley Field. With Detroit up 9-3 in the ninth, manager Steve O’Neill put Mierkowicz in for Hank Greenberg in left field.

“What the hell am I doing here? My knees are shaking,” Ed remembered years later. The first Cubs batter singled to left, and Ed fielded it cleanly, helping keep the lead as Hal Newhouser finished off the win.

The celebration? Pretty low-key. “Are you kidding? The Tigers didn’t have that kind of money back then,” Ed said. “We sprayed each other with plain water.”

At the team banquet, Ed’s luck continued—he won a car in a players’ raffle. Some veterans grumbled, but Hank Greenberg stood up for him, saying the rookie needed it more.

St. Louis Cardinals and 1950 MLB Farewell

After 1948 and 1949 in the minors, the St. Louis Cardinals picked up Mierkowicz in the November 1948 minor-league draft. He’d hit .293 with 88 RBIs and 15 home runs for Rochester in 1949, earning another shot at the majors.

The Cardinals called him up for the 1950 season, but it didn’t last. On April 19, 1950, he struck out as a pinch-hitter in the second game of the season. That was his last at-bat in the majors.

His final MLB stats? A .175 batting average, 7 hits in 40 at-bats, one home run, and four RBIs over 35 games. His only home run came on August 10, 1947, off Eddie Lopat at Briggs Stadium.

Even with so little playing time, Ed did what most players never do—he got a World Series ring. “Thank God, I had the ability to play for that team,” he said, remembering that 1945 championship with the Tigers.

Minor League and Extended Playing Career

Ed Mierkowicz spent most of his professional baseball career in the minor leagues. He played 13 seasons from 1944 to 1957, finishing with a .284 batting average and 129 home runs.

He bounced around between several teams and leagues. Some of his most notable stops included the Buffalo Bisons and Rochester Red Wings in the International League.

Early Years: Hagerstown Owls and Buffalo Bisons

Mierkowicz kicked off his pro career in 1944 with the Hagerstown Owls in the Class-B Interstate League. He made noise right away, batting .331 with 5 home runs over 139 games.

The Detroit Tigers moved him up to their Double-A club, the Buffalo Bisons, in the International League for the 1945 season. He kept swinging a hot bat there, hitting .303 with 21 home runs by late August.

Detroit called him up to the majors in August 1945 thanks to his Bisons performance. After his military service in 1946, Mierkowicz returned to Triple-A Buffalo and also played for Milwaukee, where he hit a combined .263 with 11 home runs.

Rochester Red Wings and Other Teams

The Rochester Red Wings became his main team after the St. Louis Cardinals grabbed him in 1948. From 1949 to 1953, he stuck with Rochester and put up steady numbers in the International League.

In 1949, he batted .293, drove in 88 runs, and hit 15 home runs in 128 games. The Red Wings won the regular season in 1950 with a 92-59 record, and he matched his .293 average from the previous year.

After he recovered from a skull fracture in 1951, Mierkowicz played for the Houston Buffaloes in 1952, hitting .271 with 11 home runs. He returned to Rochester in 1953, batted .303, and helped them win the International League pennant.

He finished up his minor league journey with the Syracuse Chiefs in 1954, where he hit .300, then went back to the Buffalo Bisons in 1956 and batted .235. He wrapped up his career in the Texas League in 1957.

Notable Incidents and Achievements

Mierkowicz’s scariest moment in the minors came on July 4, 1951, while playing for Rochester. After he hit his third home run in three games, Ottawa pitcher Andy Tomasic drilled him in the head with a fastball.

That beaning fractured his skull and left him with partial paralysis and speech issues. Surgeons at Strong Memorial Hospital operated right away and saved his life.

On August 27, 1951, the Red Wings held “Ed Mierkowicz Night.” Fans from Rochester gave him $3,000, and his hometown of Wyandotte chipped in $400. “It’s almost worth it to get hit on the head to discover you have so many friends,” he joked.

He came back in 1952, even though doctors worried about his health. In 1953, he caught fire during a July series against Buffalo, going 9-for-15 with home runs in back-to-back innings.

Player Profile and On-Field Performance

Ed Mierkowicz cut an imposing figure in the outfield at 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds. Teammates called him “Mouse”—a nickname that definitely didn’t fit his size.

His major league career lasted just 35 games, but he really made his mark in the minors.

Fielding and Batting Style

Mierkowicz mostly played as an outfielder and sometimes filled in at first base. His most memorable fielding moment happened in Game 7 of the 1945 World Series, when he came in as a defensive replacement for Hank Greenberg in left field.

Even with his big frame, Mierkowicz described himself as a line-drive hitter, not really a pure power guy. “My home run was a line drive,” he said in a 2015 interview, showing his focus at the plate.

He hit and threw right-handed his whole career. Scouts expected him to hit for power, but that never really happened.

In the minors, though, he hit much better. He put up several seasons with a batting average over .300 and showed good plate discipline with plenty of walks.

Statistical Overview and Advanced Metrics

Mierkowicz’s major league stats tell the story of a player who didn’t get many chances. He finished with a .175 batting average, 1 home run, and 4 RBIs in 35 games.

He hit his only big league homer on August 10, 1947, off Eddie Lopat of the Chicago White Sox. “It was a curveball at my knees,” he recalled, “and it was well hit.”

Major League Career Numbers:

• Games: 35
• Batting Average: .175
• Home Runs: 1
• RBIs: 4
• Hits: 8 (in 1947 season)

In the minors, things looked much brighter. He put up a .284 average over 13 seasons and hit 129 home runs.

The gap between his minor and major league stats says a lot about how tough the jump up to the big leagues was after World War II.

Nicknames and Reputation

Despite being 6-foot-4, teammates called him “Mouse,” which always got a laugh. Some folks also knew him as “Autch” during his playing days.

People respected him more for his character than his stats. When some veterans complained about him winning a car in a team raffle, Hank Greenberg stood up for him, saying, “Hey he’s a rookie and he can use it more than we can.”

Mierkowicz looked back on his career with a sense of humor, calling it “a cup of coffee, but no cream.” He stayed grateful, saying, “God gave me the ability to play ball. Made a pretty good living.”

His resilience really showed after that life-threatening beaning in 1951. He managed to come back and play several more seasons.

Legacy, Personal Life, and Post-Baseball Years

After he retired from Major League Baseball in 1950, Ed Mierkowicz built a pretty solid life away from the game. He stayed connected to baseball, though, and eventually became known as the last surviving member of the 1945 Detroit Tigers World Series team.

Life After Retiring in 1950

He went back home to Wyandotte, Michigan after his baseball days ended. He worked at a waste treatment plant in Wyandotte for 24 years, which gave his family some stability.

He retired from the plant in 1984 after more than two decades on the job. That kind of second career was pretty common back then, since baseball salaries didn’t stretch very far.

Even after his MLB days, Mierkowicz kept playing pro ball in different leagues until 1957. He played in Cuba, Mexico, and even with the Sacramento Solons in the Pacific Coast League in 1955.

He also owned and ran the Blossom Bar in Wyandotte. The place turned into a local hangout, and he sponsored youth baseball teams for more than 30 years, showing he never lost his love for the game.

Community Impact and Recognition

Late in life, Mierkowicz’s story took on new meaning when people realized he was the last living member of the 1945 World Series team. Tom Gage, a Detroit News Hall of Fame sportswriter, featured him on the front page.

That interview also ran in the Chicago Tribune, so suddenly a lot more people knew his story. Fans loved hearing from someone who had a direct link to Detroit’s last World Series win before 1984.

Old teammates and community members visited him, remembering his years of supporting youth baseball. He wore his World Series ring proudly in his final years.

Channel 4’s Guy Gordon did a TV segment on him, letting Detroiters hear his memories from the 1945 championship season.

Final Years and Remembrance

Mierkowicz spent his last years in nursing facilities in Troy and West Bloomfield, Michigan. Even with health struggles like multiple hip fractures, he stayed mentally sharp.

He loved talking baseball with anyone who came by. Fans sent him get-well cards and thank-you notes, showing real appreciation for his part in Detroit’s 1945 championship.

Those connections brought him a lot of joy. They reminded him he wasn’t forgotten, even in his 90s.

Baseball Reference and other stat sites keep his playing record alive. They show his brief but memorable MLB career.

He passed away on May 19, 2017, at age 93 in Rochester Hills, Michigan. That really closed the book on a direct link to the 1945 World Series.

At his funeral, his friend David gave the eulogy. He summed up Mierkowicz’s impact with a simple, heartfelt line: “Thank you, thank you. Who are you and why are you doing all this? You make me so happy. Most people are forgotten when they are in their 90s.”