Mickey Livingston – Baseball Player Biography, Career, Net Worth Information

Mickey Livingston’s name doesn’t show up in baseball’s Hall of Fame, but his ten-year run in Major League Baseball really tells the story of those players who quietly kept America’s pastime going. Thompson Orville “Mickey” Livingston spent a decade as a catcher, bouncing between six different teams from 1938 to 1951.

Livingston wrapped up his career in 1951, playing his last big league game on September 20 for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Over his career, he appeared in 561 games and finished with a .238 batting average.

He moved around a lot, playing for the Washington Senators, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, New York Giants, Boston Braves, and finally the Brooklyn Dodgers. Growing up in South Carolina, he saw both the ups and downs of pro baseball, including a World Series run with the Cubs in 1945.

What makes Livingston’s career stand out is his reputation as the ultimate journeyman player. He spent most of his time as a backup catcher, moving from team to team.

His story is a snapshot of so many players who gave everything to baseball but never reached superstar status. Still, he made a real mark on the game’s history during the 1940s and early 1950s.

Early Life and Background

Mickey Livingston grew up in a working-class family in South Carolina in the early 1900s. He got his start in baseball playing for local textile mill teams and American Legion ball before going pro.

Family and Hometown

Thompson Orville Livingston was born on November 15, 1914, in Newberry, South Carolina. His parents were Cole Blease Livingston and Ada Thompson Garrett Livingston.

Money was tight for the Livingstons. In 1920, his dad was out of work, and his mom supported the family at a textile mill.

The family included Mickey and his two sisters, Julia and Sarah. By 1930, they still lived in Newberry, with Mickey, his parents, and 19-year-old sister Sarah all under one roof.

Mickey only finished grammar school, which was pretty typical for families like his back then. He married Margaret E. Darby on January 25, 1935, at age 20. That early marriage gave him some stability as he chased his baseball dreams.

Beginnings in Baseball

Livingston started out playing American Legion ball in South Carolina. In 1935, he joined the Newberry Mill team, following the path many young players took in textile league baseball.

Those mill teams really helped young talent develop in the region. They gave guys like Mickey a shot at organized competition.

In 1937, Mickey jumped to professional baseball. He played for three teams that season: Sanford in the Florida State League, Charlotte in the Piedmont League, and the Chattanooga Lookouts in the Southern Association.

All three teams were farm clubs for the Washington Senators. He spent most of his time with Chattanooga, playing 86 games and hitting .249.

The Washington Senators bought his contract while he was with the Lookouts. That move set him up for his shot at the majors.

Professional Baseball Career

Mickey Livingston played ten seasons in Major League Baseball from 1938 to 1951. He mostly served as a backup catcher for six different teams.

His journey took him from the Washington Senators to his final games with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Debut with Washington Senators

Livingston made his Major League debut on September 17, 1938, with the Washington Senators. In his first game against the St. Louis Browns, he racked up three hits in four at-bats, including two doubles.

He only played two games that rookie season. His second appearance came the next day as a late-inning sub behind the plate.

Before making the majors, he spent time with several minor league teams in the Senators’ system. He played for Sanford, Charlotte, and the Chattanooga Lookouts before getting called up.

Even after his strong debut, the Senators sent Livingston back to the minors to keep developing. He spent 1939 and 1940 with Springfield in the Eastern League.

In 1940, coaches voted him the best catcher in the league. That must have felt pretty good.

Years with Philadelphia Phillies

The Brooklyn Dodgers drafted Livingston in October 1940, but quickly traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies a month later. The deal included pitchers Vito Tamulis and Bill Crouch plus $100,000 for pitcher Kirby Higbe.

Livingston saw the trade as a big break. He told a sportswriter, “If I’d stayed up with Brooklyn, I’d have had to break three other catchers’ arms to get in a ballgame.”

During his Phillies years, teammates called him “one of the hustling-est catchers in the league.” Coach Hans Lobert liked his style, saying he had “lots of guts, can hit in the clutch, and keeps his mouth shut.”

Phillies Statistics:

• 1941: 95 games, .203 batting average
• 1942: 89 games, .205 batting average
• 1943: 84 games, .249 batting average

Livingston kept his approach simple. He once said, “Most of my talking is to the pitcher. I figure the batter isn’t bothered much with chatter.”

Chicago Cubs Tenure

In August 1943, the Phillies traded Livingston to the Chicago Cubs for pitcher Bill Lee. That season, he played 36 games for the Cubs and hit .261.

His Cubs career got interrupted by the Army in 1944. But he received a medical discharge in November because vision problems from his helmet gave him terrible headaches.

The 1945 season was the highlight of his career. The Cubs made it to the World Series against the Detroit Tigers. They lost in seven games, but Livingston had a great series.

He surprised everyone with his World Series performance:

• .364 batting average
• 3 doubles
• 4 RBIs
• 8 hits in 22 at-bats

He did get fined $250 by Commissioner Happy Chandler for briefly grabbing umpire Jocko Conlan’s arm during Game 6, though. Livingston stuck with the Cubs through 1946, playing 66 games and hitting .256.

Seasons with New York Giants

In July 1947, the Giants picked up Livingston on waivers from the Cubs. His role shrank a lot, and he only played five games that season, mostly catching in the bullpen.

In 1948, he got more time, appearing in 45 games and starting 31 behind the plate. Still, his batting average dipped to .212, probably a sign he was slowing down.

Livingston’s last season with the Giants was 1949. He played just 19 games before the team sent him to the Boston Braves on waivers.

His time in New York marked the start of his decline as a regular player. The Giants leaned on younger catchers for most games.

Later Years in Major League Baseball

Mickey Livingston spent his final years in the majors bouncing between the Boston Braves and Brooklyn Dodgers before hanging it up in 1951. Even as he got older, teams still saw him as a steady backup catcher.

Boston Braves Era

Livingston joined the Boston Braves in 1949 after the Giants let him go on waivers. His stint with Boston was short, but he still showed he could help a big league club.

He played just 19 games for the Braves that year. Still, he offered valuable experience to the pitching staff.

The Braves sent him to the St. Paul Saints, a Brooklyn Dodgers farm team, before the 1950 season. Livingston wasn’t happy about it, especially since he was just two months away from qualifying for ten years of major league service.

He told the Newberry Observer, “I am not going to report to St. Paul.” Missing out on the financial perks of ten years in the majors clearly frustrated him.

Time with Brooklyn Dodgers

The Brooklyn Dodgers called Livingston back up in 1951 after he spent 1950 playing semi-pro ball for the Clinton Mill team in South Carolina. The Dodgers needed a fill-in for injured star Roy Campanella.

Livingston played just two games for the Dodgers during this last big league run. Before that, he played for Fort Worth in the Texas League and the St. Paul Saints, hitting a combined .301.

His final major league game came on September 20, 1951, against the St. Louis Cardinals. He went 1-for-3 at the plate, no RBIs.

Retirement in 1951

The Brooklyn Dodgers released Livingston in December 1951, officially ending his major league career. He played ten seasons from 1938 to 1951, missing time for military service in 1944.

Career Statistics:

• Games played: 561
• Batting average: .238
• Home runs: 19
• RBIs: 153
• Fielding percentage: .984

His last big league appearance ended a journeyman career across six teams. Even as a backup catcher, Livingston proved he was a reliable defender and could come through in the clutch.

After his release, the Dodgers hired him to manage Shreveport in the Texas League. That marked his move from player to manager in pro baseball.

Playing Style and On-Field Performance

Mickey Livingston built a reputation as a journeyman catcher, spending most of his 10 seasons as a backup. He combined solid defensive skills with modest offense, batting .238 over 562 games and adding 19 home runs and 153 RBIs.

Role as a Backup Catcher

Livingston spent nearly all of his career as a backup catcher, rarely getting a shot as a regular starter. Only in 1943 did he play more than 100 games in a season.

He split that year between the Phillies and Cubs. With the Phillies, he played 84 games before the August trade to Chicago.

Being a backup meant Livingston had to stay sharp all the time. He worked with different pitchers and had to adapt to new teams quickly.

Players respected his hustle, calling him “one of the hustling-est catchers in the league.” That work ethic kept him on rosters for six different teams.

Offensive Contributions

Livingston’s offense matched his backup role. He managed a .238 batting average and didn’t hit for much power.

His 19 home runs spread out over ten seasons, so he wasn’t a big power guy. He drove in 153 runs total, which averages about 15 RBIs per year.

The 1945 World Series was his biggest offensive moment. With the Cubs, he hit .364, smacked three doubles, and drove in four runs during the seven-game loss to Detroit.

Coaches liked his clutch hitting, even if his overall numbers were modest. Hans Lobert once said he “can hit in the clutch.”

Defensive Abilities

Livingston showed off solid defensive skills behind the plate throughout his career. He posted a .984 fielding percentage as a catcher, proving he had reliable hands and good fundamentals.

His defense kept him in the majors even when his bat cooled off. Coaches trusted him to work with pitchers and call good games.

He filled in at first base now and then, playing 14 games there. His .991 fielding percentage at first showed he could handle another spot on the field.

Vision problems from a 1939 concussion lingered throughout his career. Still, he kept his defensive game steady and stuck around in pro ball.

Career Achievements and Highlights

Mickey Livingston’s ten-season major league career had some real highlights, especially his standout run in the 1945 World Series. His stats show the impact of a reliable backup catcher who played for six different teams.

1945 World Series Performance

Livingston really had his best moment during the 1945 World Series with the Chicago Cubs. He surprised a lot of people as an unexpected hero, even though the Cubs lost to the Detroit Tigers in seven games.

He put up some eye-catching World Series stats:

• 8 hits in 22 at-bats (.364 batting average)
• 4 runs batted in
• 3 doubles

Honestly, this performance looked way better than his regular season batting average of .238. The 1945 season was the last time the Cubs made it to the World Series for decades, so Livingston’s effort felt pretty important.

There was a bit of drama too. Commissioner Happy Chandler fined him $250 because he grabbed umpire Jocko Conlan’s arm during Game 6.

Notable Career Statistics and Records

Livingston played 561 games in the major leagues from 1938 to 1951. He racked up 354 hits, 19 home runs, and 153 RBIs, batting .238 overall.

Defensively, he stood out:

• .984 fielding percentage as a catcher
• .991 fielding percentage at first base (14 games)

A few career highlights:

• Played for six major league teams
• Voted best catcher in the Eastern League in 1940
• Started 55+ games behind the plate in several seasons

He handled both catcher and first base pretty well during his years in the majors.

Life After Baseball and Legacy

Thompson Orville “Mickey” Livingston moved on from pro baseball to managing minor league teams and even running a somewhat controversial bar. His family stayed rooted in the South, and his work on the field made him a reliable journeyman catcher in the history books.

Personal Life and Family

Mickey Livingston married Margaret E. Darby in 1935, right at the start of his baseball journey. They had three kids: Donald, Judy, and Sarah.

By 1941, while he played for the Philadelphia Phillies, he was already a dad to two young children.

When his playing days ended in 1951, Livingston didn’t step away from baseball. He managed the Shreveport team in the Texas League between 1952 and 1953.

His managerial career took a sharp turn after he opened Mickey Livingston’s Bar and Cocktail Lounge in the Jefferson Hotel, downtown Shreveport.

That bar ended up costing him his job with the Shreveport team in 1954. The club let him go because he never asked permission to start the business.

A federal court sided with the club, saying baseball managers should act “above reproach” and set a good example for young fans.

Livingston spent his final years in Texas. He died on April 3, 1983, at age 68 in a veterans hospital in Houston.

He last lived in Galveston, Texas, but was buried back home in Rosemont Cemetery, Newberry, South Carolina.

Legacy in Baseball History

Mickey Livingston really embodied the term “journeyman catcher” during his time in baseball. He bounced around six major league teams from 1938 to 1951, usually filling in as a backup.

His standout year? That was 1943. It’s the only season when he actually played over 100 games.

Career Statistics:

• Games played: 561
• Batting average: .238
• Home runs: 19
• RBIs: 153
• Fielding percentage: .984

People remember Livingston most for what he did in the 1945 World Series with the Chicago Cubs. Even though the Cubs lost to the Detroit Tigers in seven games, he somehow became a bit of a surprise hero.

He hit .364 in the Series, knocking three doubles and driving in four runs.

After his playing days, Livingston managed several minor league teams between 1952 and 1956. In 1952, he led Shreveport to an 84-77 record and a Texas League championship.

He also got caught up in a legal fight over a bar business, which ended up becoming a big deal in baseball arbitration law.

Livingston’s story kind of captures what it was like for so many players who kept professional baseball running in the 1940s and 1950s.