Ed Mickelson Obit

Edward A. "Mick" Mickelson

September 9, 1926 - June 27, 2025

 

He was not on the list.

Edward Allen Mickelson passed away peacefully on June 27, 2025, at the age of 98 years. He was the third oldest living former Major League player who had played alongside such greats as Stan Musial, Red Schoendienst, Satchel Paige, and Ernie Banks, Ed is more than the answer to the trivia question – who drove in the last run for the St. Louis Browns franchise on September 27, 1953. From his youth, Ed was a man of all seasons – more precisely, all sports seasons. Those seasons began at University City High School where the 6’ 3” athlete became a three-sport star (baseball, basketball, and football). Basketball became the sport that Ed first excelled in, but it was football that earned him a scholarship to the University of Tennessee. Homesick before the season began, Ed transferred to the University of Missouri and became a freshman starter on the varsity basketball and football teams. He even received honorable mention recognition on the All-Big Six team. But his collegiate career was cut short in 1944 when Ed chose to enlist and serve his country during WWII. At the time of his passing, he was one of only three surviving former Major Leaguers who served in WWII. Once out of service in 1946, Ed returned to the college hard wood to play basketball for legendary coach Hank Iba at Oklahoma A&M University. There were no open basketball scholarships available, so Ed was awarded a baseball scholarship. He had a successful season on the basketball court before heading to the university’s baseball field. Although his was not a glamorous baseball season in 1947, Ed did receive an invitation to tryout with the St. Louis Cardinals and walked away with a $2000 contract. As Ed always said, “imagine getting a professional contract after playing only 30 games (15 in high school and 15 in college).

The next three years saw Ed making progress as he continued to learn the nuances of the game. In 1948 he hit .372 while playing B level baseball for the Redbirds and by 1950 he was hitting .413 before an end of season call up to the big leagues on September 18, 1950. His big-league debut came that day as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning and he whiffed in his only at-bat that day in a 12-0 loss to the New York Giants. Three days later he was in the starting lineup at first base batting clean-up sandwiched between Enos Slaughter and Red Schoendienst as the Redbirds faced Warren Spahn and the Braves in Boston. Spahn would only allow two hits in the 5-0 shutout that day and rookie Ed Mickelson’s single in the second inning was one of them – his first Major League hit. Ed would get into three more games during the final week of the season. Ed’s 1951 season was shortened primarily due to injuries and the next year Ed found himself bouncing between minor league teams due to an abundance of first basemen in the Cardinal organization who had nowhere to go with Musial at first base, so Ed demanded to be released or traded.

The Browns claimed him off waivers based upon their new manager, and Ed’s former Cardinal teammate, Marty Marion’s recollection of Ed’s fine 1950 season. While on the roster for the start of the Browns final 1953 season a foot injury from spring training soon landed Ed on the DL and then stints in the minors to recover. His .296 average got him a call up in September and a place in baseball history. Ed got to play seven games including one in Yankee Stadium (his personal wish came true). But it was in the third inning of the Browns last game (ever) on September 27, 1953, that Ed singled home Johnny Groth for what would be the last RBI in the St. Louis Browns franchise’s history before 3,174 spectators at Sportsman’s Park.

Ed went to Baltimore when the Browns relocated and although he was playing well in spring training, he didn’t make the club as they had acquired Eddie Waitkus to play first base. Ed was then sold to the independent Shreveport team in the Texas League where he hit .335. After the 1954 season the Portland Beavers of the Pacific League picked Ed as the first draft pick out of the 8500 eligible players. Ed responded by hitting over .300 each of the next two years before getting a chance with his hometown Chicago Cubs in 1957. The Cubbies were looking for a good player off the bench against lefthanders, but Ed didn’t fare well in his brief stint and was shipped back to Portland after playing in just six games to close out his Major League career. He played with the Beavers until the end of July when he had had enough and went back to St. Louis where he would soon make his mark off the field.

While the stats may not add up to a HOF career, Ed’s resume includes a first round draft pick selection, three All-Star Games, and the impressive record of having hit for the second highest batting average in the Pacific Coast League while recording the best fielding percentage among first basemen. During his playing career Ed was preparing for the next season of his life. He continued working to complete his college degrees which positioned him to becoming a highly recognized and beloved teacher, counselor, and coach at University City (1958 – 1970) and Parkway Central (1970 – 1993) High Schools. Ed coached both baseball and football and played a key role in prepping future MLB all-star Ken Holtzman’s big league career, and both Issac Byrd and Ryan Young for the NFL. Even after retirement, Ed continued coaching children of all ages at the Jewish Community Center and offering his baseball lore to members of the St. Louis Browns Fan Club and the local SABR chapter.

Ed was preceded in his passing by his parents Edward Mickelson and Mary (nee Cerutti) Mickelson. He was the beloved husband of his high school sweetheart and first wife of 52 years, the late Jo Ann (nee Menzel) Mickelson. He is survived by his current wife of 24 years, Mary (nee Steffen) Mickelson, dear father of Eric (Cathy ) Mickelson and Julie (Charles) Drew; loving grandfather of  Eileen (Robert), Michael (Haley), Mathew, Jennifer, Sabrina, Katie (Christopher), Blake (Hannah), and Shane; and loving great grandfather to Luca, Luna, Roman, Koda, Hailey, Bella, Aubrey, Ava, Connor, Taylor (Bailey), Beau and Wesley.

Ed’s 2007 book, A Memoir of a Minor League Baseball All-Star, is his tale of an 11-year career in the minors that included three callups to the big leagues. It’s his life story playing in 15 different leagues competing with the thousands of players playing on the dozens of teams in of the 59 minor leagues, all hoping to find a roster spot on one of the 16 big league teams of that time period. It’s a story of an athlete overcoming the frustrations of injury and competition and finally finding a new season as an inspiration for his family and the thousands of students and players he coached.

Services:   Visitation will be at the Schrader Funeral Home and Crematory, 14960 Manchester Road at Holloway, Ballwin, on Monday June 30th from 4:00 PM to 8:00 p.m. A Celebration of Life will take place on Tuesday July 1st at 10:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his name to The St. Louis Browns Historical Society & Fan Club, P.O. Box 6007, Chesterfield, MO  63006 or the Bob Broeg Chapter of SABR, P.O. Box 6007, Chesterfield, MO  63006. 

Mickelson was born in Ottawa, Illinois on September 9, 1926, and attended Washington University in St. Louis and Oklahoma State University. He played college baseball for the Washington University Bears and the Oklahoma State Cowboys. He signed with the Cardinals in 1947 and was given his first big-league audition at the end of the 1950 minor league season, during which he batted a composite .413 in two Class B leagues.[2] Mickelson collected only one hit and two bases on balls in 12 plate appearances over five games, however, and returned to the minor leagues for almost three full seasons.

Acquired by the Browns' organization, Mickelson was called up in September 1953 after a season spent in the Double-A Texas League. The Browns were at the end of their 52-year stay in St. Louis; owner Bill Veeck was about to sell the team to an ownership group from Baltimore and the team would be reborn as the Orioles the next season. In the third inning of the Browns' final game on Sunday, September 27, at Busch Stadium, facing the Chicago White Sox, Johnny Groth doubled off Billy Pierce with two out. Mickelson then drove home Groth with an opposite-field single to give the Browns a 1–0 lead.[3] But Chicago came back to tie the game in the eighth, sent the contest to extra innings, and won it 2–1 with a run in the top of the 11th. The RBI single was Mickelson's last big-league hit; he went hitless for the rest of that game, and then was 0-for-12 in his last Major League stint with the 1957 Cubs.

Mickelson never appeared for the Orioles. His early-season 1957 stay with the Cubs punctuated four more minor league seasons at the Double-A and Open Classification levels. Although Mickelson collected only three hits, including a double, in 37 MLB at bats (with four bases on balls), he batted .316 with 1,374 hits during his minor-league career. He started off hsi career with the Decatur Commodores.