John Mackinson

From BR Bullpen

John Joseph Mackinson

Bats Right, Throws Right
Weight 160 lb.

Debut April 16, 1953
Final Game September 19, 1955
Born October 29, 1923 in Orange, NJ USA
Died October 17, 1989 in Reseda, CA USA

[edit] Biographical Information

John Mackinson a native of Orange, NJ was approaching thirty years of age when he pitched in one game for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1953, with no decision and he was also with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1955, losing his only decision in eight games. This would be the extent of his major league experience. John had originally signed as a 22 year old amateur free agent with the New York Yankees before the 1946 season and after an extensive tour of duty with the United States Army during World War II.

The Yankees organization assigned John to the Sunbury Yankees of the class B Interstate League in 1946 where he had one of his better minor league years, going 14-10 with a 3.88 ERA. It would be 1950 before John would throw up some good numbers again going 14-9 with a 3.04 ERA for the Muskegon Clippers of the class A Central League while pitching 207 innings. After a 15 win season with the Beaumont Roughnecks of the AA Texas League in 1951 and a 16 win performance with the Birmingham Barons of the AA Southern Association in 1952, John was purchased by the Philadelphia Athletics from the Yankees on October 14, 1952.

The Athletics would release John in May of 1955 and the St. Louis Cardinals would pick him up a few days later and he would go 9-7 for the Rochester Red Wings in 1955, before his short trip to Sportsman's Park, and start and finish well for the same Rochester team in 1956 with a 14-7 record and a 4.01 ERA. He would spend two more seasons in the high minors with a tired arm and decide it was time to call it a career. John had toiled 13 seasons down under an built an admirable record of 125 wins with 109 losses and a 3.82 ERA while pitching 1,939 innings.

Mackinson passed away on October 17, 1989, at age 65 in Reseda, CA, where he worked as a delivery driver for Frito Lay Inc.