Ed Mierkowicz

Edward Frank Mierkowicz
(Butch or Mouse)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 4", Weight 205 lb.
• High School Theodore Roosevelt High School (Wyandotte)
• Debut August 31, 1945
• Final Game April 19, 1950
• Born March 6, 1924 in Wyandotte, MI USA
• Died May 19, 2017 in Rochester Hills, MI USA

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Biographical Information

You could say that Ed "Mouse" Mierkowicz either hit the peak of success in his major league career, or that his career went nowhere. On one hand, he was already playing in the 1945 World Series with the winning team, the Detroit Tigers, at age 21. On the other hand, his total major league career only lasted 63 at-bats from 1945 to 1950.

At 6' 4", it's obvious why he was called Mouse.

Ed was called up to the Tigers at the end of the 1945 season after a 21-home run, 94-RBI campaign for the Buffalo Bisons of the International League. His only World Series appearance was as a defensive replacement for left fielder Hank Greenberg in the 9th inning of Game 7.

The St. Louis Cardinals selected Mierkowicz in the minor league draft following the 1948 season. Ed was with the Cardinals to start the 1950 season, but played only one game before being sent back to the minors when teams had to cut their rosters to 25 players. His pinch-hitting appearance on April 19th, when he struck out againstCliff Chambers of the Pittsburgh Pirates, would be the final game of his major league career.

Mierkowicz finished his professional career with eight minor league seasons, in the Cardinals, Phillies, Athletics and Orioles organizations. He also played in the Mexican League in his final pro season, 1957. In all, he played over 1,500 minor league games in his career.

When he died in 2017, Ed was the last surviving member of the 1945 Tigers championship team.

Notable Achievement

• Won a World Series with the Detroit Tigers in 1945

Related Sites

• Ed Mierkowicz at the SABR Bio Project