Andy Cohen
Andrew Howard Cohen
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 8", Weight 155 lb.
- School University of Alabama
- High School El Paso High School
- Debut May 31, 1926
- Final Game October 5, 1929
- Born October 25, 1904 in Baltimore, MD USA
- Died October 29, 1988 in El Paso, TX USA
Biographical Information[edit]
Infielder Andy Cohen was the brother of Syd Cohen. Apart from his major league years, he was the second baseman for the Minneapolis Millers from 1932-1939, including the year Ted Williams was on the team. Overall, he amassed 2,199 hits in the minors.
Andy was the first major leaguer with the last name Cohen. He rolled Tide when they were sending a lot of players to the majors - during the 1920s, fifteen players from the University of Alabama made their major league debuts. John McGraw obtained him for the New York Giants in an effort to draw the Jewish fans in New York City to the ballpark and away from the mighty Babe Ruth and Yankee Stadium. After a brief stint in 1926 and parts of two seasons in the minors, he had the unenviable task of replacing Rogers Hornsby at the keystone sack in 1928. In two almost full-time seasons, he hit .282; not enough to make the Gotham fans forget Rajah. The Giants farmed him out to the International League to fix his fielding during 1929 with the promise of him coming back if he picked up. The day he was to return, he broke his leg, never getting another big league chance.
Cohen was born in Baltimore, went to high school in El Paso, and attended college at the University of Alabama. His minor league career took him all over, as well - in addition to Minneapolis, he was in such far-flung places as Pine Bluff, AR and Dayton, OH. He was later a Philadelphia Phillies coach in 1960 and interim manager of the club for one game after Eddie Sawyer resigned suddenly just after Opening Day; Gene Mauch then took over. During his time with the Giants, he performed in the off-season in a vaudeville show with fellow player Shanty Hogan. It was a common trope at the time to pair a Jewish and an Irish comedian and get the public to laugh at the stereotypes associated with the two groups.
Cohen was the head coach at the University of Texas at El Paso from 1963 to 1978. Cohen Stadium, in El Paso, is named after Andy and his brother.
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