John Mackinson

John Joseph Mackinson

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 10½", 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

BR page

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. He was also with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1955, losing his only decision in eight games. This was 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, 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 was not until 1950 before John put 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 released John in May of 1955 and the Cardinals picked him up a few days later. He went 9-7 for the Rochester Red Wings in 1955, before his short trip to Sportsman's Park, and started and finished well for the same Rochester team in 1956, with a 14-7 record and a 4.01 ERA. He spent two more seasons in the high minors with a tired arm and decided it was time to call it a career. John had toiled 13 seasons and 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.

Sources

• Baseball Players of the 1950s

Related Sites

• BR Minors page
• John Mackinson on Find-A-Grave