Mickey Rutner

Milton Rutner

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 190 lb.
• School St. John's University
• Debut September 11, 1947
• Final Game September 28, 1947
• Born March 18, 1919 in Hempstead, NY USA
• Died October 17, 2007 in Georgetown, TX USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Third baseman Mickey Rutner spent ten seasons in professional baseball from 1941 to 1953. During this time span he also spent three years (1943-1945) serving with the United States Army in the European Theater of Operations in World War II.

Returning from military service, Mickey quickly had two good seasons, back to back, hitting .310 with 15 home runs in 138 games for the Wilmington Blue Rocks of the class B Interstate League in 1946, followed with a .327 average in 153 games for the Birmingham Barons of the AA Southern Association in 1947.

Things happen fast and on September 11, 1947, Rutner made his big league debut with the Philadelphia Athletics. He appeared in 12 games, went 12 for 48 with one dinger and fielded the hot corner at a .962 clip. This was the sum-total for his time in the major leagues and he played his last game in the show on September 28th.

Mickey spent his last six years in the minors (1948-1953). He returned to Birmingham in 1948, hitting well with a .312 average but wouldn't hit the .300 mark again until 1951, when he hit at a .308 clip, with the San Antonio Missions of the AA Texas League. He played two more seasons, not quite up to his standards and in 1953 at the age of 34 he called it a career. He appeared in 1,160 games with 4,278 at-bats for a minor league carer average of .295.

After baseball Mickey worked as a greeter in the luxury suites at The Dell Diamond for eight seasons. Rutner died from a staph infection that developed following shoulder surgery for a torn rotator cuff on October 17, 2007 in Georgetown, TX.

He was a minor league teammate of Eliot Asinof, who based the character "Mike Kutner" from his 1955 novel Man on Spikes on him.

Related Sites

• BR Minors page