Cy Perkins

Note: This page links to longtime A's catcher Cy Perkins. For the former Negro League catcher, click here.

Ralph Foster Perkins

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 10½", Weight 158 lb.
• High School Gloucester (MA) High School
• Debut September 25, 1915
• Final Game September 30, 1934
• Born February 27, 1896 in Gloucester, MA USA
• Died October 2, 1963 in Philadelphia, PA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Catcher Cy Perkins had a seventeen-year career in the majors, with fifteen seasons on the Philadelphia Athletics squad. He must have ranked high in Connie Mack's estimation, since Mack, a former catcher himself, was the manager for all fifteen years.

Perkins came up at age 19 and finished in the majors at age 38. He appeared in 1,111 games at catcher, with only 12 games at other positions. He was a regular from 1914 to 1924, but in 1925 lost his job to the young Mickey Cochrane. However, he remained as a backup through 1930. He played in Mexico for two years, playing for Rojos del Águila de Veracruz in 1939, hitting .310 in 32 games. He returned in 1942, playing for Monterrey, though he hit only .169 in 20 games.

Like many players nicknamed "Cy", his real name was not Cyrus. It was Ralph.

The near 47-year-old Perkins entered the Navy in November 1942 and was discharged in 1944.

He became a coach for several champion teams - the 1932 New York Yankees, the 1935 Detroit Tigers, and the 1950 Philadelphia Phillies. He briefly managed (15 games) in the majors in 1937 after Cochrane suffered a fractured skull.

Notable Achievements

• Won two World Series with the Philadelphia Athletics (1929 & 1930; he played in neither World Series)

Preceded by Del Baker

Detroit Tigers Manager 1937

Succeeded by Mickey Cochrane

Year-By-Year Managerial Record

Year	Team	League	Record	Finish	Organization	Playoffs	Notes
1937	Detroit Tigers	American League	6-9	5th	Detroit Tigers		replaced Del Baker (41-23) on September 10
1940	Hazleton Mountaineers / Lancaster Red Roses	Inter-State League	62-56	4th	none	League Champs	Hazleton moved to Lancaster on June 12
1945	Burlington Bees	Carolina League	42-47	--	none	--	replaced Tom Greenwade (4-7) on May 9 replaced by Rube Wilson (21-16) on August 4

Further Reading

• C. Paul Rogers III: "Ralph 'Cy' Perkins", in Scott Ferkovich, ed.: Detroit the Unconquerable: the 1935 World Champion Tigers, SABR, Phoenix, AZ, 2014, pp. 163-170. ISBN 978-1-933599-78-6

Related Sites

• Cy Perkins at the SABR Bio Project
• BR Manager page
• Find-A-Grave Memorial for Cy Perkins