Mickey Vernon: The Gentleman First Baseman

He was the most graceful player I ever saw. There was only one other player who compared with Mickey Vernon in that area, and that was Joe DiMaggio.

Maury Povich, television show host

If you didn’t like Mickey Vernon, you didn’t like anybody. He was a fine human being. He didn’t have an enemy in the world.
Bob Feller, Hall of Fame pitcher

Here at last is the compelling story of the life and career of a genuine baseball hero. During a major league career that touched on four decades, Mickey Vernon ranked as one of the elite players in baseball. Considering that Vernon played in one of the game’s most notable eras, this distinction was particularly remarkable.

Written with a keen sense of baseball history, this long-overdue book is based on extensive interviews with Vernon, as well as sessions with his family, friends and former teammates and opponents. The stories, insights and coverage of Vernon’s numerous achievements provide a poignant look at a man who ranks among the classiest ever to play the game.

About the Author

Rich Wescott, a newspaper and magazine writer and editor for more than forty years, is the author of sixteen other books. In the 1960s, Westcott was a sportswriter with The Delaware County Daily Times when he first met and wrote about Mickey Vernon. Westcott also founded and, for fourteen years, served as editor and publisher of Phillies Report.