Houston Astros’ General Manager Al Rosen was an American baseball third baseman and right-handed slugger in the Major Leagues for ten seasons in the 1940s and 1950s has died. He was 91. His second wife, three sons, two stepchildren, four grandchildren and a great-granddaughter survived him. He also was a four-time all-Star. Following his playing career, Rosen became a successful front-office executive.
After retirement Rosen was also president and general manager of the Astros from 1980 to 1985 and the Giants from 1986 to 1992.
In a statement, Albert Leonard Rosen was born on Feb. 29, 1924, in Spartanburg, S.C., where his grandfather, a Jewish immigrant from Poland, ran a department store. When he was a youngster, his family moved to Miami, where, he recalled, he was sometimes taunted over his religion. Therefore, he took up boxing and showed the grit he would later display on the baseball field.
In his career Rosen played his entire, career with Cleveland from 1947-56. Although he was a member of the ’48 team, he played only five games that season and got one at-bat in the win over the Boston Braves. In the year of 1953, Rosen batted .336 with 43 homers and 145 RBIs. He nearly won the Triple Crown, but was beaten out in for the batting title by Washington’s Mickey Vernon, who hit .337. Rosen was unanimously picked the AL’s top player.
Report from the gallery of the Cleveland Indians Rosen played on the Indians from 1947 through 1956, including on the 1948 Indians, which won the World Series, the last time the team has won the title. He won the 1953 American League Most Valuable Player award, the last time an Indian’s player has been named the year’s MVP. He retired after the 1956 season, at the age of 32, suffering from a back injury from a car accident a year earlier.
Larry Dolan, father of Indians owner Paul Dolan said, “We lost a cherished member of the Indians family last night. Watching Al play was a true joy and something Indians fans of our generation still cherish,”