Mike Garcia (baseball, born 1923), Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death
TweetMike Garcia (baseball, born 1923)
American baseball player
Date of Birth: 17-Nov-1923
Place of Birth: San Gabriel, California, United States
Date of Death: 13-Jan-1986
Profession: baseball player
Nationality: United States
Zodiac Sign: Scorpio 
About Mike Garcia (baseball, born 1923)
- Edward Miguel "Mike" Garcia (November 17, 1923 – January 13, 1986), nicknamed "Big Bear" and "Mexican Mike", was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB).
- Garcia was born in San Gabriel, California, and grew up in Orosi, Tulare County.
- He entered minor league baseball at the age of 18.
- After one season, he joined the U.S.
- Army and served for three years.
- Following his military discharge, Garcia returned to baseball.
- He was promoted to the MLB in 1948.
- He played 12 of his 14 major league seasons for the Cleveland Indians.
- From 1949 to 1954, Garcia joined Bob Lemon, Early Wynn, and Bob Feller on the Indians' "Big Four" pitching staff.
- Historians consider the "Big Four" to be one of the greatest starting pitching rotations in baseball history.
- During those six seasons with the "Big Four", Garcia compiled a record of 104 wins against 57 losses.
- He had two 20-win seasons and led the American League (AL) in earned run average (ERA) and shutouts twice each. Garcia's best season came in 1954 when the Indians won a league record 111 games.
- Baseball historian Stephen Lombardi said that Garcia may have been the best AL pitcher that year.
- Garcia remained with the Indians until 1959, but never duplicated the success he had achieved in 1954.
- In his last five seasons with Cleveland, he finished with losing records three times.
- After leaving the Indians, Garcia spent a season with the Chicago White Sox and a season with the Washington Senators. Garcia retired from baseball in 1961.
- He developed diabetes within a few years and suffered from kidney disease and heart problems until his death.
- Garcia died outside Cleveland at the age of 62 and was buried in his home state of California.
- He was the only member of the "Big Four" not elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, but he has been included on a list of the 100 Greatest Indians and has been inducted into the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame.
- Baseball experts and former teammates have commented on Garcia's overpowering pitching, his fine control and his low ERA.
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