Mike Goliat

Mike Mitchell Goliat (November 5, 1921 – January 13, 2004) was an American second baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Philadelphia Phillies (1949–51) and St. Louis Browns (1951–52). He batted and threw right-handed, and was listed at 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and 180 pounds (82 kg) .

A native of Yatesboro, Pennsylvania, Goliat was the starting second baseman for the Phillies "Whiz Kids" team which won the 1950 National League pennant. In that season, Goliat batted .234, with 13 home runs, 64 runs batted in, 49 runs scored, 113 hits, 13 doubles and 6 triples in 145 games played; it was his only season as a regular starting player. In the World Series loss to the New York Yankees, he hit .214 with one RBI in 14 at-bats. Goliat finished his major league career with a batting average of .225, 20 HRs and 99 RBI.

He played in the minor leagues for the Toronto Maple Leafs (1949; 1952–59), and was the International League MVP in 1956. Goliat holds the franchise career records for games played (1,077), home runs (138), doubles (186), and RBIs (556).

After retiring from the minors in 1961, Goliat ran a small trucking firm for several years before joining the Ford Motor Company.

Goliat died in Seven Hills, Ohio at 82 years of age.

"He was really a third baseman, but he played second for us to fill a need. He really had a strong arm. He was a battler who gave everything he had and he had a lot of big hits off (Brooklyn Dodgers ace) Don Newcombe the year we won the pennant." – Hall of Famer / Teammate Robin Roberts.

"He hit the better pitchers in the league. The ones that got him out were the lesser ones." – Phillies manager Eddie Sawyer