Former American League Most Valuable Player Al Rosen has died, the Indians confirmed. Rosen was 91. He played his entire 10-year career with Cleveland, mostly as a third baseman.
"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," Larry Dolan, father of Indians owner Paul Dolan, said in a statement.
"He was an inspiration to us all and had a special presence, strength and intellect. His fierce competitive nature and toughness was legendary," added Indians President Mark Shapiro in a statement.
Rosen played from 1947-56. He was unanimously selected AL MVP in 1953 after hitting .336/.422/.613 with a league-leading 43 home runs and 145 RBI. Rosen was four points shy of Mickey Vernon for the batting title, which would have given him the Triple Crown.
Rosen retired at the age of 32 due to back and leg injuries. He retired as a career .285/.384/.495 (137 OPS+) hitter with 192 home runs and 717 RBI in 1,044 games, and he helped the Indians to the 1948 World Series title. Rosen was a four-time All-Star who had a Hall of Fame caliber peak but not the longevity.
After retirement, Rosen served as president and CEO of the Yankees (1978-79) and Astros(1980-85), then as the general manager of the Giants (1985-92).
"Al Rosen is a baseball legend," said Astros President of Business Operations Reid Ryan. "He was always very kind to me and my family. Al had a passion to win and he loved the game of baseball. He always had high standards for the Astros and for those in the game."
