Michael Joseph "Mickey" Haslin (October 25, 1909 – March 7, 2002), born Michael Joseph Hazlinsky, was a Jewish-Austrian American professional baseball player whose career spanned 13 seasons, six of which were spent in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Philadelphia Phillies (1933–36), Boston Bees (1936), and New York Giants (1937–38). Over his career in the majors, Haslin batted a combined .272 with 265 hits, 33 doubles, eight triples, nine home runs, and 109 runs batted in (RBIs) in 318 games played. He played shortstop, second base, and third base, defensively. Haslin also played in the semi-pros, and minor leagues before breaking into the majors.
In the minors, he played with the St. Catharines Brewers (1930), Stroudsburg Poconos (1932), Kansas City Blues (1937), Jersey City Giants (1938), San Diego Padres (1939–1941), Toronto Maple Leafs (1942), and Indianapolis Indians (1943). Haslin compiled a career minor league batting average of .311 with 881 hits, 155 doubles, 30 triples, and 43 home runs in 776 games played. He batted and threw right-handed. During his playing career, Haslin stood at and weighed . After retirement from baseball, he served in the United States Army during World War II.
Early and personal life
Mickey Haslin was born Michael Joseph Hazlinsky on October 25, 1909, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania to George and Helen Julia (née Kmetzová) Hazlinsky, both of Austria Hungary. George Hazlinsky worked in the Pennsylvania coal mines. Mickey Haslin had eight siblings: brothers George, Joseph, and John; and sisters Mary, Elizabeth, Anna, Susan, and Margaret. Mickey Haslin attended high school for just one year. From an early age, Haslin worked in the coal mines of his hometown. Haslin had a fear of insects and snakes, which many teammates used against him when playing practical jokes during his baseball career.
Baseball career
In 1930, Haslin signed with the minor league St. Catharines Brewers of the Class-C Ontario League. With the Brewers, he batted .295 with 57 hits, five doubles, three triples, and three home runs in 50 games played. Defensively, he was used as a shortstop. Haslin spent the next season playing semi-professional baseball. He joined the Class-D Stroudsburg Poconos in 1932, a team that featured future Major League Baseball (MLB) player Goody Rosen. Stroudsburg were members of the Interstate League that season. In 26 games that year, Haslin batted .417 with 48 hits, 13 doubles, four triples, and seven home runs. In the field, he played second base, and shortstop.
At the start of the 1933 season, Haslin signed with the minor league Knoxville Smokies to play third base. However, he never made an appearance with that team. Instead, Haslin signed as a second baseman with a semi-professional baseball team, which represented Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. Patsy O'Rourke, a scout for the Philadelphia Phillies, was in Stroudsburg visiting his wife who had been injured in an automobile accident. O'Rourke went to a semi-pro game which featured Haslin's team. His talent impressed O'Rourke, so he offered Haslin a major league contract with the Phillies on the spot. He made his MLB debut on September 7, against the St. Louis Cardinals. In that game, Haslin got his first major league hit, a double. He also walked once, and played the second base position. Haslin's first major league run batted in (RBI) came on September 14, in a game against the Cincinnati Reds. Over 26 games that season with the Phillies, he batted .236 with three runs scored, 21 hits, two doubles, nine RBIs, and one stolen base. Haslin played all of his 26 games at second base, committing six errors, and converting 12 assists in 137 total chances.
Haslin was used as the Philadelphia Phillies' starting shortstop at the beginning of the 1934 season after Dick Bartell, the Phillies every-day shortstop, suffered an injury. Haslin's first hit of the season came on April 12, against the Brooklyn Dodgers. He hit his first career major league home run on June 10, against the New York Giants. He finished the season with a .265 batting average, 28 runs scored, 44 hits, eight doubles, two triples, one home run, 11 RBIs, and one stolen base in 72 games played that year. Defensively, he was used as a utility infielder, playing 26 games at third base, 21 games at second base, and six games at shortstop.