It took Hall of Fame catcher Mickey Cochrane to take Cy Perkins’s job away. After six seasons (1919-24) of smooth glove work as the A’s first-string receiver, the light-hitting Perkins lost out to the hard-hitting rookie. What’s more, Perkins helped turn Cochrane into a defensive replica of himself, and stayed on as Cochrane’s backup through 1930. Perkins became greatly valued as a Yankee, Tiger, and Phillie coach, helping develop pitchers Robin Roberts and Curt Simmons.
