John Robert Mize, one of the biggest and one of the best first basemen in National League history, left the major leagues yesterday. He hit .320 in 11 years with the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Giants. On August 23 last year, the Giants waived him out of the league and sold him up the river (Harlem) to the Yankees. He played in only 13 games for the Yanks, mostly as a pinch-hitter, but he got into his first World Series. He pinch hit twice, in two games, hit two singles, and batted in two runs, one of which won a game.

This year he had two hits in ten at bats for the Yanks, and with tomorrow the deadline for getting down to a 25-player roster, Manager Casey Stengel obtained waivers on the Big Cat. Today he picks up a minor league career which ceased over 15 years ago. He will play for Kansas City, the Yanks' American Association (Class AAA) farm club. The Yankees, short of first basemen, have kept him on 24-hour recall.

Mize missed out on a lot of good things. With Rip Collins starring at first base, the Cards won three penuants while a groin injury stretched Mize's minor league term to six years. After playing for six years and batting .336 for the Redbirds, he was sold to the Giants in the winter of 1941 for $50,000 and two players. The Cardinals immediately won the first of three consecutive pennants.

He finished second in batting in 1937 and 1938 before winning his only championship in '39. He led the league in homers in 1939-40; but when he returned to the Giants in 1946 from three years in the Navy, the Pittsburgh Pirates had a rookie named Ralph Kiner. Kiner played 43 more games than Mize and hit only one more home run to lead the league that year. The next two years Jawn hit 51 and 40; Kiner spoiled the glory with an identical record. At the end of last year, Joe DiMaggio had more home runs than any other active major leaguer: 317. Mize had 316.

If anything happens to Earl Torgeson, manager Billy Southworth will undoubtedly add Mize to the over-lengthening list of ex-Giants on the Boston Braves' roster. It looks like Jawn's only chance.