Professional Baseball
Rosen turned professional in 1931, signing a contract with the Rochester Red Wings of the International League, but didn't stick with the team. In 1933, he joined the Louisville Colonels of the American Association and played under manager Burleigh Grimes. When Grimes joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1937, he convinced the team to acquire Rosen in August for $10,000 ($162,000 today) and a player. Rosen broke into the major leagues hitting .312 in 22 games with the Dodgers. In 1938, his first full season, he hit .281, finishing sixth in the National League in triples (11) and leading all league outfielders in fielding percentage (.989) and assists (19). The next season, he split his time between the Dodgers and their International League affiliate, the Montreal Royals.
He then joined the Syracuse Chiefs of the International League, and played there from 1940 until being re-acquired by the Brooklyn Dodgers during the 1944 season.
With the Dodgers, he enjoyed the best year of his career in 1945, finishing 10th in voting for Most Valuable Player Award with a .325 batting average (3rd in NL), 197 hits (2nd), 126 runs (2nd), 11 triples (3rd), 606 at bats (6th) and a .460 slugging percentage (6th), a .379 on base percentage (9th), 14 sacrifice hits (10th), 12 home runs and 19 outfield assists. In that season, he also had the distinction of being the first Canadian major leaguer to be named to the All-Star Game.
Three games into the 1946 season, Rosen was traded to the Dodgers' cross-town rivals, the New York Giants. It would be his last year in the major leagues. Before the end of the season, he was sent down to the Jersey City Giants of the International League.
Rosen rejected an offer from Jersey City to return in 1947 and said he would only continue to play if he were sent to Toronto, where he had opened a restaurant. The deal was made, and Rosen played for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League in 1947. After a poor season, he was given an unconditional release, ending his professional baseball career.
Read more about this topic: Goody Rosen
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