Early Life
Garcia was born in San Gabriel, California, and grew up on his family's horse ranch in Orosi after his Mexican father, Merced Garcia, moved the family there when the younger Garcia was two years of age. Garcia worked sparingly as a jockey a teenager. He played four years of high school baseball, the first three years at Orosi High School before he transferred to Visalia High School for his senior year.
Garcia began pitching semipro baseball when Cleveland Indians scout Willis Butler noticed Garcia in Tulare, California, and in 1942 signed him as an amateur free agent to the organization's Class D farm team Appleton Papermakers of the Wisconsin State League. With Appleton, Garcia earned a 10–10 win-loss record before he spent three years as a signalman in the United States Army during World War II.
He was discharged from the military at the age of 22 and signed with the Class C Bakersfield Indians of the California League. With Bakersfield, Garica's ERA and strikeouts led the league and he earned 22 wins. In 1947 he joined the major league Indians during spring training but before the regular season started was sent by Cleveland coach Bill McKechnie to Class A Wilkes-Barre Barons of the Eastern League, where he finished with 17 wins and a 3.24 ERA. He joined the Double-A Oklahoma City Indians of the Texas League and earned 19 wins.
Read more about this topic: Mike Garcia (AL Pitcher)
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