system. In Vernon's two full seasons at the helm, 1961 and , the Senators lost a combined 201 games. They were 14–26 and last in the ten-team American League when Vernon was fired on May 21, 1963. He finished with a career record of 135–227, a .373 winning percentage. Vernon remained in the game into the 1980s as a major league coach for the Pirates (returning there for a second term in 1964), St. Louis Cardinals (1965), Montreal Expos (1977–78) and Yankees (1982). He also managed at the Triple-A and Double-A levels of the minor leagues, and served as a roving batting instructor for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kansas City Royals and Yankees before retiring from baseball. Death Vernon died from a stroke at age 90, on September 24, 2008. He had resided in Media, Pennsylvania. MLB highlights MLB Record: Double plays at first base (2,044) American League All-Star (1946, 1948, 1953–1956, 1958) American League batting champion (1946, 1953) American League leader in doubles (1946, 1953, 1954) American League leader in extra base hits (1954) American League leader in fielding average (1950-1952, 1954) American League top 10 in MVP voting (1946, 1953, 1954) American League top 10 in triples (1941, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1951–1955) Legacy In August 2008, he was named as one of the ten former players who began their careers before 1943 to be considered by the Veterans Committee for induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009. Playing in four different decades (1939–1960), Vernon ended his career with 2,237 games at first base, second to only Jake Beckley (2,377) in major league history. He led the American League in fielding percentage four times, and the majors twice. He became one of the few first basemen to finish his career with a .990 fielding percentage, and participated in more double plays than any other. The Mickey Vernon Museum Collection in Radnor, Pennsylvania, honors Vernon's career, military service, and friendship with Murtaugh, among other artifacts. Vernon is interred at the Lawn Croft Cemetery in Linwood, Pennsylvania. See also Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 2009 List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders List of Major League Baseball career triples leaders List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders List of Major League Baseball batting champions List of Major