{{short description|American baseball player (1917-2005)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox baseball biography |name=Mike Ulicny |image=Mike_Ulicny.jpg |caption=Ulicny with the New Orleans Pelicans, c. 1944 |position=Catcher |bats=Right |throws=Right |birth_date={{birth date|mf=yes|1917|9|28}} |birth_place=Greenwald, Pennsylvania, U.S. |death_date={{death date and age|mf=yes|2005|9|22|1917|9|28}} |death_place=New Smyrna Beach, Florida, U.S. |debutleague = MLB |debutdate=May 5 |debutyear=1945 |debutteam=Boston Braves |finalleague = MLB |finaldate=June 22 |finalyear=1945 |finalteam=Boston Braves |statleague = MLB |stat1label=Batting average |stat1value=.389 |stat2label=Home runs |stat2value=1 |stat3label=Runs batted in |stat3value=4 |teams= *Boston Braves ({{mlby|1945}}) }} '''Michael Edward Ulicny''' (September 28, 1917 – September 22, 2005), nicknamed "'''Slugs'''",<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/trades.php?p=ulisnmi01 |title=Mike Ulicny Trades and Transactions |website=Baseball Almanac |accessdate=July 18, 2020}}</ref> was an American professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Braves in 1945. Listed at {{convert|5|ft|9|in|m}} and {{convert|165|lb|kg}}, he was a native of Greenwald, Pennsylvania.<ref name=SABR/>
==Biography== Ulicny's professional baseball career spanned 1938 to 1950; he appeared in a total of 886 minor league games.<ref name=brm>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=ulicny001mic |title=Mike Ulicny Minor League Statistics & History |website=Baseball-Reference.com |accessdate=July 18, 2020}}</ref> He is one of many ballplayers who only appeared in the major leagues during World War II. He hit well in the 11 games he played for the Boston Braves, going 7-for-18, a .389 batting average. He had one home run, four runs batted in (RBIs), four runs scored, and a .611 slugging percentage. He was mainly used as a pinch-hitter, appearing in only four games as a catcher.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/u/ulisnmi01.shtml |title=Mike Ulicny Stats |website=Baseball-Reference.com |accessdate=July 18, 2020}}</ref> His uncommon last name sometimes appeared in newspaper box scores of the era as "Ulisney".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/55626881/giants-trample-baves-15-5-6-4/ |title=Giants Trample Baves, 15-5, 6-4 |newspaper=Fort Worth Star-Telegram |location=Fort Worth, Texas |agency=AP |page=10 |date=May 6, 1945 |accessdate=July 18, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/55627013/hitter-have-field-day-as-reds-braves/ |title=Hitter Have Field Day as Reds, Braves Divide |newspaper=Detroit Free Press |agency=AP |page=13 |date=May 21, 1945 |accessdate=July 18, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> In 1950, he served as player-manager of the minor league Niagara Falls Citizens.<ref name=brm/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/55627419/mike-ulicny-signs-managers-pact/ |title=Mike Ulicny Signs Manager's Pact |newspaper=Fort Lauderdale News |page=15 |date=February 27, 1950 |accessdate=July 18, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref>
Ulicny served in the United States Army during World War II,<ref name=fold3>{{cite web |url=https://www.fold3.com/record/714840750-ulicny-michael-edward |title=Index Record for Ulicny, Michael Edward, U.S. Veterans' Gravesites, ca.1775-2019 |website=fold3.com |url-access=subscription |accessdate=July 18, 2020}}</ref> including in 1943 when he was stationed at Fort Dix (New Jersey) and Camp Gordon Johnston (Florida) and did not play baseball professionally.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/55630212/pfc-mike-ulicny/ |title=Pfc. Mike Ulicny |newspaper=Indiana Gazette |location=Indiana, Pennsylvania |page=6 |date=April 16, 1943 |accessdate=July 18, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref name=brm/> He died at the age of 87 in New Smyrna Beach, Florida.<ref name=SABR>{{cite web |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/mike-ulicny/ |title=Mike Ulicny |website=SABR |accessdate=July 18, 2020}}</ref> He is buried at Deltona Memorial Gardens in Orange City, Florida.<ref name=fold3/>
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== * {{baseballstats |br=u/ulisnmi01 |brm=ulicny001mic |retro=U/Pulism101}} * {{findagrave|48294154}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ulicny, Mike}} Category:Major League Baseball catchers Category:Baseball players from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania Category:United States Army personnel of World War II Category:Boston Braves players Category:Fulton Eagles players Category:Thomasville Orioles players Category:Trenton Packers players Category:Montreal Royals players Category:New Orleans Pelicans (baseball) players Category:Milwaukee Brewers (minor league) players Category:Atlanta Crackers players Category:Chattanooga Lookouts players Category:Fort Lauderdale Braves players Category:Niagara Falls Citizens players Category:Minor league baseball managers Category:1917 births Category:2005 deaths Category:20th-century American sportsmen