One of Demorest’s sports legends is set to be honored by Habersham County state lawmakers this legislative session. Rep. Terry Rogers and Rep Dan Gasaway introduced a resolution at the Georgia Capitol last week to name the Historic Hwy 441 bridge over Camp Creek in Demorest in honor of Johnny Mize.
Mize was born in Demorest in 1913 and went on to play baseball for Piedmont College, the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Giants until his retirement in 1953. Mize moved back to Demorest in 1974 and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981. He passed away at his Demorest home in 1993 at the age of 80.
In October, the City of Demorest honored Mize with the unveiling of “Johnny Mize Drive.” The street connects downtown into the middle of the Piedmont College campus.
The resolution to designate the “Johnny Mize Memorial Bridge” also touts his 5 World Series appearances and his “incredible hitting and slugging records, with a .300 batting average 9 in nine consecutive seasons and 51 home runs in 1947 alone.”
The resolution will need to be approved by the full Georgia House of Representatives and signage will be erected by the Department of Transportation.
