| Hank Gowdy | |
|---|---|
_LCCN2014697601_(cropped).jpg) Gowdy in 1914 | |
| Catcher /First baseman /Manager | |
| Born:(1889-08-24)August 24, 1889 Columbus, Ohio, U.S. | |
| Died: August 1, 1966(1966-08-01) (aged 76) Columbus, Ohio, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 13, 1910, for the New York Giants | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| August 29, 1930, for the Boston Braves | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .270 |
| Home runs | 21 |
| Runs batted in | 322 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
As player
As manager | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Harry Morgan Gowdy (August 24, 1889 – August 1, 1966) was an American professionalbaseball player,manager andcoach. He played in theMajor League Baseball as acatcher andfirst baseman from 1910 to 1930, most prominently with theBoston Braves where he was a member of the"Miracle" Braves team that went from last place at mid-season to win the1914National League pennant and the1914 World Series.[1] He began his career playing for theNew York Giants.[2]
He was the first active major league player to enlist for service inWorld War I, and the only player to fight in both World War I andWorld War II.
Gowdy was born in Columbus, Ohio. He graduated fromColumbus North High School in 1908.
He and his wife Pauline had no children.
A nephew, Pat Bonaventura, is completing a book about Gowdy's life.[3]
Gowdy made his major league debut withJohn McGraw's New York Giants in1910, before being traded to Boston the next year.[2] He did not see much playing time and spent the majority of the1913 season with theBuffalo Bisons in theInternational League. In1914, Gowdy became the Braves regular catcher in a year that saw them go from last place to first in two months, becoming the first team to win a pennant after being in last place on the Fourth of July.[4][5] In the1914 World Series, he had a .545batting average, including the onlyhome run of the series, in the historic upset ofConnie Mack'sPhiladelphia Athletics.[1][6][7] Gowdy had 50,000 fans celebrate him in a parade in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio that October.[3]
Gowdy saw more playing time in subsequent seasons, but when World War I broke out, he became the first major league player to enlist.[1] He saw considerable action in France with the 166th Infantry Regiment of theOhio National Guard, including some of the worst trench fighting in the war.[1] When he returned in1919, he got his old job as catcher back, but not before going on a speaking tour of the United States, detailing his war experiences.[1] Four years later, he was traded back to the Giants, where he played in the1923 and1924 World Series, but his heroics weren't repeated, as he committed a costly error which led to the game-winning run in Game 7 of the 1924 series against theWashington Senators.[8] In1925, the Giants released him. Four years later, he made a comeback with the Braves, albeit with very limited playing time.
In a seventeen-year major league career, Gowdy played in 1,050games, accumulating 738hits in 2,735at bats for a .270 career batting average along with 21home runs and 322runs batted in.[2] He ended his career with a .975fielding percentage.[2] Gowdy twice led theNational League incaught stealing percentage.[2] His 52.58% career caught stealing percentage ranks him sixth in major league history.[9] Gowdy's reputation as a defensive stand out is enhanced because of the era in which he played. In theDeadball Era, catchers played a huge defensive role, given the large number ofbunts andstolen base attempts, as well as the difficulty of handling thespitball pitchers who dominated pitching staffs.
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After his playing career was over, he became a coach with the Giants, Braves, and theReds.[1] When the United States entered World War II, Gowdy enlisted as a Captain at the age of 53 and was later promoted to major. In December 1944, he returned toFort Benning, where he served as Chief Athletic Officer.[1] The baseball field at Fort Benning bears his name.[1] He returned to coaching in1946 with the Reds, and he even served as manager for four games at the end of the season.[10] By 1948, he had retired from baseball.
Gowdy has the record for most unsuccessful Hall of Fame induction attempts, without ever having been enshrined in the Hall. While current custom limits the times a player can appear on the ballot to 10, Gowdy received votes 17 years, never being elected to the Hall of Fame (Edd Roush has the record for most Hall attempts with 19, but he was later enshrined by the Veteran's Committee).[11]
Gowdy died at his home inColumbus, Ohio at age 76.[12]Gowdy Field in Columbus is named in his honor as is the Columbus chapter of theSociety for American Baseball Research.[13]
