| Kid Gleason | |
|---|---|
 Gleason in 1919 | |
| Second baseman /Pitcher /Manager | |
| Born:(1866-10-26)October 26, 1866 Camden, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| Died: January 2, 1933(1933-01-02) (aged 66) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
Batted: Both Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 20, 1888, for the Philadelphia Quakers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| August 27, 1912, for the Chicago White Sox | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .261 |
| Home runs | 15 |
| Runs batted in | 824 |
| Win–loss record | 138–131 |
| Earned run average | 3.79 |
| Strikeouts | 744 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Managerial record at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| |
William Jethro"Kid" Gleason (October 26, 1866 – January 2, 1933) was an AmericanMajor League Baseball (MLB) player andmanager. Gleason managed theChicago White Sox from 1919 through 1923. His first season as a big league manager was notable for his team's appearance in theWorld Series and the ensuingBlack Sox Scandal, although Gleason does not appear to have been involved in the scandal. After leaving the White Sox, Gleason was on thecoaching staff for thePhiladelphia Athletics, until 1931.
Gleason was born inCamden, New Jersey. He acquired the nickname "Kid" early in life, not only because of his short stature (growing to only 5-foot-7, 155 pounds)[1] but also because of his quite energetic, youthful nature. His family later moved to thePocono Mountains in northeast Pennsylvania, where his father worked as a coal miner.[1]
Gleason played two seasons in the minor leagues of northern Pennsylvania. In 1886, withWilliamsport of the Pennsylvania State League, he batted .355 and stole 20 bases in 36 games.[2] Gleason debuted as apitcher with thePhiladelphia Quakers on April 20, 1888, after impressing Hall of Fame managerHarry Wright during an exhibition game against theUniversity of Pennsylvania.[1] After enjoying mixed success as a pitcher in 1888 and 1889, Gleason opted to stay in the National League under Wright instead of moving to thePlayers' League set up in 1890.[1] His 1890 season was his best as a pitcher, with 38 wins, a 2.63 ERA, 54 complete games, and 506 innings pitched.[1][3]
Gleason was sold to theSt. Louis Browns for the 1892 season, where he played for two and a half seasons as a starting pitcher and reserve fielder. With St. Louis, he made appearances as an outfielder, first baseman, second baseman, and shortstop, and hit .235.[1]
After being shipped to theBaltimore Orioles partway through the 1894 season, Gleason pitched effectively in 20 starts and also batted .349, helping Baltimore to a National League pennant.[1] Early in the 1895 season, managerNed Hanlon moved Gleason to second base full time, where he hit well but fielded poorly that year. Baltimore repeated as NL champions, but Hanlon traded Gleason in the offseason to theNew York Giants.[1]
In New York, Gleason played five seasons as the regular second baseman, hitting a respectable .271 overall but with little power.[3] He served as ateam captain, and in that capacity may have invented theintentional walk during an 1897 game by advising his pitcher to walk a strong hitter to face a weaker one.[1] Gleason also earned local fame on April 26, 1900, for helping New York firemen rescue residents from an apartment fire.[1]
Gleason joined the newAmerican League in 1901, starting at second base for two years with theDetroit Tigers.[3] From 1903 to 1908, he returned to Philadelphia and hit .250 over the period; he led the NL insacrifice bunts in 1904 and 1905.[3]
Gleason compiled a .261 careerbatting average. He retired as a player after the 1908 season at the age of 42, having appeared as a player in just two games for thePhillies that year. However, four years later, Gleason would make an unlikely return to the big leagues as a player, with his two at-bats in one game atsecond base for the White Sox in 1912 making Gleason one of only 29 MLB players to have played in four different decades.
Gleason led the league inputouts andassists three times each, though he also led inerrors four times. He ranks seventh all-time in errors as a second baseman.[3]
Gleason began his coaching career in 1908 with the Phillies as a player-coach. The Phillies unconditionally released Gleason on April 12, 1910, prior to Opening Day. At the time, thePhiladelphia Inquirer called Gleason "one of the most popular players who ever donned a Philadelphia uniform."[4]
After sitting out 1910 and 1911, Gleason joined theChicago White Sox in 1912, where he made one appearance as a player and became a coach under managerJimmy Callahan.[1]
Gleason became manager of the White Sox on December 31, 1918, following the dismissal ofPants Rowland. In his first season, the team won the pennant but lost theWorld Series to theCincinnati Reds, resulting in allegations the White Sox had been paid by gamblers to "throw" the Series. The ensuingscandal resulted in lifetime bans from baseball for eight White Sox players. Gleason, however, was not involved in the gambling, and some sources noted he was among those who alerted White Sox ownerCharles Comiskey of the fix. Although he felt betrayed and disappointed by his 1919 team, he continued to manage the White Sox through the 1923 season.
After leaving in 1923, Gleason went on in 1926 to coach under managerConnie Mack with thePhiladelphia Athletics until retiring after the 1931 season.[1] As a coach, Gleason won twoWorld Series championships with the Athletics, in1929 and1930.
Gleason died due to a heart ailment in 1933, at the age of 66, inPhiladelphia. His funeral was attended by an estimated 5,000 people, including baseball luminaries such as CommissionerKenesaw Mountain Landis and Hall of Fame managerJohn McGraw. He is buried in Philadelphia'sNorthwood Cemetery.[1]
Gleason has been referenced in pop culture in several books, and is a prominent supporting character inRing Lardner's 1916 novelYou Know Me Al. He is portrayed by actorJohn Mahoney in the 1988 filmEight Men Out, based onEliot Asinof's book of the same name.
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | Won | Lost | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| CWS | 1919 | 140 | 88 | 52 | .629 | 1st in AL | 3 | 5 | .375 | LostWorld Series (CIN) |
| CWS | 1920 | 154 | 96 | 58 | .623 | 2nd in AL | – | – | – | – |
| CWS | 1921 | 154 | 62 | 92 | .403 | 7th in AL | – | – | – | – |
| CWS | 1922 | 154 | 77 | 77 | .500 | 5th in AL | – | – | – | – |
| CWS | 1923 | 154 | 69 | 85 | .448 | 7th in AL | – | – | – | – |
| Total | 756 | 392 | 364 | .519 | 3 | 5 | .375 | |||
