Don Gutteridge
Don Gutteridge | |||
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Infielder / Manager | |||
Born: Pittsburg, Kansas | June 19, 1912|||
Died: September 7, 2008 Pittsburg, Kansas | (aged 96)|||
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MLB debut | |||
September 7, 1936, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||
Last MLB appearance | |||
May 9, 1948, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||
MLB statistics | |||
Batting average | .256 | ||
Home runs | 39 | ||
Runs batted in | 391 | ||
Managerial record | 109–172 | ||
Winning % | .388 | ||
Teams | |||
As player
As manager |
Donald Joseph Gutteridge (June 19, 1912 – September 7, 2008) was an American infielder, coach, manager and scout in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Browns, Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates, and later managed the Chicago White Sox in 1969–1970. He was born in Pittsburg, Kansas, and was the first cousin of former MLB catcher Ray Mueller.
Gutteridge played his first game for the Cardinals at age 24, and in only his fifth career major league game hit two home runs in the first game of a doubleheader on September 11, 1936, including an inside-the-park home run and one steal of home plate. He was an average hitter with excellent speed and fielding ability (he turned five double plays in a game in 1944 during the Browns' only pennant-winning season). Gutteridge was sold to the Red Sox in 1946, where he played in his only other World Series. He retired from playing after only two games with the Pirates in 1948.
In 1151 games over 12 seasons, Gutteridge compiled a .256 batting average (1075-for-4202) with 586 runs, 200 doubles, 64 triples, 39 home runs, 95 stolen bases, 309 base on balls, 444 strikeouts, .308 on-base percentage and .362 slugging percentage. Defensively, he recorded a .956 fielding percentage. In the 1944 and 1946 World Series, covering 9 games, he batted .192. (5-for-26).
Gutteridge coached for the White Sox for over a decade (1955–66 and 1968–69), including the 1959 pennant-winning team, and in 1969 he succeeded Al López as manager on May 3 leading Chicago to a fifth-place finish in the AL West that season then was fired with 26 games left in the 1970 season on September 1 and was replaced by interim manager Bill Adair. His record over those two partial seasons was 109–172 (.388).
He later was a long-time scout for the Kansas City Royals, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Gutteridge died on September 7, 2008, in his hometown of Pittsburg after contracting pneumonia.[1] At the time of his death, Gutteridge was the oldest living former manager or coach in Major League Baseball. He was also the last living member of the St. Louis Browns who played in the 1944 World Series—the franchise's only Fall Classic.
References
- ^ "Ex-player, manager Don Gutteridge dies at 96". usatoday.com. Associated Press. 2009-01-07. Retrieved 2009-01-10.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference
- Don Gutteridge at Find a Grave
- 1912 births
- 2008 deaths
- Baseball players from Kansas
- Boston Red Sox players
- Chicago White Sox coaches
- Chicago White Sox managers
- Colorado Springs Sky Sox managers
- Columbus Red Birds players
- Houston Buffaloes players
- Indianapolis Indians managers
- Kansas City Royals scouts
- Lincoln Links players
- Los Angeles Dodgers scouts
- Major League Baseball coaches
- Major League Baseball second basemen
- Major League Baseball first base coaches
- New York Yankees scouts
- People from Pittsburg, Kansas
- Pittsburgh Pirates players
- Pittsburg State Gorillas baseball players
- Sacramento Solons players
- St. Louis Browns players
- St. Louis Cardinals players
- Toledo Mud Hens managers
- Toledo Mud Hens players