St. Louis Browns first baseman and pinch hitter, Gordon Goldsberry was born on August 30, 1929 in Sacramento, California. The amazing career of Gordon Goldsberry is that he played 12 seasons of professional baseball by the age of 28. In these years, he played for 14 different teams including two major league teams and 12 minor league club
St. Louis Browns first baseman and pinch hitter, Gordon Goldsberry was born on August 30, 1929 in Sacramento, California. The amazing career of Gordon Goldsberry is that he played 12 seasons of professional baseball by the age of 28. In these years, he played for 14 different teams including two major league teams and 12 minor league clubs.
He started his career with the Hollywood Stars at the age 16. This could have occurred because of the player shortage during World War II, when hundreds of baseball players were either drafted or enlisted in the military service. Goldsberry bounced between eight different minor league teams in the first six years of his career. Four times in his early years he would play for multiple teams in the same season. He would play for Hollywood Stars and the Lockport White Sox in 1945, followed in 1947 when he played for Hollywood, the Little Rock Travelers, and Yakima Stars. He would then play for Hollywood and the Memphis Chickasaws in 1948, then with the Los Angeles Angels and Oakland Oaks in 1949. The only season he didn't have to move during the season was when he played a full season with the Albuquerque Dukes in 1946. He played for all these teams before tha age of 21.
Goldsberry made his MLB debut with the Chicago White Sox on April 20, 1949 when he went hitless against the Detroit Tigers. After parts of three seasons with Chicago (1949-51), and time with the Seattle Rainiers (1951), Goldsberry was acquired by St. Louis in an eight player deal on November 27, 1951. The Browns sent catcher Sherm Lollar, SS Tom Upton and RHP Al Widmarnto the Chicago White Sox for Goldsberry, SS Joe DeMaestri, LHP Dick Littlefield, catcher Gus Niarhos, and OF Jim Rivera.
Goldsberry would share the first base role with Dick Kryhoski, playing in 72 games at first base while seeing action in 13 games as a pinch hitter, three as a pinch runner, and two in left field. He would have 11 multi-hit games, and two games with multiple RBIs. His best game came on April 20, when he went 3-for-4 against the White Sox with a double and two runs scored. His final stats with the Browns include 52 hits, nine doubles, three triples, three home runs, 17 RBIs and a .229 batting average.
The Seattle Rainiers would purchase the contract of Gordon Goldsberry on March 22, 1953. He would finish his career with Seattle (1953), the Charleston Senators (1954), the Memphis Chickasaws and Tulsa Oilers in 1956).
After retiring from playing baseball, he entered the realm of player development with several organizations. He began as a scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, and Philadelphia Phillies. His biggest signee was Robin Yount with the Brewers. He scouted with the Chicago Cubs in 1981, and then moved to player development (1982-85) and scouting director (1986-88). He would then go to work with the Baltimore Orioles as a special assistant to the general manager from 1989-96.
Gordon Goldsberry would spend 55 years in professional baseball, where he played every role and every position the game can offer.
HEADLINES
"BROWNS' DAVENPORT OUT DUELS THE YOUNG, HURLING BABE RUTH LEADING TO A 5-3 WIN"
FEATURED GAME
1916 - Browns take advantage of great pitching and timely errors to defeat the Red Sox in the first game of a double header, 5-3. RHP Dave Davenport would pitch a complete game victory, giving up just eight hits, four walks, and four strik
HEADLINES
"BROWNS' DAVENPORT OUT DUELS THE YOUNG, HURLING BABE RUTH LEADING TO A 5-3 WIN"
FEATURED GAME
1916 - Browns take advantage of great pitching and timely errors to defeat the Red Sox in the first game of a double header, 5-3. RHP Dave Davenport would pitch a complete game victory, giving up just eight hits, four walks, and four strikeouts. The Browns would knock out Red Sox starting pitcher, Dutch Leonard, in the first inning. A young pitch named Babe Ruth would take oer and keep the Browns silent until the sixth inning. After a leadoff walk to RF Ward Miller and a fielders choice to 1B George Sisler, Ruth would walk 2B Del Pratt and CF Armando Marsens would get on base with an error. Ruth would be removed with the bases loaded with Browns. Catcher Hank Severeid would drive in Sisler, and Jimmy Austin would drive in Miller and Marsens. The Browns would go on to win 5-3 with Babe Ruth earning the loss without giving up an earned run in the game.
BROWNS RECORD ON THIS DAY
Overall Record on August 29
20 Wins, 28 Losses (.416)
1902-09: 3-6
1910-19: 3-5
1920-29: 5-4
1930-39: 4-6
1940-49: 5-6
1950-53: 0-1
DOUBLE HEADERS
Sweeps: 3
Splits: 3
Swept: 4
TRANSACTIONS
There were no deals made on this day
DEBUTS
1919 - Pinch hitter Pat Collins would enter the game in the bottom of the ninth inning for RHP Ernie Koob. He would strikeout to end the 5-2 loss to Detroit.
BROWNS BIRTHDAYS ON AUGUST 29
1926 - SS Al Naples (1949)
1918 - Catcher Joe Schultz (1943-48)
The 1915 St. Louis Browns season could be easily described as a season of turmoil on and off the field. The team would finish with a 63-91 record which slid them into sixth place. For the first time since coming to St. Louis, their attendance was below 200,000 fans (150, 358 to be exact).
St. Louis had suddenly been a city with three prof
The 1915 St. Louis Browns season could be easily described as a season of turmoil on and off the field. The team would finish with a 63-91 record which slid them into sixth place. For the first time since coming to St. Louis, their attendance was below 200,000 fans (150, 358 to be exact).
St. Louis had suddenly been a city with three professional baseball teams. With the Browns and Cardinals both finishing in sixth place, the St. Louis Terriers were the stars of the newly established Federal Baseball League. The Terriers were pulling all the attention away from the established clubs, and that hurt the most in the profits from the gate tickets.
Browns owner, Robert Hedges, was actively looking for other businesses in St. Louis to purchase the Browns. The Browns play on the field were not very encouraging either. Being led by future legend Branch Rickey, the team wallowed toward the bottom of the league. They seemed to be polar opposites of themselves, and their inconsistencies led to colorful outcomes.
Rickey would use 23 pitchers throughout the season, with only two left handed pitchers. Four players led the league at their position in errors, with Doc Lavan committing 75 errors at shortstop. The team committed 335 errors in 1915 (the modern day record/post expansion record for errors is 210 by the 1964 New York Mets). The Browns also led the league in double plays, and even made a rare triple play on August 10, 1915.
The Browns were led on the field by veterans 2B Del Pratt, SS Doc Lavan, and CF Tillie Walker.
One of the more important player on the team was LF Burt Shotton. Not only did he lead the team in runs, walks, and stolen bases, he would act as the "Sunday Manager" for the Browns. As the legend states, Branch Rickey promised his deeply religious mother that he would never work (manage) on Sundays. This relationship between Rickey and Sotton would last their lifeitme. When Rickey was introducing Jackie Robinson to MLB, he selected Burt Shotton to guide him and be his manager.
After the 1915 season, the entire history of the Browns would change. The pesky Federal Baseball league would fold and the Terriers owner would ourchase the Browns. Eleven Terriers would join the team and the face of the franchise, George Sisler, would become one of the best first basemen of the era.