St. Louis Browns second baseman, Billy Gleason, was born on September 6, 1894 in Chicago, Illinois. He would only play a handful of games with the Browns in 1921, but was a key piece in one of the biggest deals in Major League Baseball history.
There is little record of Gleason in the years before and after his professional baseball care
St. Louis Browns second baseman, Billy Gleason, was born on September 6, 1894 in Chicago, Illinois. He would only play a handful of games with the Browns in 1921, but was a key piece in one of the biggest deals in Major League Baseball history.
There is little record of Gleason in the years before and after his professional baseball career. He began his professional career with the Meriden Hopes as an 18 year old free agent, where he batted .240 over 108 games. He would spend the next 19 seasons in the minor leagues, with a few late season invitations to the big leagues. In his time in the minors he played with colorful named teams as the Reading Pretzels (1914), Springfield Ponies (1914, 29-30, 34), Chattanooga Lookouts (1917, 19-20), New Haven Profs (1925-26), and Richmond Byrds (1931).
His career spanned from 1913 to 1939, with a few gaps in time where he missed playing baseball. In 1917 he came down with typhoid fever and missed most of the season. He missed the 1918 season after enlisting in the US Navy during World War I.
Gleason joined the Browns in 1921 where he was going to be the replacement for 2B Joe Gedeon, after Gedeon was banned for his involvement in the Black Sox scandal. He would share duties at second base with Marty McManus. He would appear in 26 games, where he had 19 hits in 83 plate appearances. This would include a triple , eight runs batted in and a .257 batting average. On December 14, 1921, Billy Gleason would be one of 13 players traded by the Browns to the Columbus Senators for LHP Dave Danforth.
He would play another 10 years in the minors. His final season would be as the manager for the Panama City Papermakers in 1936.
Billy Gleason would settle back to Holyoke, Massachusetts, where he would live out his years telling stories of his 14 different baseball jerseys he has hanging in his man cave.
HEADLINES
"BROWS SCORE NINE UNANSWERED RUNS TO STEAL A VICTORY FROM THE WHITE SOX"
FEATURED GAME
1925 - The Browns offense drives in nine runs in the final three innings of the game leading to a 9-4 victory. The scoring begins with a two-run homer by pinch hitter Jack Tobin in the bottom of the sixth inning. 1B George Sisler would follow up
HEADLINES
"BROWS SCORE NINE UNANSWERED RUNS TO STEAL A VICTORY FROM THE WHITE SOX"
FEATURED GAME
1925 - The Browns offense drives in nine runs in the final three innings of the game leading to a 9-4 victory. The scoring begins with a two-run homer by pinch hitter Jack Tobin in the bottom of the sixth inning. 1B George Sisler would follow up in the sixth with a sacrifice hit, bringing in RF Harry Rice. The Browns would bring two in the seventh inning with an RBI single by LF Hershal Bennett, and a bases load walk of SS Wally Gerber. The ninth inning would see RHP Ernie Wingard double in two runs, followed by Harry Rice singling in two more. Wingard shut down Chicago's bats after taking over for Browns RHP Milt Gaston, as he allowed all four White Sox runs, all unearned runs, in the first five innings.
BROWNS RECORD ON THIS DAY
Overall Record on SEPTEMBER 6
20 Wins, 36 Losses (.357)
1902-09: 3-5
1910-19: 6-4
1920-29: 6-4
1930-39: 2-10
1940-49: 3-9
1950-53: 0-4
DOUBLE HEADERS
Sweeps: 3
Splits: 6
Swept: 6
TRANSACTIONS
There were no transactions made on this day
DEBUTS
BROWNS BIRTHDAYS ON SEPTEMBER 6
1894 - 2B Billy Gleason (1921)
1924 - OF/PH George Schmees (1952)
The 1922 St. Louis Browns starting lineup was the best the team would set up in their history in St. Louis. Statistically, this was the best offense in the American League. They would finish just one game behind the New York Yankees in the standings, but had a better players at every position. That includes in left field where Ken William
The 1922 St. Louis Browns starting lineup was the best the team would set up in their history in St. Louis. Statistically, this was the best offense in the American League. They would finish just one game behind the New York Yankees in the standings, but had a better players at every position. That includes in left field where Ken Williams would out hit the "Sultan of Swat", Babe Ruth. The had the best hitting outfield in the history of baseball. All three outfielders would be in the middle of their run of consecutive .300 batting average seasons. Their catcher would be nicknamed the "Dean of Catchers" for his celebral appraoch to the position. They would also have the best hitting first baseman, and first American League Most Valuable Player in history. This team won 93 games, one more would have put them into the World Series.
Season Lineup