Bill Gleason facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bill Gleason |
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| Shortstop | |||
| Born: November 12, 1858 St. Louis, Missouri |
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| Died: July 21, 1932 (aged 73) St. Louis, Missouri |
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| debut | |||
| May 2, 1882, for the St. Louis Brown Stockings | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| June 18, 1889, for the Louisville Colonels | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .267 | ||
| Home runs | 7 | ||
| Runs batted in | 298 | ||
| Teams | |||
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William G. Gleason (born November 12, 1858 – died July 21, 1932) was a baseball player. He played as a shortstop in Major League Baseball (MLB). Bill Gleason played from 1882 to 1889. He was part of three different teams in the American Association. He was 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighed 170 pounds. Bill batted and threw with his right hand. His older brother, Jack Gleason, also played baseball.
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Early Life and Nickname
Bill Gleason was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He started playing amateur baseball when he was just 16 years old. He played for a team called the St. Louis Stocks. Bill earned the nickname "Brudder Bill." This was because he often played on the same teams as his older brother, Jack Gleason. They played together in both amateur and professional baseball.
Major League Baseball Career
Bill Gleason joined the major leagues in 1882. He started with the St. Louis Browns. Bill and his brother Jack made history there. They were the first brothers to play in the same infield in a major league game.
Bill had his best season in 1887. He achieved his highest numbers in several areas. These included his batting average (.288), runs (135), and hits (172). He also had a great on-base percentage (.342). Bill was part of three St. Louis championship teams. These teams won in 1885, 1886, and 1887. In 1883 and 1885, he led the league in games played.
While playing for the St. Louis Browns, Bill Gleason shared a room with Charlie Comiskey. Off the field, Bill was known as a polite person. But on the baseball field, he was very competitive. He would often try to break up double plays by sliding hard into bases.
After playing for the Browns for six years, Bill moved to new teams. He played for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1888. Then, he joined the Louisville Colonels in 1889.
Over his eight-season career, Bill Gleason had a .267 batting average. He got 907 hits in 3395 tries. He hit seven home runs and had 298 RBIs. He also scored 613 runs, hit 111 doubles, and 35 triples. Records also show he stole 70 bases. He was hit by 52 pitches.
Brief Umpire Career
In 1891, Bill Gleason became an umpire for the American Association. However, his time as an umpire was very short. It lasted only one game. This game was between the St. Louis Browns and the Cincinnati Reds. King Kelly was the catcher and captain for the Reds. The game was tied in the ninth inning, and it was getting dark. Kelly told his teammates to waste time. Bill Gleason decided to award the game to St. Louis as a forfeit. Because of this decision, the league fired him. The game was then played again later.
Later Life and Passing
During and after his baseball career, Bill Gleason worked for the St. Louis Fire Department. Later in his life, he became a captain with Engine Co. No. 28. In the summer of 1932, Bill had an accident at a fire. He stepped on a nail, which caused an infection in his foot. While he was getting better from this infection, he tried to walk to a local drug store. He collapsed because of heat exhaustion. Bill Gleason passed away a few days later at his home in St. Louis on July 21, 1932.
