Gabby Street facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gabby Street |
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Gabby Street Baseball Card
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| Catcher / Manager | |||
| Born: September 30, 1882 Huntsville, Alabama, U.S. |
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| Died: February 6, 1951 (aged 68) Joplin, Missouri, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 13, 1904, for the Cincinnati Reds | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 20, 1931, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .208 | ||
| Home runs | 2 | ||
| Runs batted in | 105 | ||
| Managerial record | 365–332 | ||
| Winning % | .524 | ||
| Teams | |||
As player
As manager
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Charles Evard "Gabby" Street (born September 30, 1882 – died February 6, 1951) was a famous American baseball player, manager, coach, and radio announcer. He was also known as "the Old Sarge." Gabby played as a catcher in Major League Baseball during the early 1900s.
He became famous for a cool baseball trick in 1908. Later, as a manager, he led the St. Louis Cardinals to win two National League championships. His team even won the World Series in 1931! After his playing and managing days, he became a popular radio voice for baseball fans in St. Louis.
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Gabby's Baseball Journey
Gabby Street was born in Huntsville, Alabama. He was a right-handed player, meaning he batted and threw with his right hand. As a player, Gabby wasn't known for hitting many home runs. His batting average was .208 over seven years (1904–05; 1908–12). He played 502 games for teams like the Cincinnati Reds, Boston Beaneaters, Washington Senators, and New York Highlanders. For most of his career, he was a part-time player.
The Washington Monument Catch
Gabby Street became a legend on August 21, 1908. He tried to catch a baseball dropped from the very top of the Washington Monument. That's a huge distance of 555 feet (about 169 meters)! A journalist named Preston Gibson dropped the balls. Gabby missed the first 12 tries. But on the 13th ball, he made an amazing catch! This feat made him famous.
Gabby was also known for helping a young, talented pitcher named Walter Johnson. Johnson became one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history.
From Player to Manager
After his playing career, Gabby Street started managing teams in the minor leagues. In 1929, he joined the St. Louis Cardinals as a coach. That year, the Cardinals were having a tough time. Gabby even stepped in to manage one game on July 23, which his team won 8–2 against the Philadelphia Phillies. At the end of 1929, Gabby became the full-time manager for the Cardinals.
Gabby, nicknamed "the Old Sarge," quickly led the Cardinals to success. In 1930, they won 92 games and finished first in the National League. However, they lost the 1930 World Series to the Philadelphia Athletics.
The next year, 1931, was even better! Gabby's Cardinals won 101 games and again finished first. In the 1931 World Series, they faced the same Philadelphia Athletics team. This time, the Cardinals' pitchers Wild Bill Hallahan and Burleigh Grimes played great. A player named Pepper Martin was amazing, getting 12 hits and stealing five bases. The Cardinals, who were considered underdogs, won the World Series in seven games! It was a huge victory.
After their World Series win, the Cardinals didn't do as well in 1932 and 1933. Gabby was replaced as manager in July 1933. He then managed other minor league teams. In 1938, he returned to manage the St. Louis Browns for one season. Overall, as a major league manager, he won 365 games and lost 332.
Life After Managing
After his managing career, Gabby Street returned to St. Louis. He became a color commentator for Cardinals and Browns radio broadcasts after World War II. He worked alongside a young announcer named Harry Caray, who also became very famous.
Gabby Street passed away in February 1951 in Joplin, Missouri, at 68 years old.
Gabby in Pop Culture
Gabby Street's image even appeared in a famous TV show! He made a short appearance in the Simpsons episode "Homer at the Bat" (1992). In the episode, Mr. Burns wanted Gabby to play catcher for his softball team. But his assistant, Smithers, had to remind him that Gabby and the other players Mr. Burns picked had already passed away.
Gabby Street is also a character in the book Catching the Moon: The Story of a Young Girl's Baseball Dream by Crystal Hubbard. In the story, Gabby runs a baseball camp. The main character, a girl, is first told she can't join because she's a girl. But when she proves her skills, Gabby allows her to attend. He even buys her a pair of cleats when she can't afford them. This part of the story is based on a true event about baseball player Toni Stone.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball player–managers
Images for kids
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Gabby Street Baseball Card
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Street (seated right) circa 1930s
