Gil Coan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gil Coan |
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Coan with the Washington Senators in 1953
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| Left fielder | |||
| Born: May 18, 1922 Monroe, North Carolina |
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| Died: February 4, 2020 (aged 97) Hendersonville, North Carolina |
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| debut | |||
| April 27, 1946, for the Washington Senators | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| April 25, 1956, for the New York Giants | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .254 | ||
| Home runs | 39 | ||
| Runs batted in | 278 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Gilbert Fitzgerald Coan (born May 18, 1922 – died February 4, 2020) was an American professional baseball player. He played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) for several teams. These included the Washington Senators, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, and New York Giants. He was 6 feet tall and weighed 180 pounds. Gil Coan batted left-handed and threw right-handed. When he passed away, he was the oldest living former player for the New York Giants.
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Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
When Gil Coan was 10 years old, he had an infection in his left hand. This led to part of his thumb being removed. Doctors offered him a special device to help, but he found it made playing harder. So, he chose not to use any special equipment. Coan said that losing part of his thumb didn't affect his hitting. However, it did make throwing the ball a bit more difficult for him. He finished college at Brevard College in 1942.
Gil Coan's Baseball Career Highlights
In 1945, Gil Coan received a special award called The Sporting News Minor League Player of the Year Award. He earned this while playing for the Chattanooga Lookouts. He joined the major leagues in 1946 with the Washington Senators. He played for them for eight seasons. After that, he joined the Baltimore Orioles (1954–1955), the Chicago White Sox (1955), and the New York Giants (1955–1956).
Hitting and Speed on the Field
Gil Coan was known for hitting the ball hard and being very fast in the outfield. From 1948 to 1952, he stole about 12 bases each year. In 1948, he had his best year for stealing bases, with 23 stolen bases. This was the second-highest number in the American League that season.
Setting and Breaking Records
In 1947, Coan achieved a very high batting average of .500. He got 21 hits out of 42 tries. This was the highest average for any player with 30 or more at-bats in a major league season at the time. This record was later broken in 1996 by Rudy Pemberton.
Best Season and Unique Achievements
His most successful season was in 1951. That year, he had his highest numbers for home runs (9), runs batted in (62), runs scored (85), and games played (135). He also hit for a .303 batting average, which was among the top nine in the American League. On April 21, 1951, Gil Coan also tied a major league record. He hit two triples in the same part of a game, a rare feat shared with only a few other players.
Overall Career Statistics
Over his eleven seasons in baseball, Gil Coan had a .254 batting average. He made 731 hits in 2877 tries. He hit 39 home runs and brought in 278 runs batted in. He also scored 384 runs, hit 98 doubles, 44 triples, and stole 83 bases. His on-base percentage was .316. When playing defense, he had a .973 fielding percentage while playing in all three outfield positions.
Later Life and Retirement
After his baseball career, Gil Coan started working in the insurance business. From 1962, he owned and ran the Brevard Insurance Agency in Brevard, North Carolina. He retired in 1986, but his son and grandson continued to run the agency.
Gil Coan passed away on February 4, 2020, in Hendersonville, North Carolina. He was 97 years old.
