december december american professional baseball player manager played entire career major_league_baseball catcher chicago_cubs spent final season career player coach new_york_giants playing career continued involvement baseball coach minor league manager player performing defensively known strong accurate throwing arm routinely led national_league caught stealing percentage major league catcher hit home runs season course career took memorable events major_league_baseball history including called shot world series strike performance star game career altering injury star game greatest moment career came week left season hit game winning home run ninth inning cubs place event occurred darkness descended field homer career considered greatest catcher history national_league time star appeared world series playing career time retirement held career records home runs runs batted hits doubles games played catcher inducted life career early life born rhode_island oldest children began professional baseball career age worcester new_york_giants manager sent scout talent player reported hands small major league catcher giants loss prove gain professional career joined cubs serving backup catcher given ironic nickname rookie shy nature july suffered fractured skull game took cubs starting catcher posting batting average home runs runs batted retirement catcher favorite catcher caught alexander career win september played absence cubs decided starting catcher trading rise stardom hit home runs breaking single season home run record set finished second overall national_league home runs hit led national_league errors led range factor strong throwing arm helped lead league assists caught stealing percentage played national_league manager career stated similarly strong throwing arms major league baseball winter meetings december rumored traded new_york_giants catcher outfielder cubs president rumors saying traded anybody young catcher disappointing year batting average dropped runs batted offensive statistics rebounded producing batting average home runs runs batted led league assists caught stealing inexperience showed led league errors passed balls finished tenth national league valuable player award career prime hit time posting batting average home runs surpassed major league record career home runs catcher led national_league assists caught stealing percentage fielding percentage matured player disciplined field committed fewer errors threw baseball infield fearless manner throwing high degree accuracy lead league fielding percentage seven times mysterious arm limited game plate games pinch hitter cubs won national_league pennant struck bats world series rebounded best season hitting batting average career highs runs batted slugging percentage home runs breaking single season home run record led national_league assists fielding percentage caught stealing single season home run record stand years hit home runs exhibition game chicago_white_sox september chicago cubs photographed signing gangster photograph published newspapers united_states received telegram baseball commissioner instructing photograph taken future replied telegram commissioner stating don want picture taken tell guided cubs pitching staff lowest team earned run average league cubs clinched national_league pennant games pittsburgh_pirates cubs catcher october game world series new_york_yankees hit debated called shot hit batting average home run yankees went win series game sweep selected reserve catcher national_league team inaugural held july mark consecutive star game selections mid season point season hitting batting average home runs earn starting catcher role national_league team star game calling pitches star game giants pitcher set record striking future hall_of_fame members succession ended season strong offensive performance hitting batting average home runs runs batted dominated defensive statistics leading league assists caught stealing caught stealing percentage range factor fielding percentage impressive season produced batting average highest league led league assists double plays fielding percentage led cubs pitching staff lowest earned run average league won national_league pennant games performance named recipient national league valuable player award cubs eventually lose detroit_tigers led world series cubs fell place sub standard year hitting home runs runs batted hit average earned fourth consecutive star selection defensively led league fielding percentage pitch calling skills helped cubs pitching staff lead league star game pitcher kept shaking signs curve ball resulting hit home run finally line drive bat struck dean toe dean pitchers national_league injury toe eventually led end baseball playing career ended season career high batting average finished second voting batting average highest batting average major league catcher years posted average homer july cubs owner named year old team player manager replacing took manager cubs place games place pittsburgh pirates led september week left season cubs battled game half game pirates national_league standings teams met crucial game series cubs won game series victory cubs pitcher cutting pirates lead half game setting stage baseball memorable moments september teams met second game series experienced highlight career darkness descending field score tied runs apiece ruled ninth inning played entire game following day score remained tied came bat ninth inning count balls strikes connected brown pitch launching ball darkness eventually landed left center field stadium erupted players fans stormed field escort bases walk home run homer cubs place culminating impressive record september pennant clinched days later led cubs pitching staff lowest earned run average league led national_league fielding percentage cubs swept world series new_york_yankees fourth series loss years later career felt strain managing team season faced player discontent pitcher went head complain owner lack pitching assignments french felt punished requesting catcher addition forced catch games lack hitting cubs august broke major_league record career games catcher record longevity surpassed season disappointing seasons dismissed cubs november years club december signed contract new_york_giants player coach hit average games backup catcher season played final game september retiring player age career statistics year major league career played games accumulating hits bats career batting average slugging percentage home runs runs batted base percentage retired career fielding percentage caught games league record times including record seasons row led national_league times assists fielding percentage times led league seven times double plays set national_league record career double plays set broken major league record consecutive chances committing error time retirement home runs runs batted hits doubles records surpassed records runs batted hits career home run record broken career mark doubles stood broken finished national_league slugging percentage seven times career time star recipient valuable player award played pennant winning teams career base percentage higher posted posted career caught stealing percentage ranks second major league bat catcher mask artifacts sent newly constructed book bill james historical baseball abstract baseball historian ranked 9th time major league post playing career retirement managed minor leagues seasons retiring illinois january elected included book greatest baseball players time named finalist job majors worked coach scout years mid-1960s died illinois birthday interred saints cemetery illinois
Gabby Hartnett