George Gibson (baseball)

Gibson was born in London, Ontario, near Tecumseh Park, the oldest continually operating baseball grounds in the world (today's Labatt Memorial Park). He gained the nickname "Mooney" as a youngster. Some sources suggest that the nickname was inspired by his round, moon-shaped face, while other sources claim he picked up the nickname because he had played on a sandlot team known as the Mooneys. Numerous sources still associate Gibson with the Kingston Colonials of the Hudson River League but in a 1919 article, journalist Edward F. Balinger discusses this topic. Relaying something said by Gibson days earlier, he suggests that "somebody got him mixed with some other player shortly after he broke into the big league." George spent parts of two seasons playing for the Montreal Royals before his contract was purchased by the Pittsburgh Pirates in June 1905. Gibson was in his prime during the 1909 season when he caught in 134 consecutive games, breaking the previous record of 133 consecutive games played as a catcher set by Deacon McGuire in 1895. He set another major league record for games played in a season by a catcher with 150, which was also previously held by McGuire since 1895. His games caught in a season record stood until 1920 when Ray Schalk caught 151 games. His record of 134 consecutive games caught would stand until 1940 when it was broken by Ray Mueller. Gibson hit a double for the final hit in the last game played at Pittsburgh's Exposition Park on June 29, 1909, and the following day had the first hit in the new Forbes Field. He also led National League catchers in fielding percentage, baserunners caught stealing and in caught stealing percentage. Gibson then went on to catch every game in the 1909 World Series as the Pirates defeated the Detroit Tigers in seven games to win the world championship. Gibson held Detroit's Ty Cobb, the premier base stealer of his era, to only one stolen base during the series (Cobb also stole home plate during the series which wasn't charged against Gibson). Arriving back at the train station in his hometown of London, Ontario, on October 27, 1909, after winning the World Series, Gibson found more than 7,000 cheering fans to greet him. As the sport evolved, teams began to field smaller, more agile players as catchers, typified by the emergence of Ray Schalk. Gibson returned to hit for a career-high .285 batting average in 102 games during the 1914 season. Giants manager John McGraw persuaded him to join the Giants as a player-coach in 1917. Gibson played in his final major league game on August 20, 1918 at the age of 38. ==Career statistics==

In a fourteen-year major league career, Gibson played in 1,213 games, accumulating 893 hits in 3,776 at bats for a .236 career batting average along with 15 home runs, 346 runs batted in and an on-base percentage of .295. Gibson was the Pirates catcher on September 20, 1907, when pitcher Nick Maddox threw a no-hitter against the Brooklyn Superbas. In his book, The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, baseball historian Bill James ranked Gibson 95th all-time among major league catchers. ==Managerial career==

Gibson is also said to have accepted a coaching position with the Sacramento Solons of the Pacific Coast League in 1918. This isn't true, and rather, Gibson, the catcher, is likely being confused with an amateur pitcher of the same name. Gibson, the catcher, remained with the Giants until the 1918 season closed because of World War I, and returned to Canada until he was hired in 1919 to coach the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League. He served as their manager from 1920 to 1922. The following season (1926), he returned to his coaching capacities for the Cubs, then remained with the Cubs as a scout until he was again called upon by the Pirates, to manage the 1932 team. Although Gibson recorded a .546 winning percentage as a manager, he was intolerant of team mistakes and his temperament left him ill-suited for the task of team politics. On May 9, 1921, under manager Gibson, the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the London Tecumsehs 8–7 at Tecumseh Park before 3,500 people in an exhibition baseball game. Before the game, Gibson and his team were presented with a silver loving cup by the London Kiwanis Club. Gibson thrilled the locals by catching the opening inning with his 1909 battery-mate Babe Adams and singling and scoring a run in his lone at-bat. London Mayor Sid Little entertained the team that evening at his home. ==Post-career honours==

Gibson was named Canada's baseball player of the half century in 1958 and was the first baseball player elected to Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. ==Connection to Labatt brewing family==

When Gibson lived at 252 Central Avenue in London during the 1920s and 1930s, his immediate neighbours to the east were members of the Labatt brewing family, with whom he frequently socialized. According to George Gibson's late nephew, George Lambourn, Gibson played a significant role in the decision by John and Hugh Labatt to purchase Tecumseh Park and donate it to the City (along with $10,000 for repairs and maintenance), which occurred on December 31, 1936, after which Tecumseh Park was officially renamed "The John Labatt Memorial Athletic Park." Gibson died at age 86 in London and is buried at Campbell Cemetery in Komoka, Ontario, not far from his Delaware farm. Gibson's former farm is on a road named in his honour after Gibson donated some land for public use to the area conservation authority of the day. Gibson was the nephew of William Southam, founder of Southam Newspapers, the brother of Richard Southam, manager of the London Tecumsehs, and the father-in-law of Bill Warwick, a major league baseball player in the 1920s. ==Further reading==