Wally Gerber
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Overall Career
Walter "Spooks" Gerber was born on August 18, 1891, in Columbus, Ohio. Gerber was 23 years old when he broke into the big leagues on September 23, 1914, with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Gerber had a 15-year career as a major league short stop. In 1,522 games he batted .257 with 7 HR and 476 RBI. He was the Browns' everyday shortstop from 1919 through 1927. He led AL shortstops in errors in 1919 and 1920, but settled down to lead in double plays four times. When the Depression occured, Gerber, who had invested well, became a source of financial help for former teammates.
After serving as an umpire in the Middle Atlantic League, Gerber retired. He signed as a supervisor with the City Recreatioin Division of Colombus, Ohio in 1929 and served for 10 years.
Gerber's Moments in the Sun
In 1923 he won fame for his "$18,000 base hit" against Detriot, which gave the Browns third place in the league and a split in the world series money.
Trivia
- Set a major league record in 1923 when he accepted 48 fielding chances in four consecutive games.
- He helped turned a total of 3 triple plays, and hit into 2 of them
Transactions
- April 25, 1928: Traded by the St. Louis Browns to the Boston Red Sox for Hal Wiltse.
External Links
- Baseball-Reference.com - Career Statistics and Analysis
