Johnny Gooch

{{Short description|American baseball player (1897–1975)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox baseball biography |name=Johnny Gooch |image=Johnny Gooch, Pittsburgh NL (baseball) LCCN2014718714.jpg |position=Catcher |birth_date={{Birth date|1897|11|9}} |birth_place=Smyrna, Tennessee, U.S. |death_date={{death date and age|1975|5|15|1897|11|9}} |death_place=Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |bats=Switch |throws=Right |debutleague = MLB |debutdate= September 9 |debutyear= 1921 |debutteam= Pittsburgh Pirates |finalleague = MLB |finaldate=September 12 |finalyear=1933 |finalteam=Boston Red Sox |statleague = MLB |stat1label=Batting average |stat1value=.280 |stat2label=Home runs |stat2value=7 |stat3label=Runs batted in |stat3value=293 |teams= * Pittsburgh Pirates (1921–1928) * Brooklyn Robins (1928–1929) * Cincinnati Reds (1929–1930) * Boston Red Sox (1933) |highlights= * World Series champion ({{wsy|1925}}) }} '''John Beverley Gooch''' (November 9, 1897 – May 15, 1975) was an American professional baseball player, coach, minor league manager and scout.<ref name="Johnny Gooch statistics">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/goochjo01.shtml |title=Johnny Gooch statistics |publisher=Baseball-Reference.com |accessdate=6 June 2012}}</ref> He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from {{Baseball year|1921}} to {{Baseball year|1933}}, most prominently for the Pittsburgh Pirates where he was a member of the 1925 World Series winning team. He also played for the Brooklyn Robins, Cincinnati Reds and the Boston Red Sox.<ref name="Johnny Gooch statistics"/> After his playing career ended, Gooch continued to work as a baseball coach and minor league manager. In 1972, Gooch was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.<ref name="John Gooch at the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame">{{cite web |url=http://www.tnshf.net/inducteedetail.php?recordID=Gooch,%20John |title=John Gooch at the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame |publisher=tnshf.net |accessdate=7 June 2012 }}{{Dead link|date=November 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

==Baseball career== Born in Smyrna, Tennessee, Gooch began his professional baseball career in 1916 at the age of 18 with the Talladega Tigers of the Georgia–Alabama League.<ref name=sabrbio>{{sabrbio|cc6044ec|Bill Nowlin|6 June 2012}}</ref><ref name="Johnny Gooch minor league statistics">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=gooch-001joh |title=Johnny Gooch minor league statistics |publisher=Baseball-Reference.com |accessdate=6 June 2012}}</ref> He didn't play professionally in 1917 or 1918 as he returned to help on the family farm after his oldest brother had died in a drowning accident and his second oldest brother had been called into military service during World War I.<ref name=sabrbio/> Gooch was also called into military service and was aboard a train heading to the service when news of the Armistice broke.<ref name=sabrbio/>

In 1918, Gooch tried out to play for the New Orleans Pelicans but didn't make the team.<ref name=sabrbio/> Despite this setback, the eager Gooch continued to show up for the team's practices.<ref name=sabrbio/> His eagerness to play finally convinced the Pelicans to sign him to a contract.<ref name=sabrbio/> He was sent to play in Cleveland and then to Mobile, where he was released.<ref name=sabrbio/> The Birmingham Barons then signed him after The Barons’ manager, Carlton Molesworth, remembered his dedication during one of his team's visits to play in Mobile.<ref name=sabrbio/> It was in Birmingham where Gooch first played with future Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, Pie Traynor, and the two men developed a lifelong friendship.<ref name=sabrbio/> In 1920, he posted a .288 batting average in 136 games for the Barons.<ref name="Johnny Gooch minor league statistics"/>

Gooch made his major league debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 9, 1921 at the age of 22.<ref name="Johnny Gooch statistics"/> Gooch had his best season offensively in 1922 when veteran catcher Walter Schmidt, held out for more pay and didn't play until August.<ref name=sabrbio/> He posted a career-high .329 batting average in 105 games, and collected an extra-inning six-hit game, two four-hit games, and eight three-hit games.<ref name="Johnny Gooch statistics"/> He also had 102 assists defensively, third best in the league.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1922-fielding-leaders.shtml |title=1922 National League Fielding Leaders |publisher=Baseball-Reference.com |accessdate=6 June 2012}}</ref> In 1925, he played as a backup catcher to Earl Smith while posting a .298 batting average along with 30 runs batted in to help the Pirates win the National League pennant.<ref name="Johnny Gooch statistics"/> The Pirates then went on to defeat the Washington Senators in the 1925 World Series.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1925_WS.shtml |title=1925 World Series |publisher=Baseball-Reference.com |accessdate=6 June 2012}}</ref> He appeared in three games of series and went hitless in 3 at bats.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/goochjo01.shtml#batting_postseason::none |title=Johnny Gooch post-season statistics |publisher=Baseball-Reference.com |accessdate=6 June 2012}}</ref>

Gooch played in 101 games in 1927 and had a career-high 48 runs batted in, as the Pirates once again won the National League championship.<ref name="Johnny Gooch statistics"/> However, they faced the powerful New York Yankees led by Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in the 1927 World Series and were defeated in four straight games.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1927_WS.shtml |title=1927 World Series |publisher=Baseball-Reference.com |accessdate=6 June 2012}}</ref> In 1928, the Pirates acquired future Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, Burleigh Grimes, who was the last pitcher allowed to throw the spitball in the major leagues.<ref name="Johnny Will Be Special Catcher">{{cite news |title=Johnny Will Be Special Catcher |work=The Pittsburgh Press |page=30 |date=9 April 1928 |accessdate=6 June 2012 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HDIgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NkoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6126,4947911&dq=johnny+gooch+baseball&hl=en}}</ref> Pirates manager, Donie Bush chose Gooch to be Grimes' personal catcher, due to his previous experience at catching the tricky spitball.<ref name="Johnny Will Be Special Catcher"/> After spending six and a half years with the Pirates, Gooch was traded in June 1928 along with Joe Harris to the Brooklyn Robins in exchange for Charlie Hargreaves, as the Pirates were seeking a right-handed batter.<ref name="Pirate Hurlers Fail To Display Convincing Form">{{cite news |title=Pirate Hurlers Fail To Display Convincing Form |work=The Pittsburgh Press |page=30 |date=9 June 1928 |accessdate=6 June 2012 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=elgbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=REoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4011,4164950&dq=johnny+gooch+traded&hl=en}}</ref> It was also reported that he had fallen out of favor with the Pirates because of a salary dispute during the off-season.<ref name="Pirate Hurlers Fail To Display Convincing Form"/> News reports surfaced in January 1929 that Gooch wasn't happy in Brooklyn after having spent so many years in Pittsburgh, and was contemplating retirement.<ref>{{cite news |title=Gooch Tired Of The Game |work=The Pittsburgh Press |page=36 |date=28 January 1929 |accessdate=7 June 2012 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=70obAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9koEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2031,2860731&dq=johnny+gooch&hl=en}}</ref> That April, he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for Val Picinich.<ref name="Johnny Gooch statistics"/> He experienced a rejuvenation by hitting for a .300 batting average in 92 games for the seventh-place Reds.<ref name="Johnny Gooch statistics"/> After one more season with the Reds where his batting average dropped to .243, he was traded to the Nashville Volunteers in the Southern Association for Joe Cicero.<ref name="Johnny Gooch statistics"/> He posted a .334 batting average in 117 games during the Volunteers' 1932 season.<ref name="Johnny Gooch statistics"/> In January 1933, he returned to the major leagues when his contract was bought by the Boston Red Sox.<ref>{{cite news |title=Boston Red Sox Buy Catcher Johnny Gooch |work=The Reading Eagle |page=23 |date=1 January 1933 |accessdate=7 June 2012 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4mIhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pocFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5084,68553&dq=johnny+gooch&hl=en}}</ref> Gooch's playing time was diminished when the Red Sox acquired catcher Rick Ferrell in May.<ref name=sabrbio/> He appeared in 37 games for the Red Sox and played in his final major league game on September 12, 1933, at the age of 37.<ref name="Johnny Gooch statistics"/>

==Career statistics== In an eleven-year major league career, Gooch played in 805 games, accumulating 662 hits in 2,363 at-bats for a .280 career batting average along with 7 home runs, 293 runs batted in and an on-base percentage of .342.<ref name="Johnny Gooch statistics"/> He had a career fielding percentage of .973.<ref name="Johnny Gooch statistics"/>

==Managerial and coaching career== Gooch was hired by the Cincinnati Reds to be a player-manager for the Durham Bulls of the Piedmont League in December 1935.<ref>{{cite news |title=Gooch And Whitted Lead Farm Teams |agency=Associated Press |work=The Milwaukee Journal |page=7 |date=31 December 1935 |accessdate=7 June 2012 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jKBQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PSIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3465,6712505&dq=johnny+gooch&hl=en |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130124141701/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jKBQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PSIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3465,6712505&dq=johnny+gooch&hl=en |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 24, 2013 }}</ref> He was credited with helping young pitcher Johnny Vander Meer cure the wildness of his pitching.<ref name="Vander Meer Pitches Second No Run, No Hit Game In row">{{cite news |title=Vander Meer Pitches Second No Run, No Hit Game In row |agency=United Press International |work=The Bulletin |page=7 |date=16 June 1938 |accessdate=7 June 2012 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=uuwsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OyEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1561,1333455&dq=johnny+gooch&hl=en}}</ref> Vander Meer went on to become the only pitcher in Major League Baseball history to pitch two consecutive no hitters.<ref name="Vander Meer Pitches Second No Run, No Hit Game In row"/> Gooch was then hired as the manager for the Mount Airy Reds of the Bi-State League.<ref>{{cite news |title=Johnny Gooch Is Hired To Manage Local Team |work=The Mount Airy News |date=5 November 1936 |accessdate=7 June 2012 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3vxaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rU0NAAAAIBAJ&pg=7070,6489007&dq=johnny+gooch&hl=en}}</ref> In January 1937, the Pirates hired Gooch to be their pitching coach, at the urging of his old friend, Pie Traynor, who was then managing the Pirates.<ref>{{cite news |title=Gooch Signs With Pirates |work=The Pittsburgh Press |page=24 |date=12 January 1937 |accessdate=7 June 2012 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=clsbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CU0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=3623,3894490&dq=johnny+gooch&hl=en}}</ref> In October 1939, the Pirates released him as a coach, then immediately rehired him as a scout.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bucs Release Gooch, Rehire Him As Scout |work=The Pittsburgh Press |page=8 |date=17 October 1939 |accessdate=7 June 2012 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xFgbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=a0wEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3960,1197916&dq=johnny+gooch&hl=en}}</ref> The Pirates then named him to be the manager for their minor league affiliate, the Hutchinson Pirates of the Western Association for the 1941 season.<ref>{{cite news |title=Gooch To Manage Pirate Farm Club |work=The Pittsburgh Press |page=49 |date=13 December 1940 |accessdate=7 June 2012 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dWIbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=aUwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6259,6003699&dq=johnny+gooch&hl=en}}</ref> His final year in baseball was 1942, as a player-manager for the Bluefield Blue-Grays in the Mountain State League.<ref name=sabrbio/>

==Later life== After retiring from baseball management, Gooch opened a baseball bat factory in Nashville.<ref name=sabrbio/> In 1972, Gooch was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.<ref name="John Gooch at the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame"/>

Gooch died on May 15, 1975, in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 77.<ref name=sabrbio/>

==References== {{reflist|33em}}

==External links== {{Baseballstats |mlb= |espn= |br=g/goochjo01 |brm=gooch-001joh}} *{{sabrbio|cc6044ec|Bill Nowlin|6 June 2012}} * [http://retrosheet.org/boxesetc/G/Pgoocj101.htm Retrosheet] * {{Find a Grave}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gooch, Johnny}} Category:1897 births Category:1975 deaths Category:Sportspeople from Smyrna, Tennessee Category:Boston Red Sox players Category:Brooklyn Robins players Category:Cincinnati Reds players Category:Pittsburgh Pirates players Category:Major League Baseball catchers Category:Baseball players from Tennessee Category:Pittsburgh Pirates coaches Category:Major League Baseball pitching coaches Category:Baseball player-managers Category:Talladega Tigers players Category:Newport News Shipbuilders players Category:Atlanta Crackers players Category:Birmingham Barons players Category:Nashville Vols players Category:Columbus Red Birds players Category:Durham Bulls players Category:Hutchinson Pirates players Category:Bluefield Blue-Grays players Category:Durham Bulls managers Category:Pittsburgh Pirates scouts Category:20th-century American sportsmen