Hank Gowdy

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Henry Morgan Gowdy (August 24, 1889 - August 1, 1966) was a catcher and a first baseman for the New York Giants and the Boston Braves. He made his major league debut for the Giants in the 1910 season and was traded to the Braves the next year. He didn't have much playing time (he spent the majority of the 1913 season with the Buffalo Bisons) until the 1914 Miracle Braves season, when they went from last to first in two months. He batted .545 with one home run in the historic upset of the Philadelphia Athletics in the 1914 World Series. He saw more playing time in subsequent seasons, but when World War I broke out, he became the first major leaguer to sign up. With the Ohio National Guard, he saw considerable action in France with the 166th Infantry Regiment, including some of the worst trench fighting in the war. When he returned in 1919, he got his old job as a catcher back, but not before going on a speaking tour of the United States, detailing his war experiences. Four years later, he was traded back to the Giants, where he played in the 1923 and 1924 World Series, but his heroics weren't repeated, as he committed a costly error which led to the game-winning run against the Washington Senators. In 1925, the Giants released him. Four years later, he made a comeback with Braves, albeit with very limited playing time. He then became a coach with the Giants, Braves, and the Reds.

When the Unites States entered World War II, Gowdy enlisted again at the age of 53, and was promoted to major. In December of 1944, he returned to Fort Benning, where he served as Chief Athletic Officer. He returned to coaching in 1946 with the Reds, and he even served as manager for four games at the end of the season. By 1948, he had retired from baseball.

The baseball field at Fort Benning bears his name.

Gowdy shares (with Ross Youngs) the record for most Hall of Fame induction attempts. He has received votes in 17 different years, never being elected to the Hall of Fame. Current custom limits the times a player can appear on the ballot to 15. Youngs was elected to the Hall of Fame in his 17th time, so Gowdy holds the record for most unsuccessful induction attempts. [1]

Gowdy died at his home in Columbus, OH at age 76.