Johnny Gooch

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Johnny Gooch
Catcher
Born: November 9, 1897
Died: May 15, 1975 (aged 77)
Batted: Switch Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 9, 1921
for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Final game
September 12, 1933
for the Boston Red Sox
Career statistics
Batting average     .280
Home runs     7
Runs batted in     293
Teams
Career highlights and awards

John Beverley (Johnny) Gooch (November 9, 1897 - March 15, 1975) was catcher who played in Major League Baseball between 1921 and through 1933. Gooch was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed. He was born in Smyrna, Tennessee.

A slick-fielding catcher, Gooch reached the majors in 1921 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, spending six and a half years with them before moving to the Brooklyn Robins (1928-29), Cincinnati Reds (1929-30) and Boston Red Sox (1933). His most productive season came in 1922 with the Pirates, when he posted a career-high .329 batting average and collected an extra-inning six-hit game, two four-hit games, and eight three-hit games. While in Pittsburgh, he was a member of the 1925 World Champion team and also appeared in the 1927 World Series swept by the New York Yankees in four games.

In an 11-season career, Gooch was a .280 hitter with seven home runs and 293 RBI in 805 games played.

Following his playing career, Gooch became a successful manager in the minors and also coached for Pittsburgh in 1937 and 1938.

Gooch died in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 77.

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