Doc Gessler
Encyclopedia
Henry Homer "Doc" Gessler (December 23, 1880 - December 25, 1924) was a Major League Baseball
player born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania
who began his eight season career, at the age of 22, with the Detroit Tigers
in . He played mainly as a right fielder
in a career that totaled 880 games played
, 2969 at bat
s, 831 hit
s, 363 RBIs and 14 home run
s. Doc died in Greensburg at the age of 44, and is interred in Saint Bernard Cemetery in Indiana, Pennsylvania
.
, Washington & Jefferson College
, and became a physician, graduating from Johns Hopkins Medical School. He was one of three doctors
in the 1906 World Series
(with Doc White
and Frank Owen).
in an unknown transaction. For Brooklyn, he became a good hitter, batting
.290 in both of his full seasons with them. After a slow start in , he was traded to the Chicago Cubs
in exchange for Hub Knolls on April 28.
He didn't play in the Majors for the season, but reappeared for the Boston Red Sox
and batted .308, hit 14 triples
, and led the American League
in on base percentage
. The following season, manager
Fred Lake
announced that Doc would be team's Captain for the season. This situation did not last the season, as he was traded to the Washington Senators
on September 9, 1909 in exchange for Charlie Smith. He played three seasons for the Senators and retried after the season.
team of the upstart Federal League
in , but after 11 games, and a 3 win 8 loss record, was replaced by Rebel Oakes
. The team soon adopted the nickname Rebels after their new manager, who stayed their manager through the 1914 season, and the entire season.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Greensburg is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States, and a part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The city is named after Nathanael Greene, a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War...
who began his eight season career, at the age of 22, with the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
in . He played mainly as a right fielder
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
in a career that totaled 880 games played
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
, 2969 at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s, 831 hit
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
s, 363 RBIs and 14 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s. Doc died in Greensburg at the age of 44, and is interred in Saint Bernard Cemetery in Indiana, Pennsylvania
Indiana, Pennsylvania
Indiana is a borough in and the county seat of Indiana County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 14,895 at the 2000 census.The borough and the region as a whole promotes itself as the "Christmas Tree Capital of the World" because the national Christmas Tree Grower's Association was...
.
College years
Before his baseball career, he attended Ohio UniversityOhio University
Ohio University is a public university located in the Midwestern United States in Athens, Ohio, situated on an campus...
, Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College, also known as W & J College or W&J, is a private liberal arts college in Washington, Pennsylvania, in the United States, which is south of Pittsburgh...
, and became a physician, graduating from Johns Hopkins Medical School. He was one of three doctors
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
in the 1906 World Series
1906 World Series
- Game 1 :Tuesday, October 9, 1906 at West Side Grounds in Chicago, IllinoisCubs hurler Mordecai Brown was sent to continue the dominance against Nick Altrock. Both pitchers pitched a perfect game through three innings. The Cubs had a runner at second, but couldn't score in the fourth...
(with Doc White
Doc White
Guy Harris "Doc" White was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played for two teams, the Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago White Sox, during his career which lasted from 1901 to 1913....
and Frank Owen).
Career
After his short stay with Detroit, he then moved on to the Brooklyn SuperbasLos Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
in an unknown transaction. For Brooklyn, he became a good hitter, batting
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.290 in both of his full seasons with them. After a slow start in , he was traded to the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
in exchange for Hub Knolls on April 28.
He didn't play in the Majors for the season, but reappeared for the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
and batted .308, hit 14 triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, and led the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
in on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
. The following season, manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
Fred Lake
Fred Lake
Frederick Lovett Lake was a Canadian professional baseball player and major league manager with both Boston baseball teams in the early 20th century.Lake hailed from Cornwallis, Annapolis County, Nova Scotia...
announced that Doc would be team's Captain for the season. This situation did not last the season, as he was traded to the Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
on September 9, 1909 in exchange for Charlie Smith. He played three seasons for the Senators and retried after the season.
Managerial stint
Doc became the manager of the PittsburghPittsburgh Rebels
The Pittsburgh Rebels were a professional baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team was a member of the short-lived Federal League, which was a minor league in 1913 but a full-fledged outlaw major league the next two years...
team of the upstart Federal League
Federal League
The Federal League of Base Ball Clubs, known simply as the Federal League, was an American professional baseball league that operated as a "third major league", in competition with the established National and American Leagues, from to...
in , but after 11 games, and a 3 win 8 loss record, was replaced by Rebel Oakes
Rebel Oakes
Ennis Telfair "Rebel" Oakes was an American Major League Baseball player born in Lisbon, Louisiana. After attending Louisiana Industrial Institute, which is now Louisiana Tech University, Rebel turned his attention to playing professional baseball, eventually reaching the Majors when he was traded...
. The team soon adopted the nickname Rebels after their new manager, who stayed their manager through the 1914 season, and the entire season.