Gid Gardner
Encyclopedia
Franklin Washington "Gid" Gardner (May 6, 1859 – August 1, 1914) was a Major League Baseball
player during the 19th century. Between 1879 and 1888, Gardner played all or part of seven seasons for eight different teams in three different major leagues. He appeared in 199 games, mostly as an outfielder
, but also spent some time as a second baseman
and pitcher
. He had a career batting average
of .233 and a pitching record of 2-12.
, in 1859. He played on several amateur baseball teams in Cambridge until 1878. In 1879, he started his professional baseball career with the National Association
's Worcester Grays, batting .188 in nine games. He then joined the National League
's Troy Trojans and made his major league debut on August 23. He pitched in two games for Troy that year and lost both. The following season, Gardner played for the Cleveland Blues
; he made nine starts, going 1-8 with a 2.57 earned run average
.
Gardner spent 1881 in the Eastern Championship Association and 1882 in the League Alliance
. He started 1883 with the Camden Merritts of the Interstate Association, but the team disbanded in July, and he was acquired by the American Association
's Baltimore Orioles
. Gardner was mostly an outfielder for Baltimore. Over the rest of the season, he played in 42 games and batted .273.
Gardner started 1884 with the Orioles. He played 41 games for them, batting .214, and then finished the season in the Union Association
, batting .255 there. He returned to Baltimore in 1885 and hit .218 while playing mostly at second base. Gardner then went back down to the minors in 1886. He played 56 games for the Southern Association's Charleston Seagulls
and batted .262. In 1887, he became captain of the New England League
's Boston Blues, where he "reached the height of his fame," and also appeared in 18 games for the National League's Indianapolis Hoosiers
. While at Indianapolis, Gardner became part of the first known platoon arrangement
in baseball, as he split time with left-handed hitting Tom Brown. Gardner had a .175 batting average in his 18 games.
In October 1887, Gardner was traded to the Washington Nationals. He played one game for Washington before being traded in May 1888, to the Philadelphia Quakers
, for Cupid Childs
and cash. Gardner appeared in one game for Philadelphia, but Childs refused to report to the Nationals, and the trade was nullified. Gardner returned to Washington and played his final major league game on May 29.
In 1889, Gardner played for the Central Interstate League
's Evansville Hoosiers. In early 1890, he signed with the John P. Lovell semi-professional
team, and by August was with a team based in Norwich, Connecticut
. Gardner then ended his professional baseball career the following season with Worcester of the New England League.
After his baseball days were over, Gardner lived in Cambridge and "had no steady employment." He was working as a traveling salesman when, in 1914, he was confined to the Cambridge Hospital
for several weeks before dying of an aneurysm of the aorta
. According to Gardner's obituary in Sporting Life, from 1878 until about 1890 he "was one of the best ball players in the country." Gardner was buried in Cambridge City Cemetery.
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 during the 19th century. Between 1879 and 1888, Gardner played all or part of seven seasons for eight different teams in three different major leagues. He appeared in 199 games, mostly as an outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
, but also spent some time as a second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
and pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
. He had a career batting average
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 :...
of .233 and a pitching record of 2-12.
Career
Gardner was born in Boston, MassachusettsBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, in 1859. He played on several amateur baseball teams in Cambridge until 1878. In 1879, he started his professional baseball career with the National Association
National Association (minor league baseball)
The National Association was a minor league baseball league that played during the 1879 and 1880 seasons. It was not associated with the former Major League of the same name.-Sources:*...
's Worcester Grays, batting .188 in nine games. He then joined the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
's Troy Trojans and made his major league debut on August 23. He pitched in two games for Troy that year and lost both. The following season, Gardner played for the Cleveland Blues
Cleveland Blues (NL)
The Cleveland Blues were a Major League Baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio that operated in the National League from 1879 to 1884. In six seasons their best finish was third place in 1880. Hugh Daily threw a no-hitter for the Blues on Sept. 13, 1883. Besides Daily, notable Blues players...
; he made nine starts, going 1-8 with a 2.57 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
.
Gardner spent 1881 in the Eastern Championship Association and 1882 in the League Alliance
League Alliance
The League Alliance was the first semi-affiliated minor league baseball league. Proposed by Al Spalding on January 15, 1877 . Independent baseball teams were to affiliate with National League teams, which would honor their respective contracts. The league only existed for one season, 1877, though...
. He started 1883 with the Camden Merritts of the Interstate Association, but the team disbanded in July, and he was acquired by the American Association
American Association (19th century)
The American Association was a Major League Baseball league that existed for 10 seasons from to . During that time, it challenged the National League for dominance of professional baseball...
's Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles (19th century)
The Baltimore Orioles were a 19th-century American Association and National League team from 1882 to 1899. The club, which featured numerous future Hall of Famers, finished in first place three consecutive years and won the Temple Cup championship in 1896 and 1897...
. Gardner was mostly an outfielder for Baltimore. Over the rest of the season, he played in 42 games and batted .273.
Gardner started 1884 with the Orioles. He played 41 games for them, batting .214, and then finished the season in the Union Association
Union Association
The Union Association was a league in Major League Baseball which lasted for only one season in 1884. St. Louis won the pennant and joined the National League the following season...
, batting .255 there. He returned to Baltimore in 1885 and hit .218 while playing mostly at second base. Gardner then went back down to the minors in 1886. He played 56 games for the Southern Association's Charleston Seagulls
Charleston RiverDogs
The Charleston RiverDogs are a Minor League Baseball team based in Charleston, South Carolina. They play in the class A South Atlantic League and are an affiliate of the New York Yankees. Their home stadium is at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park...
and batted .262. In 1887, he became captain of the New England League
New England League
The New England League was a mid-level league in American minor league baseball that played sporadically in five of the six New England states between 1886 and 1949. After 1901, it existed in the shadow of two Major League Baseball clubs in Boston and alongside stronger, higher-classification...
's Boston Blues, where he "reached the height of his fame," and also appeared in 18 games for the National League's Indianapolis Hoosiers
St. Louis Maroons/Indianapolis Hoosiers
300px|thumb|right|1888 Indianapolis HoosiersThe St. Louis Maroons were a professional baseball club based in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1884-1886. The club, established by Henry Lucas, were the one near-major league quality entry in the Union Association, a league that lasted only one season, due...
. While at Indianapolis, Gardner became part of the first known platoon arrangement
Platoon system
The platoon system in baseball is a method of designating two players to a single defensive position—usually one right-handed and one left-handed. Typically the right-handed half of the platoon is played on days when the opposing pitcher is left-handed and the left-handed player is played otherwise...
in baseball, as he split time with left-handed hitting Tom Brown. Gardner had a .175 batting average in his 18 games.
In October 1887, Gardner was traded to the Washington Nationals. He played one game for Washington before being traded in May 1888, to the Philadelphia Quakers
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, for Cupid Childs
Cupid Childs
Clarence Algernon "Cupid" Childs was an American second baseman in Major League Baseball with a 13-season career from 1888, 1890–1901, playing for the Philadelphia Quakers, Cleveland Spiders, St. Louis Perfectos and Chicago Orphans of the National League and the Syracuse Stars of the American...
and cash. Gardner appeared in one game for Philadelphia, but Childs refused to report to the Nationals, and the trade was nullified. Gardner returned to Washington and played his final major league game on May 29.
In 1889, Gardner played for the Central Interstate League
Central Interstate League
The Central Interstate League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1888-1889.-Former Teams:The following are former teams that made up the Central Interstate League:*Bloomington Reds, 1888*Burlington Babies, 1889...
's Evansville Hoosiers. In early 1890, he signed with the John P. Lovell semi-professional
Semi-professional
A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the athlete not a full professional...
team, and by August was with a team based in Norwich, Connecticut
Norwich, Connecticut
Regular steamship service between New York and Boston helped Norwich to prosper as a shipping center through the early part of the 20th century. During the Civil War, Norwich once again rallied and saw the growth of its textile, armaments, and specialty item manufacturing...
. Gardner then ended his professional baseball career the following season with Worcester of the New England League.
After his baseball days were over, Gardner lived in Cambridge and "had no steady employment." He was working as a traveling salesman when, in 1914, he was confined to the Cambridge Hospital
Cambridge Hospital
The Cambridge Hospital campus is a community teaching hospital located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is one of three hospital campuses that are part of Cambridge Health Alliance.-Services:...
for several weeks before dying of an aneurysm of the aorta
Aortic aneurysm
An aortic aneurysm is a general term for any swelling of the aorta to greater than 1.5 times normal, usually representing an underlying weakness in the wall of the aorta at that location...
. According to Gardner's obituary in Sporting Life, from 1878 until about 1890 he "was one of the best ball players in the country." Gardner was buried in Cambridge City Cemetery.
External links
- Gid Gardner at Find a Grave