Hank Gowdy

Gowdy joined the 1910 Giants at age 20, was dealt to the Braves in 1911, and spent the next twelve seasons in Boston. The 6’2″ righthander was a starting catcher from 1914 through 1916 and batted .545 with a homer and three RBI to lead the “miracle” Braves to a 1914 World Series sweep over the Athletics. He caught the no-hitters of George Davis (9/9/1914) and Tom Hughes (6/16/1916). Gowdy was the first ML player to enlist for WWI and saw considerable action in France. After he returned in 1919, he shared Boston’s catching duties before he was reacquired by the Giants in 1923. Gowdy was a goat in the Giants’ 1924 WS loss to Washington; he tripped over his mask and missed a pop-up, which led to the Series-winning run. Dropped by the Giants in 1925, Gowdy returned to the Braves for limited duty in 1929-30.