Description
George Gibson
Born: July 22, 1880 in London, Ontario
Died: January 25, 1967 (aged 86) in London, Ontario
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 190 lbs.
Position: Catcher
Played For:
As Player
Pittsburgh Pirates (1905–1916)
New York Giants (1917–1918)
As Manager
Pittsburgh Pirates (1920–1922)
Chicago Cubs (1925)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1932–1934)
Biography:
Born a stone’s throw away from Tecumseh Park (today’s Labatt Memorial Park) in London, Ontario, Gibson gained the nickname “Mooney” as a youngster. Some sources suggest that the nickname was inspired by his round, moon-shaped face, while other sources claim he picked up the nickname because he had played on a sandlot team known as the Mooneys. He began his professional baseball career in 1903 with the Kingston Colonials of the Hudson River League but, after only 38 games his contract was purchased by the Buffalo Bisons of the Eastern League, managed by George Stallings. He then spent two seasons playing for the Montreal Royals before his contract was purchased by the Pittsburgh Pirates in June 1905.
The son of a bricklayer and building contractor, George C. Gibson was born on July 22, 1880, in London, Ontario. His first job was carrying buckets of water to the laborers his father employed, and although he eventually learned the bricklaying trade, his first love was baseball. George was known by several nicknames over his lifetime, but the most popular one was “Moon.” Though some sources suggest that the nickname was inspired by his round, moon-shaped face, he actually picked it up because as a youngster he’d played on a sandlot team known as the Mooneys. Gibson began his amateur career as a second baseman, but by the time he was 12 his already strong throwing arm landed him a position as a catcher on the church league’s Knox Baseball Club. From there he gained additional experience with the Canadian League’s West London Stars and the London City League’s Struthers and McClary clubs.
More info:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Gibson_(baseball)
http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/7715c135
