Batting average .267 Role Baseball player Name Charlie Gelbert | Runs batted in 350 Home runs 17 | |
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Died January 13, 1967, Easton, Pennsylvania, United States | ||
Charles Magnus Gelbert (January 26, 1906 – January 13, 1967) was a professional baseball player. He played all or part of ten seasons in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals (1929–32 and 1935–36), Cincinnati Reds (1937), Detroit Tigers (1937), Washington Senators (1939–40) and Boston Red Sox (1940), primarily as a shortstop.
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Early career
Gelbert, who was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, attended Wissahickon High School in Ambler, Pennsylvania and graduated from Lebanon Valley College in 1928. He was the son of American football player Charlie Gelbert, a College Football Hall of Fame end for the University of Pennsylvania who later had a brief professional football career with the early athletic clubs.
Gelbert began his professional career in 1926 with the minor league Syracuse Stars. He was acquired by the Cardinals from the Topeka Jayhawks of the Western Association in 1927, and made his Major League debut less than two years later.
Major League career
Gelbert was the Cardinals starting shortstop from 1929 to 1932, including the pennant-winning team of 1930 as well as the team that won the 1931 World Series. He finished 25th in voting for the 1931 National League MVP for playing in 131 games and having 447 at bats, 61 runs, 129 hits, 29 doubles, 5 triples, 1 home run, 62 RBI, 7 stolen bases, 54 walks, .289 batting average, .365 on-base percentage, .383 slugging percentage, 171 total bases and 4 sacrifice hits.
Gelbert's career was nearly ended when he severely injured his left ankle in a hunting accident, costing him two full seasons. He returned in 1935, but spent the rest of his career as a utility infielder.
In nine seasons, he played in 876 games and had 2,869 at bats, 398 runs, 766 hits, 169 doubles, 43 triples, 17 home runs, 350 RBI, 34 stolen bases, 290 walks, .267 batting average, .336 on-base percentage, .374 slugging percentage, 1,072 total bases and 49 sacrifice hits.
Later life
After his playing career, Gelbert served as the coach of the Lafayette College baseball team for 21 years, from 1946 to 1966. He also briefly served as manager of the Hornell Dodgers of the PONY League in 1956. He died in Easton, Pennsylvania at the age of 60.