View source for Kid Gleason

{{Short description|American baseball player and manager (1866–1933)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{confuse|text=[[Bill Gleason|William "Bill" Gleason]], another baseball player who was a contemporary of Kid Gleason's during his playing days}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Kid Gleason
|image=Kid Gleason 1919.jpg
|width=220px
|caption=Gleason in 1919
|position=[[Second baseman]] / [[Pitcher]] / [[Manager (baseball)|Manager]]
|bats=Both
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{Birth date|1866|10|26}}
|birth_place=[[Camden, New Jersey]], U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|1933|1|2|1866|10|26}}
|death_place=[[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]], U.S.
|debutleague=MLB
|debutdate=April 20
|debutyear=1888
|debutteam=Philadelphia Quakers
|finalleague=MLB
|finaldate=August 27
|finalyear=1912
|finalteam=Chicago White Sox
|statleague=MLB
|stat1label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
|stat1value=.261
|stat2label=[[Home run]]s
|stat2value=15
|stat3label=[[Runs batted in]]
|stat3value=824
|stat4label=[[Win–loss record (pitching)|Win–loss record]]
|stat4value=138–131
|stat5label=[[Earned run average]]
|stat5value=3.79
|stat6label=[[Strikeout]]s
|stat6value=744
|teams=
;As player
* [[Philadelphia Phillies|Philadelphia Quakers / Phillies]] ({{mlby|1888}}–{{mlby|1891}})
* [[St. Louis Browns (NL)|St. Louis Browns]] ({{mlby|1892}}–{{mlby|1894}})
* [[Baltimore Orioles (19th century)|Baltimore Orioles]] ({{mlby|1894}}–{{mlby|1895}})
* [[New York Giants (NL)|New York Giants]] ({{mlby|1896}}–{{mlby|1900}})
* [[Detroit Tigers]] ({{mlby|1901}}–{{mlby|1902}})
* [[Philadelphia Phillies]] ({{mlby|1903}}–{{mlby|1908}})
* [[Chicago White Sox]] ({{mlby|1912}})
;As manager
* [[Chicago White Sox]] ({{mlby|1919}}–{{mlby|1923}})
;As coach
* [[Philadelphia Phillies]] ({{mlby|1908}}–{{mlby|1911}})
* [[Chicago White Sox]] ({{mlby|1912}}–{{mlby|1914}}, {{mlby|1916}}–{{mlby|1917}})
* [[History of the Philadelphia Athletics|Philadelphia Athletics]] ({{mlby|1924}}–{{mlby|1931}})
}}

'''William Jethro '''"'''Kid'''"''' Gleason''' (October 26, 1866 – January 2, 1933) was an American [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) player and [[Manager (baseball)|manager]]. Gleason managed the [[Chicago White Sox]] from 1919 through 1923. His first season as a big league manager was notable for his team's appearance in the [[World Series]] and the ensuing [[Black Sox Scandal]], although Gleason does not appear to have been involved in the scandal. After leaving the White Sox, Gleason was on the [[Coach (baseball)|coaching]] staff for the [[Philadelphia Athletics]], until 1931.

==Early life==
Gleason was born in [[Camden, New Jersey]]. He acquired the nickname "Kid" early in life, not only because of his short stature (growing to only 5-foot-7, 155 pounds)<ref name=sabrbio>{{sabrbio|632ed912|Dan Lindner|13 December 2012}}</ref> but also because of his quite energetic, youthful nature. His family later moved to the [[Pocono Mountains]] in northeast Pennsylvania, where his father worked as a coal miner.<ref name=sabrbio />

==Playing career==
[[File:Kid Gleason.jpg|thumb|left|Gleason in 1888]]

Gleason played two seasons in the minor leagues of northern Pennsylvania. In 1886, with [[Williamsport, Pennsylvania|Williamsport]] of the Pennsylvania State League, he batted .355 and stole 20 bases in 36 games.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Kofoed|first=J.C.|title=A Twenty-Five Year Record|journal=Baseball Magazine|date=April 19, 1916|issue=6}}</ref> Gleason debuted as a [[pitcher]] with the [[Philadelphia Phillies|Philadelphia Quakers]] on April 20, 1888, after impressing Hall of Fame manager [[Harry Wright]] during an exhibition game against the [[University of Pennsylvania]].<ref name=sabrbio /> After enjoying mixed success as a pitcher in 1888 and 1889, Gleason opted to stay in the National League under Wright instead of moving to the [[Players' League]] set up in 1890.<ref name=sabrbio /> His 1890 season was his best as a pitcher, with 38 wins, a 2.63 ERA, 54 complete games, and 506 innings pitched.<ref name=sabrbio /><ref name="bref">{{cite web |title=Kid Gleason Stats |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gleaski01.shtml |publisher=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=2 July 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

Gleason was sold to the [[History of the St. Louis Cardinals (1875–1919)#Early National League reboot (1892–1919)|St. Louis Browns]] for the 1892 season, where he played for two and a half seasons as a starting pitcher and reserve fielder. With St. Louis, he made appearances as an outfielder, first baseman, second baseman, and shortstop, and hit .235.<ref name=sabrbio />

After being shipped to the [[Baltimore Orioles (19th century)|Baltimore Orioles]] partway through the 1894 season, Gleason pitched effectively in 20 starts and also batted .349, helping Baltimore to a National League pennant.<ref name=sabrbio /> Early in the 1895 season, manager [[Ned Hanlon (baseball)|Ned Hanlon]] moved Gleason to second base full time, where he hit well but fielded poorly that year. Baltimore repeated as NL champions, but Hanlon traded Gleason in the offseason to the [[New York Giants (baseball)|New York Giants]].<ref name=sabrbio />

In New York, Gleason played five seasons as the regular second baseman, hitting a respectable .271 overall but with little power.<ref name="bref" /> He served as a [[captain (baseball)|team captain]], and in that capacity may have invented the [[intentional walk]] during an 1897 game by advising his pitcher to walk a strong hitter to face a weaker one.<ref name=sabrbio /> Gleason also earned local fame on April 26, 1900, for helping New York firemen rescue residents from an apartment fire.<ref name=sabrbio />

Gleason joined the new [[American League]] in 1901, starting at second base for two years with the [[Detroit Tigers]].<ref name="bref" /> From 1903 to 1908, he returned to Philadelphia and hit .250 over the period; he led the NL in [[sacrifice bunt]]s in 1904 and 1905.<ref name="bref" />

Gleason compiled a .261 career [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]]. He retired as a player after the 1908 season at the age of 42, having appeared as a player in just two games for the [[Philadelphia Phillies|Phillies]] that year. However, four years later, Gleason would make an unlikely return to the big leagues as a player, with his two at-bats in one game at [[Second baseman|second base]] for the White Sox in 1912 making Gleason one of only 29 MLB players to have played in four different decades.

Gleason led the league in [[putout]]s and [[assist (baseball)|assist]]s three times each, though he also led in [[error (baseball)|error]]s four times. He ranks seventh all-time in errors as a second baseman.<ref name="bref" />

==Coaching career==
Gleason began his coaching career in 1908 with the Phillies as a player-coach. The Phillies unconditionally released Gleason on April 12, 1910, prior to Opening Day. At the time, the ''Philadelphia Inquirer'' called Gleason "one of the most popular players who ever donned a Philadelphia uniform."<ref>{{cite news |last= |first= |date=April 13, 1910 |title=Who's Champion Still in Doubt|url= |work=Philadelphia Inquirer|location=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|page=10}}</ref>

After sitting out 1910 and 1911, Gleason joined the [[Chicago White Sox]] in 1912, where he made one appearance as a player and became a coach under manager [[Nixey Callahan|Jimmy Callahan]].<ref name=sabrbio />

Gleason became manager of the White Sox on December 31, 1918, following the dismissal of [[Pants Rowland]]. In his first season, the team won the pennant but lost the [[1919 World Series|World Series]] to the [[Cincinnati Reds]], resulting in allegations the White Sox had been paid by gamblers to "[[Match fixing|throw]]" the Series. The ensuing [[Black Sox Scandal|scandal]] resulted in lifetime bans from baseball for eight White Sox players. Gleason, however, was not involved in the gambling, and some sources noted he was among those who alerted White Sox owner [[Charles Comiskey]] of the fix. Although he felt betrayed and disappointed by his 1919 team, he continued to manage the White Sox through the 1923 season.

After leaving in 1923, Gleason went on in 1926 to coach under manager [[Connie Mack]] with the [[Philadelphia Athletics]] until retiring after the 1931 season.<ref name=sabrbio /> As a coach, Gleason won two [[World Series]] championships with the Athletics, in [[1929 World Series|1929]] and [[1930 World Series|1930]].

==Death==
Gleason died due to a heart ailment in 1933, at the age of 66, in [[Philadelphia]]. His funeral was attended by an estimated 5,000 people, including baseball luminaries such as Commissioner [[Kenesaw Mountain Landis]] and Hall of Fame manager [[John McGraw]]. He is buried in Philadelphia's [[Northwood Cemetery]].<ref name=sabrbio />

==In popular culture==
Gleason has been referenced in pop culture in several books, and is a prominent supporting character in [[Ring Lardner]]'s 1916 novel ''[[You Know Me Al]]''. He is portrayed by actor [[John Mahoney]] in the 1988 film ''[[Eight Men Out]]'', based on [[Eliot Asinof]]'s book of the same name.

==Managerial record==
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"|Team !! rowspan="2"|Year !! colspan="5"|Regular season !! colspan="4"|Postseason
|-
!Games!!Won!!Lost!!Win %!!Finish!! Won !! Lost !! Win % !! Result
|-
|-style="background:#fdd"
![[1919 Chicago White Sox season|CWS]]|| {{mlby|1919}}
||140||{{WinLossPct|88|52}}|| '''1st in AL''' || {{WinLossPct|3|5}} || Lost [[1919 World Series|World Series]] ([[1919 Cincinnati Reds season|CIN]])
|-
![[1920 Chicago White Sox season|CWS]]|| {{mlby|1920}}
||154||{{WinLossPct|96|58}}|| 2nd in AL || – || – || – || –
|-
![[1921 Chicago White Sox season|CWS]]|| {{mlby|1921}}
||154||{{WinLossPct|62|92}}|| 7th in AL || – || – || – || –
|-
![[1922 Chicago White Sox season|CWS]]|| {{mlby|1922}}
||154||{{WinLossPct|77|77}}|| 5th in AL || – || – || – || –
|-
![[1923 Chicago White Sox season|CWS]]|| {{mlby|1923}}
||154||{{WinLossPct|69|85}}|| 7th in AL || – || – || – || –
|-
! colspan="2"|Total ||756||{{WinLossPct|392|364}}|| || {{WinLossPct|3|5}} ||
|}

==See also==
{{Portal|Baseball}}
*[[List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders]]
*[[List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders]]
*[[List of Major League Baseball annual saves leaders]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{baseballstats|mlb=114858|espn=22107|br=g/gleaski01|fangraphs=1004770|brm=gleaso002wil|retro=G/Pgleak101}}
{{baseball-reference manager|gleaski01}}
*{{findagrave}}

{{1894 Baltimore Orioles}}
{{1895 Baltimore Orioles}}
{{Philadelphia Phillies ODS}}
{{Philadelphia Phillies}}
{{St. Louis Cardinals Opening Day starting pitchers}}
{{Chicago White Sox managers}}
{{Black Sox Scandal}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gleason, Kid}}
[[Category:1866 births]]
[[Category:1933 deaths]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball second basemen]]
[[Category:Philadelphia Quakers players]]
[[Category:Philadelphia Phillies players]]
[[Category:St. Louis Browns (NL) players]]
[[Category:New York Giants (baseball) players]]
[[Category:Detroit Tigers players]]
[[Category:Chicago White Sox coaches]]
[[Category:Chicago White Sox managers]]
[[Category:Philadelphia Athletics coaches]]
[[Category:Minor league baseball managers]]
[[Category:Williamsport Lumber Citys players]]
[[Category:Scranton Miners players]]
[[Category:Memphis Egyptians players]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Camden, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Burials at Northwood Cemetery, Philadelphia]]