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Gabby Hartnett

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Baseball Player

The Resume

    (December 20, 1900-December 20, 1972)
    Born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island
    Birth name was Charles Leo Hartnett
    Catcher for the Chicago Cubs (1922-40) and New York Giants (1941)
    Six-time All-Star (1933-38)
    National League MVP (1935)
    Managed the Chicago Cubs
    203 wins, 176 losses
    Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame (1955)

Why he might be annoying:

    Giants scout Jesse Burkett reportedly turned him down because his hands were too small for a Major Leaguer.
    Articles differ over whether he got the ‘Gabby’ nickname because he would talk your ear off or as an ironic commentary on his uncommunicativeness.
    He also got the nickname ‘Old Tomato Face’ thanks to a ruddy complexion. (At least no one is claiming it was an ironic comment on how pale he was.)
    Commissioner Kennesaw Mountain Landis criticized him for being photographed signing a baseball for Al Capone (1931).

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was behind the plate for several memorable moments, including Grover Cleveland Alexander’s 300th win, Babe Ruth’s ‘called shot’ in the 1932 World Series, and Carl Hubbell striking out five consecutive Hall of Famers in the 1934 All-Star Game.
    He also hit one of the most famous home runs, the ‘Homer in the Gloamin’’ in the bottom of the ninth inning to win a crucial game against the Pirates that would otherwise have been called due to darkness and replayed (September 28, 1939).
    When he retired, he held several career records (since broken) for catchers in both hitting (1912 hits, 236 home runs, 1179 RBIs) and fielding (163 double plays, 452 consecutive chances without an error).
    Hall of Fame manager Joe McCarthy called him ‘the perfect catcher.’
    After retiring from baseball, he ran a bowling alley and a sporting goods store.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 5 Votes: 20.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 9 Votes: 88.89% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 6 Votes: 16.67% Annoying