Buddy Gilbert

From BR Bullpen

Drew Edward Gilbert

Bats Left, Throws Right
Height 6' 3", Weight 195 lb.
School University of Tennessee
Debut September 9, 1959
Final Game September 27, 1959
Born July 26, 1935 in Knoxville, TN USA

[edit] Biographical Information

As a youngster growing up in Knoxville, TN, Buddy Gilbert was the bat boy for his hometown professional team in the Tri-State League. In 1959 he was a big league outfielder for a short stay of seven games with the Cincinnati Reds picking up three base hits in 20 at-bats for a .150 batting average. Two of the hits were home runs and he recalls that both came against the Pittsburg Pirates off Dick Hall and Jim Umbricht.

He also remembered a throwing contest against the great Roberto Clemente in which he was declared the winner in both distance and accurancy, and that afterwords Clemente told him "Kid, you have a hell of an arm."

According to Curt Flood's autobiography, while playing in the minor leagues in the Jim Crow South, Gilbert would often bring meals to teammates Flood and Leo Cardenas on the team bus so they didn't have to go to the back door of restaurants to be served.

Buddy had been signed by the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur free agent before the 1954 season and the 6'3" outfielder played his first year in pro ball with the class D Douglas Trojans of the Georgia State League where he had a league leading 173 base hits (including 16 home runs) and a .335 batting average with a .533 slug. The 18 year old was also named to the All-Star team.

In 1955 the former bat boy was with the class C Ogden Reds of the Pioneer League where he hit an even .300 amd also busted 15 homers and again made the All-Star team. Buddy would be with the class A Savannah Redlegs in 1956 and '57, hitting 13 homers and batting .265 the first year and hitting 19 homers with a .271 average in 1957, also making the All-Star team.

1958 and '59 would find him on the AA Nashville Volunteers roster where he hit 27 homers for the Vols in '58 and again make the All-Star squad. Along with his short 7 game stop with the Cincinnati Reds he would pick up 142 base hits (including 24 home runs) and hit at a .282 clip for the Vols in the 1959 season.

Gilbert would spend 1960 and '61 with the Seattle Rainiers, Indianapolis Indians and finish out his eight year pro baseball career with the Nashville Vols in 1961. His numbers had tapered off and the 25 year old outfielder decided to return to school at the University of Tennessee. From 1954 to 1961 Buddy appeared in 958 minor league contests, going to bat 3,692 times with 1,002 base hits (including 141 home runs) for a career .271 average with a .464 slug.

After baseball and school Buddy became a loan officer for the Guarantee Mortgage Company from 1964 to 1983, and for the last several years has been the owner and president of Eagle Realty Corporation in Knoxville, TN, involved in the selling of residential homes, shopping centers and business offices.