Del Gainer

From BR Bullpen

Dellos Clinton Gainer (Sheriff)

Bats Right, Throws Right
Height 6' 0", Weight 180 lb.

Debut October 2, 1909
Final Game September 30, 1922
Born November 10, 1886 in Montrose, WV USA
Died January 29, 1947 in Elkins, WV USA

[edit] Biographical Information

Del Gainer was a first baseman during the dead-ball era. He was one of the few major league players to play with Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, and Rogers Hornsby. He played ten years in the majors, mostly with the Detroit Tigers of Ty Cobb and the Boston Red Sox of Babe Ruth. He finished out his career with the St. Louis Cardinals of Rogers Hornsby.

He broke in for two games in 1909, but did not appear in the 1909 World Series. In 1911, he hit .302 in the year that Ty Cobb hit .420. In 1913, he was the regular first baseman, hitting .267 on a team that hit .265. Cobb hit .390, Sam Crawford hit .317, and the third highest regular, Bobby Veach, hit .269.

He was selected off waivers in May 1914 by the Boston Red Sox, the year that Babe Ruth broke in during the month of July. The 1915 Boston Red Sox won the 1915 World Series, and Gainer hit .295 in 200 at-bats during the regular season. Other than Tris Speaker who hit .322, Gainer had the highest batting average of players who had at least 100 at-bats (Ruth hit .315 in 92 at-bats).

The Red Sox repeated as champs in the 1916 World Series. During the regular season, Gainer hit .254 in 142 at-bats on a team that hit .248. Dick Hoblitzel, the regular first baseman, hit .259 but with 0 home runs, while Gainer had 3. Ruth hit .272 with 3 home runs in 136 at-bats. Gainer pinch-hit a single in the 14th inning of Game 2 of the 1916 World Series that won the game for pitcher Babe Ruth.

The 1917 Red Sox dropped to 2nd place in the league, but Gainer hit .308, highest on the team except for Ruth who hit .325. Gainer and Ruth were the only two players to slug over .400, although both had less than 200 at-bats.

Gainer did not play in 1918, when Boston again won the World Series. In 1919 he returned, hitting .237. He did not play in 1920-21, but in 1922 he returned with the St. Louis Cardinals at age 35, hitting .268 on a team that hit .301. Rogers Hornsby hit .401 and every regular hit at least .292.