Ivey Wingo
From BR Bullpen
Ivey Brown Wingo
- Bats Left, Throws Right
- Height 5' 10", Weight 160 lb.
- Debut April 20, 1911
- Final Game October 6, 1929
- Born July 8, 1890 in Gainesville, GA USA
- Died March 1, 1941 in Waycross, GA USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Catcher Ivey Wingo had a long career in the majors, playing 17 seasons. Most of his time was spent with the Cincinnati Reds and he hit .571 in the 1919 World Series with them.
Wingo was born in Gainesville, GA, northeast of Atlanta (although other sources say he was born in Norcross, GA, where he at least partly grew up). At age 18 he played in the Carolina Association, and he made his major league debut before he turned 21.
Ivey spent 1911-14 with the St. Louis Cardinals, reaching a peak with the bat in 1914 when he hit exactly .300. In spite of that, he was traded to the 1915 Reds and spent the rest of his major league career with the Reds.
Wingo was a fixture at catcher with the Reds from 1915-25, and after that while a coach, he made a few brief appearances in the field. He appeared in four games of the 1919 World Series, batting eighth in the lineup each time.
He is listed as a manager for the 1916 Reds because he managed two games in between the tenures of Buck Herzog and Christy Mathewson, who managed the rest of the season. He also managed in 1927 at Columbus.
After his playing career ended, Wingo spent several seasons as a Cincinnati Reds coach.
His brother Al "Red" Wingo also played several years of major league ball.
The SABR biography of Wingo says that most accounts call him "Ivy" rather than "Ivey". When he retired from major league baseball, he held the record for most games caught by a catcher. His minor league career ended in 1930 when he played and also coached some at Atlanta. As a catcher, he was considered to have a very strong arm.
[edit] Notable Achievement
- Won a World Series with the Cincinnati Reds in 1919
