Randy Gumpert

From BR Bullpen

Randall Pennington Gumpert

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 3", Weight 205 lb.

• Debut June 13, 1936
• Final Game September 23, 1952
• Born January 23, 1918 in Monocacy, PA USA
• Died November 25, 2008 in Wyomissing, PA USA

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[edit] Biographical Information

Randy Gumpert's portfolio carries some significant information. Signed as amateur free agent by the Philadelphia Athletics before the 1936 season he had his major league debut on June 13, 1936, against the Chicago White Sox and beat the Sox on a two hitter. Also just 90 days later on September 13, he was the starter for the Athletics against 17 year old Bob Feller of the Indians, in a match-up of the youngest starting pitchers in major league history. It would tell you that the young 18 year old 6' 3" right-hander was going to pitch 17 years in professional baseball (1936-1955) and that his overall won-loss record would be 120-118 with a 3.95 ERA, while appearing in 543 contests. It would also bring to your attention that Gumpert lost three years (1943-45) of his career while serving in the United States Coast Guard during World War II, and there is a lot more.

Yet with all that, trivia buffs will tell you that he's the guy that gave up Mickey Mantle's first home run on May 1, 1951 at Comiskey Park in Chicago. It was a 450 foot shot into the Yankee bullpen.

Randy grew up on a seven-acre farm in Monocacy, Pennsylvania. His father wrote Connie Mack a letter in 1934 and told him that his son had some possibilities. Mack subsequently invited Gumpert to work out at Shibe Park and for the next two summers he pitched batting practice when the A's were in town. In retrospect he's not happy about how he was handled by the A's. "Mr. Mack should never have thrown me to the wolves," laughed Gumpert. "I wasn't a Bob Feller, a Mel Ott or a Ken Raffensberger."

Randy was released outright by the Athletics in July of 1939 and picked up by the Yankees organization. After his military service was over he had his finest season with the Yankees in 1946, going 11-3 with a 2.31 ERA. Randy would go 4-1 with a 5.43 ERA in '47 and after being 1-0 in 1948 he was placed on waivers and signed by the Chicago White Sox on July 25, 1948, after going 16-4 during his two plus seasons for the Pinstripes.

Gumpert won a career high 13 games for Jack Onslow's sixth place White Sox in 1949. He wound down his pitching days with the Red Sox and Senators in 1952 for a major league career record of 51-59 with a 4.17 ERA.

Not quite ready to quit yet, Randy, at the age of 35, stepped down a notch and finised out his pitching career in the AAA minors. He would go three more seasons finishing up with the Charleston Senators of the American Association in 1955, giving him a minor league career record of 69-59 with a 3.74 ERA.

In his post playing career, Gumpert managed the 1956 Bradford Yankees, 1956-1958 Kearney Yankees and the 1960 St. Petersburg Saints. He also served as a Yankees scout for 20 years and was a scouting supervisor for the Major League Scouting Bureau for several years. Gumpert died on November 28, 2008 at the age of 90, at the Highlands of Wyomissing, the retirement community where he resided in Wyomissing, PA.

[edit] Year-by-Year Managerial Record

[edit] Notable Achievements

• AL All-Star (1951)
• 200 Innings Pitched Seasons: 1 (1949)

[edit] Sources

Baseball Players of the 1950s
Major League Stats & History Baseball-Reference.com:page
Minor League Stats & History Baseball-Reference.com: page

[edit] Related Sites

Obituary from the Reading Eagle