Johnny Gooch
| Johnny Gooch | |||
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| Catcher | |||
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Born: November 9, 1897 Smyrna, Tennessee |
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Died: May 15, 1975 (aged 77) Nashville, Tennessee |
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| MLB debut | |||
| September 9, 1921, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| September 12, 1933, for the Boston Red Sox | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .280 | ||
| Home runs | 7 | ||
| Runs batted in | 293 | ||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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John Beverley Gooch (November 9, 1897 – March 15, 1975) was an American professional baseball player, coach, minor league manager and scout. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from 1921 to 1933, most notably for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Born in Smyrna, Tennessee, Gooch began his professional baseball career in 1916 at the age of 18 with the Talladega Tigers of the Georgia–Alabama League. He didn't play professionally in 1917 or 1918 as he returned to help on the family farm after his oldest brother had died in a drowning accident and his second oldest brother had been called into military service during World War I. Gooch was also called into military service and was aboard a train heading to the service when news of the Armistice broke.
In 1918, Gooch tried out to play for the New Orleans Pelicans but didn't make the team. Despite this setback, the eager Gooch continued to show up for the team's practices. His eagerness to play finally convinced the Pelicans to sign him to a contract. He was sent to play in Cleveland and then to Mobile, where he was released. The Birmingham Barons then signed him after The Barons’ manager, Carlton Molesworth, remembered his dedication during one of his team's visits to play in Mobile. It was in Birmingham where Gooch first played with future Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, Pie Traynor, and the two men developed a lifelong friendship. In 1920, he posted a .288 batting average in 136 games for the Barons.
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