Gary Geiger
Encyclopedia
Gary Merle Geiger was a major league outfielder for the Cleveland Indians
, Boston Red Sox
, Atlanta Braves
, and Houston Astros
from (1958 - 1970). He was born in Sand Ridge, Illinois
. His offseason home while a major leaguer was Murphysboro, Illinois
. His wife Lyn's parents were St. Louis, Missouri
residents.
. His came in 1961. The others to accomplish the feat are Don Lenhardt (1952) and Mike Greenwell
(September 1, 1990).
Geiger was signed as an amateur free agent
by the St. Louis Cardinals
in 1954. Cleveland chose him as a pitcher from the Rochester Red Wings
on December 2, 1957. He was 6'0" with a playing weight of 168 pounds. He liked to maintain a weight of between 171 and 175 pounds, but was often unable to maintain this ideal. He dropped below 135 pounds following an ulcer operation. Geiger was a left-handed batter who threw with his right hand. In July 1958 Geiger was beaned accidentally by Camilo Pascual
of the Washington Senators
.
from the Red Sox for Geiger and Vic Wertz
. No money was involved. Geiger batted .231 as a Cleveland rookie in 1958. He was 21 and played 91 games his first year.
In March 1959 Geiger had a collision with teammate Don Buddin
while chasing a foul ball in left field, in Scottsdale, Arizona
. Geiger was knocked unconscious and was bruised severely. He played left field in 1959.
On July 29, 1960 he was operated on for a collapsed lung
at Santa Maria Hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts
. He was advised to rest fully afterwards. Doctors said Geiger would miss the remainder of the season.
Geiger made a game saving catch in a Palm Springs, California
exhibition game the Red Sox won from the Los Angeles Angels, in March 1961. He gloved a Julio Bécquer
drive in deep right center field to rob the batter of a sure double in an 8-7 Boston win. Earlier in the game Geiger collected three hits and scored three runs.
On April 17, 1961 Geiger homered into the Fenway Park right field bullpen in the 7th inning of a Boston 3-2 win over the Angels. The blow by the center fielder, who batted 2nd, proved to be the winning margin.
Geiger dropped a fly ball with two outs in the 9th inning of a 5-4 Red Sox loss to the Baltimore Orioles
, on May 27. Brooks Robinson
hit a ball which should have been an easy catch. Geiger bobbled it when he and two other Red Sox players tried to glove it. The error was the first by Boston in ten games. Geiger accounted for a Red Sox run in the 5th by doubling and coming to the plate on a single by Wertz.
Geiger broke up what might have been a 2nd consecutive shutout by 18-year-old, $125,000 bonus pitcher, Lew Krausse, Jr., on June 23. He hit a three-run home run in the 7th inning after a walk to Pete Runnels
and an error of a sacrifice bunt by Chuck Schilling. Krausse had pitched the Kansas City Athletics
to a 4-0 victory over the Angels in his major league debut, the previous week.
Geiger and Jackie Jensen
launched home runs in the late innings of a 9-4 Red Sox win over the Washington Senators
,
on August 23. In the second game of a doubleheader
, Geiger pinch hit for Carroll Hardy
, connecting for a triple off Cal McLish
. He scored Pumpsie Green
to earn Boston a split with the Chicago White Sox
.
In November 1961 it was reported that Geiger, Schilling, and pitcher Bill Monbouquette
were likely to be lost to Boston to serve in the military. Geiger's 18 home runs led the Red Sox team in 1961. Jim Pagliaroni was 2nd with 16.
Geiger crashed directly into the center field wall at Fenway Park
attempting to catch a Tito Francona
drive. The Indians triumphed in 13 innings on June 9, 1962. He ventured back on the dirt track and looked like he was going to pull the ball down. Suddenly he made a leap for it and impacted against the barrier. He missed the ball which caromed back onto the field. Geiger's feet hit the ground and he clapped his arm to his head. Then he sank slowly to his knees and lay flat on the ground. He was removed on a stretcher and taken to a hospital.
Geiger and Eddie Bressoud
hit 8th inning home runs against the Detroit Tigers
in a 6-5 Boston win at Tiger Stadium on May 27, 1963.
Geiger underwent surgery for a bleeding ulcer at St. Luke's Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri
, on February 24, 1964. He was stricken en route to training camp. Doctors advised him to remain in the hospital for 7–10 days before continuing spring training
in Arizona
. He was placed on the voluntary retired list at his own request on May 13, 1964. He was expected to be sidelined for at least 40 days. He ended up taking the rest of 1964 off because of general fatigue, a lack of stamina, and an underweight and weakened constitution.
Geiger sustained a triple fracture of his left hand while diving for a Tom McCraw double in the 8th inning of a June 8, 1965 game won by the White Sox, 7-3. He raced in from deep center field and dove for the shallow fly ball. He was sold by Boston in October 1965, along with seven other players, to the Toronto Maple Leafs International League
team, a Red Sox affiliate.
, and Gene Oliver
were players mentioned as possibly being offered by the club to other teams. The Braves moved into 3rd place in the National League
standings on July 28, 1967. Filling in for an injured Mack Jones
, he was a whiz in center field. He made a fine catch in the 6th inning to help the Braves out of a bases loaded jam. In the 7th inning Geiger caught a fly while backed up to the fence.
Geiger batted 8th for the Houston Astros in 1969. He played left field and right field. As a pinch hitter
he drove in three runs to help the Astros to a 7th consecutive win on June 23.
On June 26, 1970 Geiger was purchased by the Astros from the Oklahoma City 89ers (Oklahoma Redhawks
) of the American Association (20th Century)
.
on December 7, 1971.
Geiger had a pronounced fear of flying. He made every trip taken by the teams he played with, but with reluctance.
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
, Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
, and Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
from (1958 - 1970). He was born in Sand Ridge, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. His offseason home while a major leaguer was Murphysboro, Illinois
Murphysboro, Illinois
Murphysboro is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County, Illinois, United States. The population was 7,970 at the 2010 census. The city is part of the Metro Lakeland area.-Geography:Murphysboro is located at ....
. His wife Lyn's parents were St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
residents.
Career statistics
His career batting average was .246, with 77 home runs and 283 runs batted in. He was a weak hitter when facing left-handed pitching. His fielding percentage is .985, having committed 24 errors overall. He was a fast runner, being timed at 3.5 seconds from home plate to first on a bunt. Geiger ranked 8th in stolen bases in 1959 and 1961 - 1962. His total steals were 9, 16, and 18, in those years. He placed 2nd in 1962, having been caught stealing 11 times. Geiger is one of three Boston players to hit an inside-the-park grand slam home run at Fenway ParkFenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
. His came in 1961. The others to accomplish the feat are Don Lenhardt (1952) and Mike Greenwell
Mike Greenwell
Michael Lewis Greenwell is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball who played his entire MLB career with the Boston Red Sox . He briefly played a few games for the Hanshin Tigers in Japan , before retiring. Greenwell was nicknamed "The Gator." He batted left-handed and threw right-handed...
(September 1, 1990).
Geiger was signed as an amateur free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
by the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
in 1954. Cleveland chose him as a pitcher from the Rochester Red Wings
Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a minor league baseball team based in Rochester, New York. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major-league club. The Red Wings play in Frontier Field, located in downtown Rochester.The Red Wings were an...
on December 2, 1957. He was 6'0" with a playing weight of 168 pounds. He liked to maintain a weight of between 171 and 175 pounds, but was often unable to maintain this ideal. He dropped below 135 pounds following an ulcer operation. Geiger was a left-handed batter who threw with his right hand. In July 1958 Geiger was beaned accidentally by Camilo Pascual
Camilo Pascual
Camilo Alberto Pascual is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During an 18-year baseball career , he played for the Washington Senators , the second Washington Senators franchise, Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Cleveland Indians...
of the Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
.
Boston Red Sox (1959 - 1965)
On December 2, 1958 the Indians received Jimmy PiersallJimmy Piersall
James Anthony Piersall is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball. Between 1950 and 1967, he played for the Boston Red Sox , Cleveland Indians , Washington Senators , New York Mets , and Los Angeles/California Angels .While he had a fairly good professional career as a center...
from the Red Sox for Geiger and Vic Wertz
Vic Wertz
Victor Woodrow Wertz was a Major League Baseball first baseman and outfielder. He had a seventeen year career from 1947 to 1963. He was signed as a free agent by the Detroit Tigers in 1942 and played for the Tigers, St...
. No money was involved. Geiger batted .231 as a Cleveland rookie in 1958. He was 21 and played 91 games his first year.
In March 1959 Geiger had a collision with teammate Don Buddin
Don Buddin
Donald Thomas Buddin was an American professional baseball shortstop. He played all or part of six seasons in Major League Baseball for the Boston Red Sox , Houston Colt .45s and Detroit Tigers . Listed at 5' 11" , 178 lb. , Buddin batted and threw right-handed...
while chasing a foul ball in left field, in Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...
. Geiger was knocked unconscious and was bruised severely. He played left field in 1959.
On July 29, 1960 he was operated on for a collapsed lung
Pneumothorax
Pneumothorax is a collection of air or gas in the pleural cavity of the chest between the lung and the chest wall. It may occur spontaneously in people without chronic lung conditions as well as in those with lung disease , and many pneumothoraces occur after physical trauma to the chest, blast...
at Santa Maria Hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
. He was advised to rest fully afterwards. Doctors said Geiger would miss the remainder of the season.
Geiger made a game saving catch in a Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...
exhibition game the Red Sox won from the Los Angeles Angels, in March 1961. He gloved a Julio Bécquer
Julio Bécquer
Julio Bécquer Villegas is a retired professional baseball player who played 7 seasons for the Washington Senators, Los Angeles Angels, and Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball...
drive in deep right center field to rob the batter of a sure double in an 8-7 Boston win. Earlier in the game Geiger collected three hits and scored three runs.
On April 17, 1961 Geiger homered into the Fenway Park right field bullpen in the 7th inning of a Boston 3-2 win over the Angels. The blow by the center fielder, who batted 2nd, proved to be the winning margin.
Geiger dropped a fly ball with two outs in the 9th inning of a 5-4 Red Sox loss to the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
, on May 27. Brooks Robinson
Brooks Robinson
Brooks Calbert Robinson, Jr. is a former American professional baseball player. He played his entire 23-year major league career for the Baltimore Orioles . Nicknamed "The Human Vacuum Cleaner", he is generally acclaimed as the greatest defensive third-basemen in major league history...
hit a ball which should have been an easy catch. Geiger bobbled it when he and two other Red Sox players tried to glove it. The error was the first by Boston in ten games. Geiger accounted for a Red Sox run in the 5th by doubling and coming to the plate on a single by Wertz.
Geiger broke up what might have been a 2nd consecutive shutout by 18-year-old, $125,000 bonus pitcher, Lew Krausse, Jr., on June 23. He hit a three-run home run in the 7th inning after a walk to Pete Runnels
Pete Runnels
James Edward "Pete" Runnels was a Major League Baseball infielder who played for the Washington Senators , Boston Red Sox and Houston Colt .45s . He batted left-handed and threw right-handed....
and an error of a sacrifice bunt by Chuck Schilling. Krausse had pitched the Kansas City Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
to a 4-0 victory over the Angels in his major league debut, the previous week.
Geiger and Jackie Jensen
Jackie Jensen
Jack Eugene Jensen was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball who played for three American League teams from 1950 to 1961, most notably the Boston Red Sox...
launched home runs in the late innings of a 9-4 Red Sox win over the Washington Senators
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
,
on August 23. In the second game of a doubleheader
Doubleheader (baseball)
A doubleheader is a set of two baseball games played between the same two teams on the same day in front of the same crowd. In addition, the term is often used unofficially to refer to a pair of games played by a team in a single day, but in front of different crowds and not in immediate...
, Geiger pinch hit for Carroll Hardy
Carroll Hardy
Carroll William Hardy is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Cleveland Indians , Boston Red Sox , Houston Colt .45s and Minnesota Twins...
, connecting for a triple off Cal McLish
Cal McLish
Calvin Coolidge Julius Caesar Tuskahoma McLish was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers , Pittsburgh Pirates , Chicago Cubs , Cleveland Indians , Cincinnati Reds , Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies...
. He scored Pumpsie Green
Pumpsie Green
Elijah Jerry "Pumpsie" Green is a former Major League Baseball backup infielder who played with the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets . He was a switch-hitter who threw right-handed....
to earn Boston a split with the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
.
In November 1961 it was reported that Geiger, Schilling, and pitcher Bill Monbouquette
Bill Monbouquette
William Charles Monbouquette is an American former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher...
were likely to be lost to Boston to serve in the military. Geiger's 18 home runs led the Red Sox team in 1961. Jim Pagliaroni was 2nd with 16.
Geiger crashed directly into the center field wall at Fenway Park
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
attempting to catch a Tito Francona
Tito Francona
John Patsy "Tito" Francona is a former outfielder/first baseman in professional baseball. He is the father of former Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona.-Career:...
drive. The Indians triumphed in 13 innings on June 9, 1962. He ventured back on the dirt track and looked like he was going to pull the ball down. Suddenly he made a leap for it and impacted against the barrier. He missed the ball which caromed back onto the field. Geiger's feet hit the ground and he clapped his arm to his head. Then he sank slowly to his knees and lay flat on the ground. He was removed on a stretcher and taken to a hospital.
Geiger and Eddie Bressoud
Eddie Bressoud
Edward Francis Bressoud is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played from through for the New York & San Francisco Giants , Boston Red Sox , New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals...
hit 8th inning home runs against the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
in a 6-5 Boston win at Tiger Stadium on May 27, 1963.
Geiger underwent surgery for a bleeding ulcer at St. Luke's Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, on February 24, 1964. He was stricken en route to training camp. Doctors advised him to remain in the hospital for 7–10 days before continuing spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. He was placed on the voluntary retired list at his own request on May 13, 1964. He was expected to be sidelined for at least 40 days. He ended up taking the rest of 1964 off because of general fatigue, a lack of stamina, and an underweight and weakened constitution.
Geiger sustained a triple fracture of his left hand while diving for a Tom McCraw double in the 8th inning of a June 8, 1965 game won by the White Sox, 7-3. He raced in from deep center field and dove for the shallow fly ball. He was sold by Boston in October 1965, along with seven other players, to the Toronto Maple Leafs International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
team, a Red Sox affiliate.
Atlanta Braves (1966 - 1967), Houston Astros (1969 - 1970)
In May 1966 it was reported that the Braves were desperate for pitchers. Geiger, Rico CartyRico Carty
Ricardo Adolfo Jacobo Carty is a former professional baseball player. Nicknamed Beeg Boy, he played mostly as an outfielder in Major League Baseball from to...
, and Gene Oliver
Gene Oliver
Eugene George Oliver was an American catcher and first baseman in Major League Baseball. From through , Oliver played for the St. Louis Cardinals , Milwaukee & Atlanta Braves , Philadelphia Phillies , Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs...
were players mentioned as possibly being offered by the club to other teams. The Braves moved into 3rd place in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
standings on July 28, 1967. Filling in for an injured Mack Jones
Mack Jones
Mack F. Jones , nicknamed "Mack The Knife", was a Major League Baseball left fielder who played for the Milwaukee & Atlanta Braves , Cincinnati Reds and Montreal Expos . He batted left-handed and threw right-handed.A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Jones was signed by the Milwaukee Braves as a...
, he was a whiz in center field. He made a fine catch in the 6th inning to help the Braves out of a bases loaded jam. In the 7th inning Geiger caught a fly while backed up to the fence.
Geiger batted 8th for the Houston Astros in 1969. He played left field and right field. As a pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
he drove in three runs to help the Astros to a 7th consecutive win on June 23.
On June 26, 1970 Geiger was purchased by the Astros from the Oklahoma City 89ers (Oklahoma Redhawks
Oklahoma RedHawks
The Oklahoma City RedHawks are a minor league baseball team based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros...
) of the American Association (20th Century)
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
.
Manager
The Cardinals named Geiger to manage the Cedar Rapids Cardinals of the Midwest LeagueMidwest League
The Midwest League is a Class-A minor league baseball league which operates in the Midwestern United States.-History:Six teams – the Belleville Stags, the Centralia Cubs, the Marion Indians, the Mattoon Indians or East Frankfort White Sox, the Mount Vernon Braves, and the West Frankfort...
on December 7, 1971.
Personal life
Geiger wore false teeth his own were too soft to take fillings. By the age of 22 he had had them all pulled and a new set put in.Geiger had a pronounced fear of flying. He made every trip taken by the teams he played with, but with reluctance.