Gus Niarhos
Encyclopedia
Constantine Gregory "Gus" Niarhos (December 6, 1920 — December 29, 2004) was an American
professional
baseball
player. He played in Major League Baseball
as a catcher
for the New York Yankees
(1946, 1948–1950), Chicago White Sox
(1950–1951), Boston Red Sox
(1952–53) and Philadelphia Phillies
(1954–55). Niarhos batted and threw right-handed, stood 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and weighed 160 pounds (72.6 kg).
, Niarhos signed a contract with the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent
in . He began his baseball career with the Akron Yankees at the age of 20. Niarhos posted a .306 batting average
in 112 games, to help Akron win the 1941 Middle Atlantic League
pennant
. In he moved up to the Binghamton Triplets
of the Eastern League
where hit hit for a .278 average. Niarhos joined the United States Navy in and, was stationed at Quonset Point Naval Air Station in Rhode Island.
After the Second World War ended, Niarhos returned to the Yankees organisation in , playing for Kansas City Blues
of the American Association
. He made his major league debut with the Yankees on June 9, 1946
at the age of 25. Niarhos returned to the minor leagues
in where he hit for a .321 batting average in 93 games for Kansas City, prompting Blues manager Billy Meyer
to describe him as, "the best catcher in the organisation." This was high praise in an organisation that included future catching standouts such as Yogi Berra
, Sherm Lollar
and Aaron Robinson
.
Niarhos returned to the major leagues in 1948
, where he caught the majority of the Yankees games while Berra split time between playing the outfield
and catching. In his first full season with the Yankees, Niarhos led the team with a .404 on base percentage
and had a respectable .990 fielding percentage
. On September 26, he suffered a fractured bone in his right hand which ended his season. Niarhos began the 1949
season as the Yankees starting catcher however, by the end of the year, Berra had taken over the job as, the Yankees went on to win the American League
pennant. In what would be the only post-season appearance of his career, Niarhos played in only one game of the 1949 World Series
as a late-inning defensive replacement.
On June 27, 1950
, the Chicago White Sox claimed Niarhos for the waiver price of $10,000. He had a .324 batting average with a .408 on base percentage in 41 games with the White Sox. He served as a reserve catcher behind Phil Masi
in the 1951
season before being traded to the St. Louis Browns for Sherm Lollar at the end of the year. One day later, the Browns traded him to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for catcher Les Moss
. He spent two seasons as a reserve catcher for the Red Sox before ending his major league playing career with the Philadelphia Phillies. He was released after the 1955
season, having appeared in only 10 games over two seasons with the Phillies. Niarhos played for three more seasons in the minor leagues before retiring as a player in at the age of 37.
, accumulating 174 hits
in 691 at bats for a .252 career batting average along with 1 home run
and 59 runs batted in. He ended his career with a .988 fielding percentage.
for the Kansas City Athletics
from 1962
to 1964
. Afterwards, he became a minor league manager
, leading the Burlington Bees
to the Midwest League
championship and, then led the Modesto Reds
to the California League
championship. As a manager in the Athletics minor league system, he coached future stars such as Reggie Jackson
, Vida Blue
, Rollie Fingers
, Tony La Russa
, Gene Tenace
and Catfish Hunter
. He later returned to his hometown of Birmingham to manage the Birmingham A's
.
Niarhos died in Harrisonburg, Virginia
at the age of 84.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player. He played in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
as a catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
for the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
(1946, 1948–1950), 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...
(1950–1951), 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"...
(1952–53) and Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
(1954–55). Niarhos batted and threw right-handed, stood 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and weighed 160 pounds (72.6 kg).
Baseball playing career
A native of Birmingham, AlabamaBirmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, Niarhos signed a contract with the New York Yankees 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....
in . He began his baseball career with the Akron Yankees at the age of 20. Niarhos posted a .306 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
in 112 games, to help Akron win the 1941 Middle Atlantic League
Middle Atlantic League
The Middle Atlantic League was a lower-level circuit in American minor league baseball that played during the second quarter of the 20th century.-History:...
pennant
Pennant (sports)
A pennant is a commemorative flag typically used to show support for a particular athletic team. Pennants have been historically used in all types of athletic levels: high school, collegiate, professional etc. Traditionally, pennants were made of felt and fashioned in the official colors of a...
. In he moved up to the Binghamton Triplets
Binghamton Triplets
The Binghamton Triplets were a minor league baseball team in Binghamton, New York, affiliated with the New York Yankees ; the team also had brief affiliations with the Kansas City Athletics and the Milwaukee Braves...
of the Eastern League
Eastern League
Eastern League may refer to:*Eastern League , a professional baseball minor league in the United States*International League, a baseball minor league known as the Eastern League from 1884 to 1912...
where hit hit for a .278 average. Niarhos joined the United States Navy in and, was stationed at Quonset Point Naval Air Station in Rhode Island.
After the Second World War ended, Niarhos returned to the Yankees organisation in , playing for Kansas City Blues
Kansas City Blues (American Association)
The Kansas City Blues are a former minor league baseball team located in Kansas City, Missouri, in the Midwestern United States. The team was one of the eight founding members of the American Association....
of the American Association
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...
. He made his major league debut with the Yankees on June 9, 1946
1946 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the team's 44th season in New York, and its 46th overall. The team finished with a record of 87-67, finishing 17 games behind of the Boston Red Sox. New York was managed by Joe McCarthy, Bill Dickey, and Johnny Neun...
at the age of 25. Niarhos returned to the minor leagues
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
in where he hit for a .321 batting average in 93 games for Kansas City, prompting Blues manager Billy Meyer
Billy Meyer
William Adam Meyer was an American baseball player and manager. He holds the dubious distinction as having played for, and managed, two of the worst teams in the history of Major League Baseball....
to describe him as, "the best catcher in the organisation." This was high praise in an organisation that included future catching standouts such as Yogi Berra
Yogi Berra
Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra is a former American Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager. He played almost his entire 19-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
, Sherm Lollar
Sherm Lollar
John Sherman Lollar was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Cleveland Indians , New York Yankees , St. Louis Browns , and the Chicago White Sox...
and Aaron Robinson
Aaron Robinson
Aaron Andrew Robinson , was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from to for the Chicago White Sox, the Detroit Tigers, the New York Yankees, and the Boston Red Sox...
.
Niarhos returned to the major leagues in 1948
1948 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the team's 46th season in New York and its 48th overall. The team finished with a record of 94-60, finishing 2.5 games behind the Cleveland Indians and 1.5 games behind the second-place Boston Red Sox. New York was managed by Bucky Harris...
, where he caught the majority of the Yankees games while Berra split time between playing the outfield
Outfield
The outfield is a sporting term used in cricket and baseball to refer to the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield...
and catching. In his first full season with the Yankees, Niarhos led the team with a .404 on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
and had a respectable .990 fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
. On September 26, he suffered a fractured bone in his right hand which ended his season. Niarhos began the 1949
1949 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the team's 47th season in New York, and its 49th season overall. The team finished with a record of 97-57, winning their 16th pennant, finishing 1 game ahead of the Boston Red Sox. New York was managed by Casey Stengel. The Yankees played their home games at Yankee...
season as the Yankees starting catcher however, by the end of the year, Berra had taken over the job as, the Yankees went on to win the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
pennant. In what would be the only post-season appearance of his career, Niarhos played in only one game of the 1949 World Series
1949 World Series
The 1949 World Series featured the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers, with the Yankees winning in five games for their second defeat of the Dodgers in three years, and the twelfth championship in team history...
as a late-inning defensive replacement.
On June 27, 1950
1950 Chicago White Sox season
The 1950 Chicago White Sox season was the team's 50th season in the major leagues, and its 51st season overall. They finished with a record 60-94, good enough for sixth place in the American League, 38 games behind the first place New York Yankees....
, the Chicago White Sox claimed Niarhos for the waiver price of $10,000. He had a .324 batting average with a .408 on base percentage in 41 games with the White Sox. He served as a reserve catcher behind Phil Masi
Phil Masi
Philip Samuel Masi was an American professional baseball player. From though , he played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Boston Braves , Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago White Sox...
in the 1951
1951 Chicago White Sox season
The 1951 Chicago White Sox season was the team's 51st season in the major leagues, and its 52nd season overall. They finished with a record 81-73, good for fourth place in the American League, 17 games behind the first place New York Yankees.- Offseason :...
season before being traded to the St. Louis Browns for Sherm Lollar at the end of the year. One day later, the Browns traded him to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for catcher Les Moss
Les Moss
John Lester "Les" Moss is a former American professional baseball player, coach, scout and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the St...
. He spent two seasons as a reserve catcher for the Red Sox before ending his major league playing career with the Philadelphia Phillies. He was released after the 1955
1955 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies season was a season in American baseball. It was the first season for Phillies' manager Mayo Smith. Prior to the season, the Phillies were seen to have strong pitching with ace Robin Roberts but did not have power hitters to match pennant favorites Brooklyn, New York, or...
season, having appeared in only 10 games over two seasons with the Phillies. Niarhos played for three more seasons in the minor leagues before retiring as a player in at the age of 37.
Career statistics
In a nine-season career, Niarhos played in 315 gamesGames played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
, accumulating 174 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
in 691 at bats for a .252 career batting average along with 1 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
and 59 runs batted in. He ended his career with a .988 fielding percentage.
Managing and coaching career
Following his playing career, Niarhos was a coachCoach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
for 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....
from 1962
1962 Kansas City Athletics season
The Kansas City Athletics season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Athletics finishing ninth in the American League with a record of 72 wins and 90 losses. The A's were last in the American League in paid attendance....
to 1964
1964 Kansas City Athletics season
The Kansas City Athletics season involved the A's finishing 10th in the American League with a record of 57 wins and 105 losses.- Offseason :...
. Afterwards, he became a minor league manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
, leading the Burlington Bees
Burlington Bees
The Burlington Bees are a Class A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Oakland Athletics, that plays in the Midwest League. Their home is in Burlington, Iowa.-History:...
to the Midwest League
Midwest 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...
championship and, then led the Modesto Reds
Modesto Nuts
The Modesto Nuts are a minor league baseball team in Modesto, California, USA. They are a Class A - Advanced team in the California League and a farm team of the Colorado Rockies. The Modesto Nuts play home games at John Thurman Field. Opened in 1955 and renovated in 1997, the park seats 4,000 fans...
to the California League
California League
The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
championship. As a manager in the Athletics minor league system, he coached future stars such as Reggie Jackson
Reggie Jackson
Reginald Martinez "Reggie" Jackson , nicknamed "Mr. October" for his clutch hitting in the postseason with the New York Yankees, is a former American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 21-year baseball career, he played from 1967-1987 for four different teams. Jackson currently serves as...
, Vida Blue
Vida Blue
Vida Rochelle Blue Jr. is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 17-year career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics , San Francisco Giants , and Kansas City Royals He won the American League Cy Young award and Most Valuable Player Award in 1971...
, Rollie Fingers
Rollie Fingers
Roland Glen Fingers is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. During his 18-year baseball career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics , San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers . He became only the second reliever to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992...
, Tony La Russa
Tony La Russa
Anthony "Tony" La Russa, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball manager and infielder, best known for his tenures as manager of the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, and St. Louis Cardinals...
, Gene Tenace
Gene Tenace
Fury Gene Tenace , better known as Gene Tenace, is a former Italian-American professional baseball player and current coach in Major League Baseball. He was a catcher and first baseman from through . Tenace was drafted by the Kansas City Athletics from Valley High School in Lucasville, OH and...
and Catfish Hunter
Catfish Hunter
James Augustus "Catfish" Hunter , was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During a 15-year baseball career, he pitched from 1965-1979 for both the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees...
. He later returned to his hometown of Birmingham to manage the Birmingham A's
Birmingham A's
The Birmingham A's was a former minor league baseball team based in Birmingham, Alabama. The team was named for its major league affiliate, the Kansas City Athletics, later the Oakland Athletics, and played for nine seasons from to in the Double-A Southern League....
.
Niarhos died in Harrisonburg, Virginia
Harrisonburg, Virginia
Harrisonburg is an independent city in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia in the United States. Its population as of 2010 is 48,914, and at the 2000 census, 40,468. Harrisonburg is the county seat of Rockingham County and the core city of the Harrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical...
at the age of 84.
External links
- Gus Niarhos at Find a GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...