Paul Edwin Gregory [Pop] (June 9, 1908 - September 16, 1999) was a pitcher

Pitcher

In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...

 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...

 who played from 1932 through 1933 for 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...

. Listed at 6' 2", 180 lb., he batted and threw right handed.

Born in Tomnolen, Mississippi

Tomnolen, Mississippi

Tomnolen is an unincorporated community located in Webster County, Mississippi, United States along U.S. Highway 82. Tomnolen is approximately west of Stewart....

, Paul Gregory was a three-sport star at Mississippi State University

Mississippi State University

The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...

, lettering in football, basketball and baseball from 1926 to 1930.

After graduating, Gregory spent thirty five years in baseball as a player and college coach. He also coached college basketball for nine years and was a World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 veteran.

Gregory started his professional baseball career in 1931 with Class-A Atlanta Crackers

Atlanta Crackers

The Atlanta Crackers were minor league baseball teams based in Atlanta, Georgia, between 1901 and 1965. The Crackers were Atlanta's home team until the Atlanta Braves moved from Milwaukee in 1966....

, posting a 8-6 record and a 5.17 earned run average

Earned run average

In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...

 in 45 games (11 starts

Starting pitcher

In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....

).

With the White Sox in 1932 and 1933, Gregory was just 9-14 with a 4.72 ERA. His career highlight came on May 26, 1933, when he defeated Red Ruffing

Red Ruffing

Charles Herbert "Red" Ruffing was a Major League Baseball pitcher most remembered for his time with the highly successful New York Yankees teams of the 1930s and 1940s...

 and the host 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...

, 8–6, allowing one earned run in seven-plus innings while retiring Babe Ruth

Babe Ruth

George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...

 in five at-bats.

Following his majors stint, Gregory returned to play on the minor league system for nine years before serving in the US Navy during World War II, from 1943 to 1945. After military discharge he pitched for Triple-A Seattle Rainiers

Seattle Rainiers

The Seattle Rainiers, originally named the Seattle Indians and also known as the Seattle Angels, were a minor league baseball team in Seattle, Washington, that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1903-06 and 1919-68...

 and Hollywood Stars

Hollywood Stars

The Hollywood Stars were a minor league baseball team that played in the Pacific Coast League during the early and mid 20th century. They were the arch-rivals of the other Los Angeles based PCL team, the Los Angeles Angels.-Hollywood Stars :...

 between 1946 and 1947.

After his playing retirement, Gregory began his coaching career in 1947 when he was asked by his former Mississippi State baseball coach Dudy Noble

Dudy Noble

Clark Randolph "Dudy" Noble was an American football, basketball, and baseball player, track athlete, coach, and college athletics administrator.Noble was born in Learned, Mississippi...

, by then the school's athletic director, to coach the Bulldogs basketball team.

Gregory was in charge of the basketball squad from 1947 to 1955, then he led the Bulldogs baseball team to 15 winning seasons from 1954 through 1974, including four Southeastern Conference titles (1965-66, 1970-71) and a berth to the 1971 College World Series

1971 College World Series

The 1971 College World Series was played at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, NE from June 11 to June 17. The twenty-fifth tournament's champion was the University of Southern California, coached by Rod Dedeaux...

.

A four-time SEC Coach of the Year, Gregory was inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1977 and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum

Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame

The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum is located in Jackson, Mississippi. The hall of fame was established in 1961 and is currently located in a museum that displays the achievements of Mississippi athletes. The museum opened on July 4, 1996...

 in 1982.

Paul Gregory died in Southaven, Mississippi

Southaven, Mississippi

-Households And Families:As of the census of 2000, there were 28,977 people, 11,007 households, and 8,134 families residing in the city. The population density was 857.9 people per square mile...

, at the age of 91.

MLB statistics

GP Games pitched In baseball statistics, games pitched is the number of games in which a player appears as a pitcher; a player who is announced as the pitcher must face at least one batter, although exceptions are made if the pitcher announced in the starting lineup is injured before facing a batter, perhaps while...	W	L	W-L%	ERA Earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...	GS Starting pitcher In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....	GF Games finished In baseball statistics, a relief pitcher is credited with a game finished if he is the last pitcher to pitch for his team in a game. A starting pitcher is not credited with a GF for pitching a complete game...	CG Complete game In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...	IP Innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...	H 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....	RA Run (baseball) In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...	ER Earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...	HR 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...	BB Base on balls A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...	SO Strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
56	9	14	.391	4.72	26	16	8	221⅓	249	150	116	18	98	57

Coaching career

Baseball

GP	W	L	W-L%
489	328	161	.671

Basketball

GP	W	L	W-L%
274	91	183	.332

Head coaching record

Sources