Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-02-06
Gabby Street Dead;
Best Rememberedfo for
Catch al Monument
BY the Associated Press

BY the Associated Press
JOPLIN. Mo-, Feb. 6.-Charles
(Gabby) Street, former major
league baseball player and mana
ger, died today after a long illness.
He was 68 years old.
Street, manager of the st. Louis
Cardinals in the early 1930s. had
been in a weakened condition
since an operation last summer.
Mrs. Street was at his bedside IN
a hospital when he died at 6:55
am.
Street, first man to catch a
baseball dropped from the Wash
ington Monument, went to the
hospital after returning from a
trip to st. Louis and Peoria, ILL.,,
for an timers baseball meeting.
Gabby had wide acquaintance
in the baseball world. Lat in his
career he was a radio commenta-
tor and announced the Cardinals
games over Midwestern network.
Monument Feat Recalled.
Although Sarge Streets catch
of a ball thrown from the Wash
ington Monument is perhaps the
feat for which he is best remem-
bered, he also had a notable record
in two wars and was one of base
balls better catchers, handling
Walter johnson from 1908
through 1911. He also took the
Cardinals to the National League
pennant in his first year as man
ager there and won both the pen
nant and the World Series his Sec
ond year.
The catch from the Washing
ton Monument was made in Au-
gust. 1908, at the behest Of
Preston Gibson, Washington jour-
nalist and playwright. who had
made considerable wager on
Streets ability to perform the
feat. Gibson for some reason took
Is balls with him to the top of
the monument, and it was the
18th that Street caught.
Street was born in Huntsville,
Ala, September 80, 1882, and
started playing baseball at an
early age. It wasn't until he was
a professional player that the
nickname of Gabby was hung on
him. and it wasn't because he was
particularly talkative. AS he ex-
planned it, it was the custom in
Huntsville to call out "Gabby" to
persons whose name they didn't
know. and he continued that Gus
tom when he advanced in base
ball. Somehow his constant call
ing out of "Gabby" to ball play
ers whose names he didn't know
was reversed and the nickname
was given him.
Most Famous Battery.
Even though Muddy Ruel was
to become better known as John
sons top catcher. Street was the
first really to handle the Big
Trains speed when Walter came
to Washington, and for a time
they were the most famous bat
terry in baseball.
Although a good hitter-aI
trait that was to make his major
league career shorter than It'll
otherwise would have been-StreetI
had courage and mechanical skill.
In 1909 Street reached his peak,
catching 1877 games and handling
924 chances, an American League
record which still stands. He
made only 10 errors for a .981
average.
One Of the most famous per-
formances of the Johnson-S Street
battery was when Walter shut
out New York one Friday, did 1t
again Saturday. rested Sunday
when there was no game, and
beat the old Highlanders again
Monday.
.222 Best Average.
Streets weak hitting-his best
average was .222 in 1911-cut short
his major league career. After
four years with Washington he
was sold to New York and caught
only a small portion of the 1912
games before finishing out his
playing career in the minors. He
was playing manager for many
years in the minors, finishing up
with Knoxville in 1928.
Street was wooed away from
South Kentucky Union College
and into professional baseball by
Hopkinsville of the Kitty League
in 1908. He had an early fling at
the majors with Cincinnati and
Boston in the National League in
1904 and 1905. The catcher he
replaced with the Reds was
Branch Hickey, who had been fired
because he wouldn't play Sunday
baseball. twenty-five years later
hickey was to get him managing
job with the Cardinals.
1t was back to the minors, this
time with San Francisco, in 1906.
His work there caught the eye of
Manager Joe Cantillon of WASH
(See STREET, Page A-13)