Hartnett, "Gabby" (Charles L.)
Baseball
b. Dec. 20, 1900, Woonsocket, RI
When Hartnett was in the New York Giants' farm system, a scout reported that he would never be a major-league catcher because his hands were too small, and he was sold to the Chicago Cubs for $2,500 after the 1921 season.
Hartnett was a backup catcher with the Cubs in 1922 and 1923 and took over as the starter in 1924. Because of an arm injury, he missed most of the 1929 season, when the Cubs won the pennant, but he had his best offensive year in 1930, batting .339 with 37 home runs and 122 RBI.
The Cubs won another pennant in 1932, when Hartnett hit .271, but they lost to the New York Yankees in a four-game World Series--the series in which Babe Ruth supposedly called his shot by pointing to the centerfield bleachers and then hitting a home run there. Hartnett, who was behind the plate, said it didn't happen like that, that Ruth had merely held up a finger and said, "It only takes one to hit."
Hartnett had a great streak of three seasons from 1935 through 1936, hitting .344, .307, and .354, though his home run and RBI totals were much lower than in 1930. With the Cubs in third place during the 1938 season, Hartnett became playing manager. He guided them to a 44-27 record and a pennant, but they were again swept by the Yankees in the World Series.
After the Cubs finished fourth in 1939 and fifth in 1940, Hartnett was released. He spent a final season as a part-time player and coach for the New York Giants in 1941, hitting an even .300.
In 20 major league seasons, Hartnett batted .297, with 1,912 hits, including 396 doubles, 64 triples, and 236 home runs. He scored 867 runs and had 1,179 RBI in 1,990 games, and he led NL catchers in fielding percentage 6 times.