Alvin Gipson

Alvin Gipson
(Bubber, Rubber, Skeet)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 10", Weight 168 lb.

• Debut 1941
• Final Game 1946
• Born May 7, 1914 in Shreveport, LA USA
• Died March 25, 1987 in Shreveport, LA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Alvin Gipson was a Negro League pitcher of the 1940s.

Gipson's first season with a major black club was 1941, which he split between the Chicago American Giants (0-4) and Birmingham Black Barons (0-2). He was 1-4 for Birmingham in 1942 yet made the West roster for the second 1942 East-West Game. Relieving Verdell Mathis with a 7-2 deficit to open the 7th, he allowed two runs (one earned), three hits, two walks and a wild pitch in three innings, while striking out one. He was 0 for 2 at the plate in a 9-2 loss to the East.

Alvin improved to 3-4 in 1943. He pitched two games in the 1943 Negro World Series, relieving in game two and starting game five, getting no-decisions each time as Birmingham fell to the Homestead Grays. Gipson's big year was 1944, when the 30-year-old was 10-6 for Birmingham, tying Antonio Ruiz and Gene Bremer for fourth in the Negro American League in wins. He did not pitch in the 1944 Negro World Series, which Birmingham lost to Homestead.

After that, Gipson was rarely used in three more years with Birmingham, going 1-3 in 1946 in his most active season of the three. He moved to Chicago in 1949 and was 6-6, then wrapped up with a 2-4 mark in 1950. Alvin threw a fastball and curveball and was noted for his control.

Won 22 games and lost 3 with the Cincinnati Buckeyes in 1940, according to the Birmingham Weekly Review (1941-8-15, p.7.)

Notable Achievements

• NAL All-Star (1942)
• NAL Games Pitched Leader (1942)

Sources

• Black Baseball's National Showcase by Larry Lester
• The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues by James Riley
• The Complete Book of Baseball's Negro Leagues by John Holway