Dinty Gearin

Dennis John Gearin

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 5' 4", Weight 148 lb.

• Debut August 6, 1923
• Final Game May 31, 1924
• Born October 15, 1897 in Providence, RI USA
• Died March 11, 1959 in Providence, RI USA

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Biographical Information

Dinty Gearin pitched in the majors in 1923-24, appearing in the 1923 World Series. In spite of that, the bulk of his professional career was spent in Milwaukee, where he played at least part of each season from 1920-31.

Gearin is listed as standing only 5 ' 4 ", very short for a pitcher. Baseball Digest in August 1992 called him one of the two shortest pitchers in the majors since 1900. Rex Hamann's book The American Association Milwaukee Brewers (2004) has a photo of him standing with fellow pitcher Bob Clarke (R Clarke), who stood at least a foot taller.

He won 142 games in the minors, twice winning 20 in a season.

In the book Ed Barrow: The Bulldog Who Built the Yankees' First Dynasty, it is stated that the Boston Braves and their new manager Dave Bancroft claimed Gearin off waivers in 1924. Bancroft, however, didn't understand that the rules required the Braves to pay to the Giants the original purchase price, which had been $25,000 when the Giants bought Gearin from Milwaukee. When the Braves found out, they sold Gearin to Milwaukee for $10,000 and paid that to the Giants, arguing as to the rest that Bancroft had no authority to make a waiver claim as he was not the team president.