Don Gutteridge

Donald Joseph Gutteridge

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 10½", Weight 165 lb.
• School Kansas State Teachers College of Pittsburg
• Debut September 7, 1936
• Final Game May 9, 1948
• Born June 19, 1912 in Pittsburg, KS USA
• Died September 7, 2008 in Pittsburg, KS USA

BR page

Biographical information

Infielder Don Gutteridge played a dozen years in the majors and later was a long time coach in the big leagues as well as, briefly, a manager. After playing parts of five seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, he spent four years with the St. Louis Browns, for whom he was the starting second baseman in the 1944 World Series. After briefly managing the Toledo Mud Hens in 1946, he played portions of two seasons with the Boston Red Sox. He concluded his major league career with the 1948 Pittsburgh Pirates.

Following his playing days, Gutteridge spent 1951 as the skipper of the Indianapolis Indians in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. The next season, he began a long association with the Chicago White Sox. He managed the Colorado Springs Sky Sox of the Western League in 1952 and 1953, leading the team to the best record in the circuit the second year, and then moved up to the Memphis Chicks of the Southern Association in 1954. From 1955 until 1966, he was first base coach on the major league staff (mostly under skipper Al Lopez) and also worked with the Florida Instructional League White Sox on occasion. In 1967, he again managed Indianapolis Indians, now the Sox AAA team in the Pacific Coast League.

Gutteridge began 1968 scouting for the Kansas City Royals in preparation for the expansion draft, before rejoining the White Sox coaching staff in July 1968 when Al Lopez returned as manager. When Lopez stepped down in May 1969, Gutteridge took over at the helm of the Sox. He was in turn replaced in September 1970 by Bill Adair after posting a 109-172 record. After being let go by the Sox, he was a longtime scout with the Royals (1970), New York Yankees (1971-1974) and Los Angeles Dodgers (1975-1992).

After baseball, Gutteridge returned to his hometown of Pittsburg, Kansas, where his birthday was celebrated annually as "Don Gutteridge Day". He died there in 2008 at age 96 after contracting pneumonia. At the time of his passing, he was one of ten oldest living major league baseball players, baseball's oldest living former manager or coach, the last surviving member of the Gas House Gang, and the last living St. Louis Brown to play in the World Series.

Gutteridge's father, Joe, was a mayor of Pittsburg, KS.

Preceded by Al Lopez

Chicago White Sox Manager 1969-1970

Succeeded by Bill Adair

Year-by-Year Managerial Record

Year	Team	League	Record	Finish	Organization	Playoffs	Notes
1946	Toledo Mud Hens	American Association	33-54	--	St. Louis Browns	-	replaced by George DeTore on July 9
1951	Indianapolis Indians	American Association	68-84	7th	Pittsburgh Pirates
1952	Colorado Springs Sky Sox	Western League	87-67	2nd	Chicago White Sox	Lost in 1st round
1953	Colorado Springs Sky Sox	Western League	95-59	1st	Chicago White Sox	Lost in 1st round
1954	Memphis Chicks	Southern Association	80-74	4th	Chicago White Sox	Lost in 1st round
1967	Indianapolis Indians	Pacific Coast League	76-71	5th	Chicago White Sox
1969	Chicago White Sox	American League	60-85	5th	Chicago White Sox		replaced Al Lopez (8-9) on May 3
1970	Chicago White Sox	American League	49-87	--	Chicago White Sox		replaced by Bill Adair on September 1

Also managed the White Sox Florida Instructional League franchises in 1960 and from 1962 to 1966.

Further Reading

• Don Gutteridge (as told to George Vass): "The Game I'll Never Forget", Baseball Digest, February 1978, pp. 74-76. [1]

Related Sites

• Don Gutteridge at the SABR Bio Project
• BR Manager page