385:. Gilbert was the Robins/Dodgers' starting third baseman from the time he joined the club in August 1928 through the end of the 1931 season. While playing with Brooklyn, Gilbert became known as "The Old Reliable" and developed a reputation as a quiet, dependable fielder. His best years as a batter were 1929 and 1930 when he compiled batting averages of .304 and .294 with 353 hits, 65 doubles, and 125 RBIs. On May 30, 1931, Gilbert tied a Major League record with six hits in a single game against the
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Gilbert was married to Mary McKay in 1937. They had two children, Pat and John. In 1942, he took a job with U.S. Steel in Duluth and lived at 5217 London Road in Duluth's
Lakeside neighborhood. While working for U.S. Steel, he managed the Duluth Marine Iron baseball team in the
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reported: "Gilbert's departure via a straight release did not create much excitement here, as the fans hardly expected him to be retained. Wally tried hard at third base last year, but fell shy, so the bugs expected him to move on." Gilbert was acquired in 1933 by the
260:, as a child. At the time of the 1910 U.S. Census, he was living with his parents, Walter and Minnie Gilbert, in Duluth's 7th Ward. At the time of the 1920 U.S. Census, Gilbert's father, Walter Gilbert, Sr., was employed as a laborer in a Duluth steel plant.
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346:, are to the effect that Wally has located his batting eye and that he is now smacking the ball regularly and hard. He is a bachelor and good looking despite the way the photographer caught him, covered with four days' growth of stubby beard."
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as the third baseman on his All-Time
Dodgers team. McGowen wrote that, even though Gilbert only hit .300 in one of his years as a Dodger, "e was an aggressive player, what the boys call today one of the 'old pros.'"
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and handled punting and forward passing for the Duluth team. He reportedly punted the football 98 yards in a game against Rock Island and set an unofficial football record by drop-kicking a football 61 yards.
923:
Roscoe McGowen (September 1, 1954). "All-Time
Dodgers? McGowen Names 5 From Present Club: Vet Scribe Picks Reese, Jackie, Gil, Duke and Campy; Tabs Dixie Walker in Right Field, Zack Wheat in Left".
577:
Ancestry.com. 1910 United States
Federal Census . Census Place: Duluth Ward 7, Saint Louis, Minnesota; Roll: T624_725; Page: 19B; Enumeration District: 0189; Image: 961; FHL microfilm: 1374738.
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Gilbert graduated from
Denfeld High School in Duluth where he starred in baseball, basketball and football. He led Denfeld's football team to a city championship before graduating in 1920.
541:. He developed a serious lung infection in 1943 and had surgery to remove one of his lungs. Gilbert was unable to work after the loss of his lung. He died in September 1958 in Duluth.
274:. He played for Valparaiso's 1920 football team that compiled a record of 5-3 and outscored opponents 215 to 60. Gilbert also played baseball and basketball at Valparaiso.
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Ancestry.com. 1920 United States
Federal Census . Census Place: Duluth, St Louis, Minnesota; Roll: T625_859; Page: 20A; Enumeration District: 132; Image: 586.
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Gilbert also played several seasons of professional basketball. He played for a professional touring basketball team known as the Two
Harbors All-Stars from
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369:. Gilbert played for the Crackers from 1926 to 1928 and proved to be a reliable hitter, batting .305 in 1926, .314 in 1927, and .319 in 1928.
416:. Gilbert appeared in 114 games for the Reds in 1932, but his batting average dropped more than 50 points below his career average to .214.
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During the 1924 and 1925 baseball seasons, he remained with St. Joseph, appearing in 167 games in 1924 and 152 games in 1925.
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768:"Grid Tour Took Dodger Recruit to Many Parks: Wally Gilbert Was Backfield Man With Duluth Eskimos Under Nevers".
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852:"Little Flash In Defensive Play of Wally Gilbert: But Steady Work With Dodgers Has Earned Him 'Reliable' Title"
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516:. He also played for a basketball team sponsored by the Duluth Tank Corp., as well as professional teams in
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Gilbert was posthumously inducted into the Duluth Sports Hall of Fame in 1969, and was selected by the
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Gilbert also served on the football coaching staff at
Superior State Teachers College (now known as
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In
December 1938, Gilbert was signed as the player-manager of the Northern League franchise at
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201:(December 19, 1900 – September 7, 1958) was an American athlete who performed in professional
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939:"Gilbert Signs Bird Contract: Infielder Acquired From Rochester Glad To Escape "Chain Gang""
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of the
International League. In May 1934, Gilbert also took over as the Orioles' manager.
361:. Gilbert did not make the Yankees' roster, and he was sold in the spring of 1926 to the
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From 1923 to 1926, Gilbert played professional football as a halfback and punter for the
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of the Northern League hired Gilbert to play at third base and manage the team. and
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in 1943 for the Marine Iron team, and led the league with a .456 batting average.
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Gilbert continued to play in the minor leagues for several years with the
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Gilbert began his professional baseball career in 1922 playing in the
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In December 1933, Gilbert signed a contract to play in 1934 for the
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In 1933, Gilbert returned to the minor leagues and played for the
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At the end of the 1932 season, Gilbert was released by the Reds.
631:"Fans Meet the Saints: Walter J. (Wally) Gilbert, third baseman"
42:
323:. He compiled a .362 batting average for Valley City in 1922.
244:, Denver Tigers and Two Harbors All-Stars basketball squads.
130:
September 24, 1932, for the Cincinnati Reds
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In August 1928, Gilbert was traded by the Yankees to the
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as a potential insurance for injury-prone third baseman,
392:
In March 1932, Gilbert was traded by the Dodgers to the
945:. Baltimore, Maryland. December 7, 1933. Archived from
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August 17, 1928, for the Brooklyn Robins
1024:
Early Exits: The Premature Endings of Baseball Careers
560:
List of Major League Baseball single-game hits leaders
816:"Wally Gilbert Minor League Statistics & History"
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as "the greatest athlete ever developed in Duluth."
266:
After graduating from high school, Gilbert attended
478:in 1935 and the Duluth Dukes in 1936. In May 1938,
606:. Hunter Hall of Fame, Denfield Alumni Association
713:. College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from
353:In 1925, Gilbert's contract was purchased by the
1095:Baltimore Orioles (International League) players
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1049:Career statistics and player information from
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338:introduced Gilbert to its readers as follows:
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381:(later renamed the Dodgers) in exchange for
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19:For other people named Walter Gilbert, see
908:"11 Reds Have MOved in Cincy-Card Deals".
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650:"Rivals Even Now; Each Has Major Leaguer"
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961:"Wally Gilbert Pilots Baltimore Orioles"
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290:. Gilbert played in the backfield with
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669:"Greatest athlete is a personal choice"
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877:"Wally Gilbert Statistics and History"
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431:In September 1954, Roscoe McGowen in
772:. Associated Press. August 10, 1928.
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47:Wally Gilbert with Brooklyn, c. 1930
16:American baseball player (1900–1958)
1165:Sportspeople from Duluth, Minnesota
1160:Winnipeg Maroons (baseball) players
1150:Valparaiso Beacons football players
1145:Valparaiso Beacons baseball players
1080:Major League Baseball third basemen
858:. February 15, 1931. Archived from
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787:"Wally Gilbert Made Wausau Manager"
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216:Over his career, Gilbert played in
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500:Gilbert played in the short-lived
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840:. September 17, 1958. p. 44.
319:for the Valley City Hi-Liners in
1026:. Scarecrow Press. p. 127.
996:Preston, J.G. (August 5, 2009).
667:John Gilbert (August 23, 2002).
326:In 1923, he was acquired by the
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300:University of Wisconsin–Superior
232:. In addition, he played in the
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21:Walter Gilbert (disambiguation)
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1085:Minor league baseball managers
912:. January 26, 1933. p. 3.
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1:
836:"Walter Gilbert (obituary)".
744:"Walter John "Wally" Gilbert"
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396:in a deal that sent Gilbert,
1175:People from Oscoda, Michigan
979:"Winnipeg Team Gets Gilbert"
648:Jay Vessels (May 17, 1929).
404:to the Reds in exchange for
252:Gilbert was born in 1900 in
7:
1130:Rochester Red Wings players
1055:Baseball Reference (Minors)
711:"Valparaiso Yearly Results"
553:
448:Return to the minor leagues
10:
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1155:Wausau Timberjacks players
236:from 1923 to 1926 for the
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1135:St. Joseph Saints players
1125:Knoxville Smokies players
879:. Baseball-Reference.com.
818:. Baseball-Reference.com.
321:Valley City, North Dakota
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234:National Football League
1105:Cincinnati Reds players
1100:Brooklyn Robins players
1022:Brian McKenzie (2007).
1002:prestonjg.wordpress.com
895:Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
604:"Wally Gilbert profile"
220:from 1928 to 1932 as a
1140:Superior Blues players
1120:Duluth Kelleys players
1115:Duluth Eskimos players
532:Family and later years
514:Two Harbors, Minnesota
435:selected Gilbert over
348:
334:. In April 1923, the
238:Duluth Kelleys/Eskimos
791:The Milwaukee Journal
373:Major League Baseball
340:
268:Valparaiso University
240:, as well as for the
218:Major League Baseball
1110:Duluth Dukes players
983:The Montreal Gazette
965:The Pittsburgh Press
949:on January 31, 2013.
862:on January 31, 2013.
856:The Hartford Courant
793:. December 19, 1938.
770:St. Petersburg Times
746:. Zenith City Online
717:on November 13, 2013
458:International League
367:Southern Association
199:Walter John Gilbert
547:Duluth News-Tribune
454:Rochester Red Wings
426:St. Louis Cardinals
272:Valparaiso, Indiana
125:Last MLB appearance
1051:Baseball Reference
699:. SABR BioProject.
671:. NewCarPicks.com.
635:St. Joseph Gazette
336:St. Joseph Gazette
925:The Sporting News
910:The Sporting News
897:. March 15, 1932.
838:The Sporting News
539:Twin Ports League
528:(Denver Tigers).
518:Buffalo, New York
508:Basketball career
502:Twin Ports League
495:Wausau, Wisconsin
476:Knoxville Smokies
465:Baltimore Orioles
433:The Sporting News
421:The Sporting News
344:Clarksdale, Miss.
328:St. Joseph Saints
258:Duluth, Minnesota
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84:September 7, 1958
72:December 19, 1900
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410:Tony Cuccinello
394:Cincinnati Reds
387:New York Giants
379:Brooklyn Robins
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306:Baseball career
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278:Football career
256:. He moved to
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242:Buffalo Germans
230:Cincinnati Reds
226:Brooklyn Robins
188:Cincinnati Reds
182:Brooklyn Robins
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1005:. Retrieved
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1070:1900 births
1007:January 29,
695:Ray Luurs.
398:Babe Herman
302:) in 1938.
248:Early years
184:(1928–1931)
1064:Categories
1053:, or
566:References
480:Bruno Haas
441:Joe Stripp
406:Joe Stripp
211:basketball
68:1900-12-19
490:in 1938.
437:Billy Cox
359:Joe Dugan
224:with the
151:Home runs
115:MLB debut
750:June 12,
721:June 13,
610:June 12,
554:See also
228:and the
207:football
203:baseball
943:The Sun
456:in the
365:of the
330:in the
286:of the
100:Batted:
1030:
524:) and
400:, and
190:(1932)
106:Threw:
174:Teams
108:Right
102:Right
82:Died:
63:Born:
1028:ISBN
1009:2017
752:2012
723:2012
612:2012
474:and
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145:.269
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