Atlanta Braves Franchise best catchers: Hank Gowdy
By Fred Owens
Atlanta Braves Franchise’s first volunteer
Over the next two seasons, Gowdy batted .250/.325/.319/.644 with a 100 OPS+ and while catching 118 games each season. The bigger story was the war in Europe.
On April 1, 1917, America entered WW I; on June first, Gowdy made the choice to join the military, becoming the first active Major League player to volunteer.
"On June 1, the Braves game in Cincinnati was rained out, and Gowdy took . . .the train to his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, and enlist in the Army . . . Gowdy was 27, in the prime of his career, and he chose not to wait and register for the draft . . . On June 22 Gowdy played his last game at Braves Field. . . but played in five more games in Brooklyn before leaving the team."
Gowdy served with distinction in the 166th Infantry Regiment and became a part of Pershing’s Rainbow Division, the fighting 42nd, in the battles of Chateau Thierry, Saint Mihiel, and the Argonne as a color sergeant. In Frank Cersi’ s post, Hank Gowdy: Baseball Player and War Hero, he quotes Gowdy’s regimental commanding officer, Colonel B W Hough.
"“Every outfit ought to have somebody like Hank. The boys idolize him and he gets them all stirred up with his baseball stories. He helps ‘em forget about the terror of war. He carried the flag and . . . he was one of them who heaved gas bombs at the enemy . . . he was fantastic!”"
On Hank Gowdy Day, May 24, 1919, Gowdy played his first game for the Boston Braves since leaving for the war.
"More than 16,000 fans, turned out to honor. . . he was presented with gifts by Boston Mayor Andrew J. Peters, including: a gold watch and chain, a cigar cutter and $600 in Victory Bonds. Rabbit Maranville and Pat Moran presented Gowdy a trunk full of clothes from his teammates."
The city provided a bronze tablet later installed at the entrance to Braves Field, inscribed “Honor Roll Boston Braves Who Served in the Great War,” and listing the 14 members of the Boston Braves who served.
Appropriately, Gowdy singled in his first at-bat and got his first RBI since 1917, and the Braves beat the Reds 4-1.