Harry Gumbert: The Accidental World Series Pitcher

Image credits: Image Kind

There are at least a couple dozen Hall of Fame ballplayers who never had an opportunity to play in a World Series.

So it’s ironic that a journeyman pitcher you probably never heard of relieved in a total of six games in three World Series with a 27.00 ERA. One of those appearances was accidental.

His name was Harry Gumbert. A right-hander, he achieved a 143-113 record as a starter and reliever in his 15-year career (1935-1950) with the New York Giants, Cardinals, Reds and Pirates.  In 1937 he was 27, coming off a 10-11 season in his third year with the Giants. He had started 24 games and relieved in 10.

For the second year in a row the Giants met the Yankees in the World Series. The Series opened at Yankee Stadium on October 6. The teams’ ace lefthanders – Lefty Gomez, (21-11), for the Yankees vs. Carl Hubbell, (22-8) for the Giants.

Dick Coffman was in the Giants’ bullpen. An 11-year veteran, he was the Giants’ primary reliever. In 42 games that year, he had an 8-3 record and 3.02 ERA. 

Gumbert was in the dugout.

The Giants led, 1-0, when the Yankees came up to bat in the bottom of the sixth. Gomez walked. Crosetti singled. Rolfe singled to load the bases. Joe DiMaggio singled, scoring Gomez and Crosetti. DiMaggio took second on the throw to third.

In the bullpen, Coffman started warming up. Gehrig was walked intentionally. Dickey singled, scoring Rolfe. Hoag hit a grounder to third and DiMaggio was out at home. The bases were still loaded. Selkirk singled, scoring Gehrig and Dickey. The Yankees now led, 5-1.

At this point, Harry Gumbert picked up the story:

Tony Lazzeri was the next batter. From the dugout, Giants manager Bill Terry waved to catcher Gus Mancuso to bring in Dick Coffman. Terry did not go out to the mound.

Coffman started in from the bullpen. Mancuso turned to home plate umpire Red Ormsby and said, “Gumbert” by mistake. Ormsby announced, “Gumbert now pitching.”

When Bill Terry heard that, he jumped up, hitting his head on the concrete top of the dugout and fell to the ground. By now Coffman was on the mound. I was still sitting on the bench.

Terry wobbled out to home plate and argued that Coffman was supposed to have been announced. He convinced the umpire and the announcer corrected his announcement. Coffman began throwing warmup pitches. 

Art Fletcher, the Yankees third base coach, hasn’t made a move until then. He comes over to the umpire and says that according to the rules, Gumbert must pitch to one man. The umpire says, ‘You’re right. Bring him out here.’

So out I go, cold off the bench. I threw Lazzeri two curve balls and he hit a nice soft ground ball to Burgess Whitehead at second base, a perfect double play ball, and Whitey lets it roll between his legs and another run scores.

Coffman then replaced Gumbert; the Yankees scored another run and went on to win, 8-1.

All of Gumbert’s six World Series appearances were against the Yankees: two each in 1936 and 1937 with the Giants, and two in 1942 with the Cardinals.