Paul Gregory (baseball)

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Paul Gregory
Pitcher
Born: (1908-06-09)June 9, 1908
Tomnolen, Mississippi
Died: September 16, 1999(1999-09-16) (aged 91)
Southaven, Mississippi
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 20, 1932
Last MLB appearance
September 24, 1933
Teams

Paul Edwin Gregory [Pop] (June 9, 1908 – September 16, 1999) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1932 through 1933 for the Chicago White Sox. Listed at 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), 180 lb, he batted and threw right-handed.[1]

Born in Tomnolen, Mississippi, Paul Gregory was a three-sport star at Mississippi State University, lettering in football, basketball and baseball from 1926 to 1930.[2]

After graduating, Gregory spent thirty five years in baseball as a player and college coach. He also coached college basketball for nine years and was a World War II veteran.[2][3]

Gregory started his professional baseball career in 1931 with Class-A Atlanta Crackers, posting an 8–6 record and a 5.17 earned run average in 45 games (11 starts).[4]

With the White Sox in 1932 and 1933, Gregory was just 9–14 with a 4.72 ERA. His career highlight came on May 26, 1933, when he defeated Red Ruffing and the host New York Yankees, 8–6, allowing one earned run in seven-plus innings while retiring Babe Ruth in five at-bats.[1][5]

Following his majors stint, Gregory returned to play on the minor league system for nine years before serving in the US Navy during World War II, from 1943 to 1945. After military discharge he pitched for Triple-A Seattle Rainiers and Hollywood Stars between 1946 and 1947.[4]

After his playing retirement, Gregory began his coaching career in 1947 when he was asked by his former Mississippi State baseball coach Dudy Noble, by then the school's athletic director, to coach the Bulldogs basketball team.[6]

Gregory was in charge of the basketball squad from 1947 to 1955, then he led the Bulldogs baseball team to 15 winning seasons from 1954 through 1974, including four Southeastern Conference titles (1965–66, 1970–71) and a berth to the 1971 College World Series.[2]

A four-time SEC Coach of the Year, Gregory was inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1977 and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in 1982.[7][8]

Paul Gregory died in Southaven, Mississippi, at the age of 91.

MLB statistics[]

GP W L W-L% ERA GS GF CG IP H RA ER HR BB SO
56 9 14 .391 4.72 26 16 8 221⅓ 249 150 116 18 98 57

Head coaching record[]

Baseball[]

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Mississippi State Bulldogs (Southeastern Conference) (1957–1974)
1957 Mississippi State 13–5 10–5
1958 Mississippi State 14–10 8–6
1959 Mississippi State 12–13 5–10
1960 Mississippi State 16–11 8–8
1961 Mississippi State 12–7 7–6
1962 Mississippi State 21–5–1 14–1–1 1st (West)
1963 Mississippi State 17–11 9–7
1964 Mississippi State 17–12 7–7
1965 Mississippi State 16–10 11–4 1st NCAA District III Tournament
1966 Mississippi State 20–11 11–4 1st NCAA District III Tournament
1967 Mississippi State 17–14 9–9
1968 Mississippi State 16–17 7–10
1969 Mississippi State 20–10 11–7
1970 Mississippi State 32–8 11–4 1st NCAA District III Tournament
1971 Mississippi State 32–12 13–5 1st NCAA District III Tournament, College World Series
1972 Mississippi State 24–16 7–11 6th
1973 Mississippi State 16–14 5–9 9th
1974 Mississippi State 13–14 8–9 6th
Mississippi State: 328–200–1 (.621) 161–113 (.588)
Total: 328–161–1 (.670)[9]

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Basketball[]

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Mississippi State Bulldogs (Southeastern Conference) (1947–1955)
1947–48 Mississippi State 6–12 6–10 9th
1948–49 Mississippi State 4–13 3–12 12th
1949–50 Mississippi State 7–11 6–10 10th
1950–51 Mississippi State 3–16 2–12 12th
1951–52 Mississippi State 12–11 4–10 10th
1952–53 Mississippi State 9–10 5–8 T–7th
1953–54 Mississippi State 11–10 5–9 T–8th
1954–55 Mississippi State 16–17 2–12 12th
Mississippi State: 58–100 (.367) 33–83 (.284)
Total: 58–100 (.367)[10]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Baseball-Reference.com – Major league profile".
  2. ^ a b c "Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame Biography". Archived from the original on July 17, 2011.
  3. ^ Baseball in Wartime
  4. ^ a b "Baseball-Reference.com – Minor league career".
  5. ^ Retrosheet – Game Played on Friday, May 26, 1933 (D) at Yankee Stadium
  6. ^ The Deadball Era
  7. ^ American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame Inductees
  8. ^ Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum Inductees Archived May 13, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ 2013 Mississippi State Baseball Media Guide Archived December 10, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ 2013 Mississippi State Men's Basketball Media Guide Archived December 10, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
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