Don Gutteridge

{{Infobox baseball biography FULL Name. Donald Joseph Gutteridge |name=Don Gutteridge

|position=Infielder / Manager |image=Don Gutteridge 1947.jpg |birth_date=(1912-06-19)June 19, 1912 |birth_place=Pittsburg, Kansas |death_date=September 7, 2008(2008-09-07) (aged 96) |death_place=Pittsburg, Kansas |bats=Right |throws=Right |debutleague = MLB |debutdate=September 7 |debutyear=1936 |debutteam=St. Louis Cardinals |finalleague = MLB |finaldate=May 9 |finalyear=1948 |finalteam=Pittsburgh Pirates |statleague = MLB |stat1label=Batting average |stat1value=.256 |stat2label=Home runs |stat2value=39 |stat3label=Runs batted in |stat3value=391 |stat4label=Managerial record |stat4value=109–172 |stat5label=Winning % |stat5value=.388 |teams= As player

• St. Louis Cardinals (1936–1940)
• St. Louis Browns (1942–1945)
• Boston Red Sox (1946–1947)
• Pittsburgh Pirates (1948)

As manager

• Chicago White Sox (1969–1970)

}} Donald Joseph Gutteridge (June 19, 1912 – September 7, 2008) was an American infielder, coach, manager and scout in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Browns, Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates, and later managed the Chicago White Sox in 1969–1970. Don was born in Pittsburg, Kansas, and was the first cousin of former MLB catcher Ray Mueller.

Donald Gutteridge played his first game for the Cardinals at age 24, and in only his fifth career major league game hit two home runs in the first game of a doubleheader on September 11, 1936, including an inside-the-park home run and one steal of home plate. Don was an average hitter with excellent speed and fielding ability (he turned five double plays in a game in 1944 during the Browns' only pennant-winning season). Gutteridge was sold to the Red Sox in 1946, where he played in his only other World Series. He retired from playing after only two games with the Pirates in 1948.

In 1151 games over 12 seasons, Gutteridge compiled a .256 batting average (1075-for-4202) with 586 runs, 200 doubles, 64 triples, 39 home runs, 95 stolen bases, 309 base on balls, 444 strikeouts, .308 on-base percentage and .362 slugging percentage. Defensively, he recorded a .956 fielding percentage. In the 1944 and 1946 World Series, covering 9 games, he batted .192. (5-for-26).

Gutteridge coached for the White Sox for over a decade (1955–66 and 1968–69), including the 1959 pennant-winning team, and in 1969 he succeeded Al López as manager on May 3. He led Chicago to a fifth-place finish in the AL West that season, but was fired with 26 games left in the 1970 campaign on September 1. On that day, the Pale Hose were 49–87, last in their division and 31 games out of first place. He was replaced by interim manager Bill Adair. Gutteridge's record over those two partial seasons was 109–172 (.388).

He later was a long-time scout for the Kansas City Royals, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Gutteridge died on September 7, 2008, in his hometown of Pittsburg after contracting pneumonia.[1] At the time of his death, Gutteridge was the oldest living former manager or coach in Major League Baseball. He was also the last living member of the St. Louis Browns who played in the 1944 World Series—the franchise's only Fall Classic.