About Joe Gunson
Lived 1863 – 1942 (aged 79). Joe Gunson was an American baseball player.
Joseph Brook Gunson (March 23, 1863 – November 15, 1942) was an American Major League Baseball catcher between and .
Biography Born in Philadelphia, Gunson played for the Cleveland Spiders, Washington Nationals, Kansas City Cowboys, Baltimore Orioles, and St. Louis Browns from 1884 to 1893. He is sometimes credited with creating the first catcher's mitt when he was trying to play through an 1888 finger injury. Though Gunson was young and did not need the money, Jim Manning was going to help him patent it once Manning returned from a summer baseball tour. Gunson said that he told some other players about the glove and that many other players began using such a mitt before Manning came home.
Gunson died at his Philadelphia home in 1942.
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Important facts
People in Joe Gunson's life
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Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Joe Gunson?
American baseball player (1863-1942)
When was Joe Gunson born?
Joe Gunson was born on 23 March 1863 in Philadelphia.
When did Joe Gunson die?
Joe Gunson died on 15 November 1942 in Philadelphia.
What was Joe Gunson's occupation?
Joe Gunson was a baseball player.
What nationality was Joe Gunson?
Joe Gunson was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Joe Gunson. https://biography.guide/joe-gunson/
MLA: "Joe Gunson." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/joe-gunson/.
Chicago: "Joe Gunson." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/joe-gunson/.
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