When “The Mechanical Man” Roamed the Infield for the Tigers

When it’s said that an athlete makes something look easy, it’s a nod to his athleticism, grace, body control, and professionalism. Those adjectives fit Charlie Gehringer perfectly. He was, and remains one of the most gifted players to ever wear the Old English D.

Gehringer was a Michigan man, born and raised in Fowlerville, a tiny farming community about 75 miles northeast of Detroit. Those 75 miles may as well been 75,000 miles: the town Gehringer grew up in was barely a town. Fowlerville in the early 20th century was a loosely connected group of farms and homes. The high school hosted about 45 kids.

Playing baseball was Charlie’s ticket off the farm. He never really liked seeing the wrong end of a mule, or walking behind a plow. Thankfully, Gehringer was blessed with reflexes and a strong throwing arm. He was also a fantastic batter, even when he was only about 135 pounds in high school.

Graceful, smooth playing style

Among the legendary second basemen, Rogers Hornsby was the greatest power hitter. Rod Carew was the best pure hitter. Joe Morgan was the most complete offensive package. Jackie Robinson was the most thrilling. But Gehringer was probably the most complete player.

“The Mechanical Man” hit for average, ran the bases well, was a very good fielder (better than Hornsby and Morgan), and had a stronger arm than any man rated ahead of him on our list. The only flaw in Charlie’s game was that he didn’t hit the long ball, but he averaged 40 doubles, 10 triples, and 13 home runs per season.

“Many players intentionally make every play look as difficult as possible,” H.G. Salsinger wrote, “Gehringer managed to make them all look easy.”

How was Charlie so smooth? It came down to training as a dancer: his mother taught Charlie how to move his feet with precision, and though Gehringer rarely had reason to dance (he remained bachelor until his mother passed away in 1946), but he exhibited deft feet and balance. His shuffle and movement on the infield made him look like he was casually moving, but he always seemed to be squarely in front of the bounding baseball.

Relationship with Ty Cobb

Gehringer once told the story of how Cobb, when he was managing the Tigers, urged his players to buy stock in General Motors and Coca-Cola. “But none of us had any money,” Gehringer said, “so we couldn’t follow his advice.”

Gehringer was one of the few players who was “discovered” by Ty Cobb. When Cobb was player-manager of the Tigers in the 1920s, he was given a tip about Gehringer. After seeing young Charlie play, Cobb insisted the Tigers sign him to a minor league deal. Two years later he was in the Detroit lineup. 

Cobb never talked to many of his teammates or players when he managed. Unless it was about hitting, a subject that Ty was expert in. He actually took a different approach with Gehringer.

“That boy shouldn’t be messed with,” Cobb told reporters at the tail-end of the 1924 season when Charlie made a brief debut for the “Ty-gers.” Gehringer’ swing from the left side was so good, Cobb didn’t want anyone tinkering with his young infielder.

Eventually, like Cobb, Gehringer became a middle of the lineup menace, banging out 200+ hits in seven seasons, including five in a row. Charlie could turn on an inside pitch: he 40+ doubles seven times, including 60 in 1936.

1936: the greatest season

That season, 1936, was Gehringer’s magnum opus. He hit .354 with 227 hits, scored 144 runs, smacked those 60 two-baggers, as well as 12 triples and 15 home runs. He also drove in a career-best 116 runs. That type of season has never been duplicated by a second baseman.

“I can’t imagine a batter ballplayer than Gehringer,” Yankees manager Joe McCarthy said.

When the Baseball Hall of Fame was dedicated in 1936, a sportswriter mentioned that “Gehringer of Detroit will someday hang his cap in the halls of that esteemed building.”

Indeed, in 1949 Charlie was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, though he had to beg off attending his own induction.

That’s because the “eternal bachelor” finally tied the knot in ’49, to a Josephine Stillen of Detroit. The ceremony was held just five days after the Hall of Fame induction, and Charlie chose to stick around Michigan to prepare for that big day.

Finally, Charlie had someone to dance with regularly. Josephine and Charlie were married for 44 years, until Gehringer passed in 1993.