Johnny Gee, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

    

Johnny Gee

American baseball and basketball player

Date of Birth: 07-Dec-1915

Place of Birth: Syracuse, New York, United States

Date of Death: 23-Jan-1988

Profession: basketball player, baseball player

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius


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About Johnny Gee

  • John Alexander "Johnny" Gee, Jr.
  • (December 7, 1915 – January 23, 1988), sometimes known as "Long John Gee" and "Whiz", was a professional baseball and basketball player.
  • Gee is one of 13 athletes that played in both the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball.
  • Gee played Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1939 to 1944 and for the New York Giants from 1944 to 1946.
  • In August 1939, he was one of the top pitching prospects in the minor leagues when he was purchased by the Pirates in exchange for $75,000 (equivalent to $1.4 million in 2018) and four players – the highest price paid by the Pirates for a player until the purchase of Hank Greenberg in 1947.
  • After suffering an injury to his throwing arm during spring training in 1940, his performance suffered, and he was sometimes referred to as the "$75,000 lemon."At six feet, nine inches, Gee was the tallest person to play Major League Baseball until Randy Johnson debuted for the Montreal Expos in September 1988.
  • Gee also played professional basketball for the Syracuse Nationals.
  • In November 1946, he became the leading scorer for the Nationals in their first home game and first win as a member of the National Basketball League. Gee also played college baseball and basketball at the University of Michigan from 1935 to 1937.
  • He was the captain of the 1936–37 Michigan Wolverines basketball team and struck out 21 batters in a June 1937 baseball game.
  • He received the Big Ten Medal of Honor as the student in the Class of 1937 who had best demonstrated proficiency in both scholarship and athletics.

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