Columbus native Hank Gowdy distinguished himself as an outstanding baseball player and coach.
A member of professional teams in Dallas, Buffalo, Minneapolis, Rochester, Cincinnati, New York and Boston, Gowdy was a hero of the 1914 World Series, with a .535 batting average that sports writers and fans agreed had helped gain victory for the Boston Braves. He later coached the Boston club and eventually returned to Columbus to manage the Columbus Jets and become the organization’s director of youth activity.
Gowdy began his baseball career sweeping out the Columbus stadium before school. He never forgot his humble beginning and accepted accolades with mild-spoken bashfulness.