:Gary Alexander (baseball)

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Gary Alexander

|image=Gary Alexander Indians.jpg

|position=Catcher

|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1953|3|27}}

|birth_place=Los Angeles, California, U.S.

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=September 12

|debutyear=1975

|debutteam=San Francisco Giants

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=September 28

|finalyear=1981

|finalteam=Pittsburgh Pirates

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Batting average

|stat1value=.230

|stat2label=Home runs

|stat2value=55

|stat3label=Runs batted in

|stat3value=202

|teams=

San Francisco Giants ({{mlby|1975}}–{{mlby|1977}})
Oakland Athletics ({{mlby|1978}})
Cleveland Indians ({{mlby|1978}}–{{mlby|1980}})
Pittsburgh Pirates ({{mlby|1981}})

}}

Gary Wayne Alexander (born March 27, 1953) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher from 1975 through 1981 for the San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics, Cleveland Indians and Pittsburgh Pirates.{{cite web|title=Gary Alexander|publisher=Baseball-Reference|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/alexaga01.shtml|access-date=April 11, 2018}} Alexander caught John Montefusco's no-hitter in {{By|1976}}.{{cite web|title=San Francisco Giants 9, Atlanta Braves 0|publisher=Retrosheet|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1976/B09290ATL1976.htm|access-date=2011-04-14}}

Alexander was traded along with Gary Thomasson, Dave Heaverlo, John Henry Johnson, Phil Huffman, Alan Wirth and $300,000 from the Giants to the Athletics for Vida Blue on March 15, {{By|1978}}.[https://www.nytimes.com/1978/03/17/archives/seven-players-traded-to-as-meeting-the-limit-giants-obtain-blue.html "Seven Players Traded to A's," United Press International (UPI), Thursday, March 16, 1978.] Retrieved October 22, 2020 Mario Guerrero was sent to the Athletics on April 7 to complete the transaction. Alexander was dealt again three months later at the trade deadline on June 15 when he went from the Athletics to the Indians for Joe Wallis.[https://thesouthern.newspapers.com/clip/19569931/southern-illinoisan/ "Ex-Salukis Wallis, Dwyer are traded," The Associated Press (AP), Friday, June 16, 1978.] Retrieved January 18, 2023. On September 26, 1978, his home run with two outs in the ninth inning ended a no-hit bid by Mike Flanagan of the Baltimore Orioles.{{cite web|last=Sutton|first=Keith|url=https://sabr.org/journal/article/with-two-out-in-the-ninth-the-almost-no-hitters/|title=With Two Out in the Ninth: The Almost No-Hitters|work=SABR|accessdate=April 10, 2021}}

In a seven-season major league career, Alexander posted a .230 batting average with 55 home runs and 202 RBI in 432 games played. His best statistical season was in 1978 when he hit 27 home runs and had 84 RBI's, 57 runs, 112 hits and 20 doubles in 148 games played, all career-highs.

Alexander is now a captain in the Los Angeles (CA) Fire Department.https://www.facebook.com/gary.alexander.5648?comment_id=Y29tbWVudDo1OTQxODAzNjExNjgyMzlfNTk0NTE4MDQ3ODAxMTM3 {{User-generated source|certain=yes|date=March 2022}}