Doc Gautreau

{{short description|American baseball player, manager, and scout (1901-1970)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Doc Gautreau

|position=Second baseman

|image=Walter Paul Gautreau yearbook photo 1921.png

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|birth_date={{Birth date|1901|7|26}}

|birth_place=Cambridge, Massachusetts

|death_date={{Death date and age|1970|8|23|1901|7|26}}

|death_place=Salt Lake City

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=June 22

|debutyear=1925

|debutteam=Philadelphia Athletics

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=September 29

|finalyear=1928

|finalteam=Boston Braves

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Batting average

|stat1value=.257

|stat2label=Home runs

|stat2value=0

|stat3label=Runs batted in

|stat3value=52

|teams=

• Philadelphia Athletics (1925)
• Boston Braves (1925–1928)

}}

Walter Paul "Doc" Gautreau (July 26, 1901 – August 23, 1970) was an American professional baseball player, manager and scout. The native of Cambridge, Massachusetts, was a second baseman during his playing days who stood a diminutive {{convert|5|ft|2|in}} tall[http://goholycross.com/hallfame/Walter_P._Gautreau Holy Cross Athletics Hall of Fame page] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711104806/http://goholycross.com/hallfame/Walter_P._Gautreau |date=July 11, 2011 }} and weighed {{convert|129|lb}}. He threw and batted right-handed.

File:Gautreau newspaper.png

Gautreau attended The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, and the Crusaders went 92-8-1 during his tenure as the team's second baseman. He played his first year of professional baseball in {{baseball year|1925}}, making his debut in the Major Leagues that June as a member of the Philadelphia Athletics. After four games played and seven hitless at bats, his contract was sold to the Boston Braves of the National League in July.

Gautreau's batting then picked up, as he hit .267 for the Braves that season, and won a job as a part-time player in {{baseball year|1926}} and {{baseball year|1927}}. His tenure with the Braves was curtailed, however, when Boston obtained future Baseball Hall of Fame second baseman Rogers Hornsby for the 1928 campaign. Gautreau spent most of that season in the Class A Eastern League and made his final Major League appearance at the end of September. All told, he appeared in 261 games over four big-league seasons (1925–1928), and batted .257 with 207 hits and 40 stolen bases.[https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gautrdo01.shtml Information] at Baseball Reference

Upon leaving the Majors, Gautreau became a regular with the Montreal Royals of the International League, playing with them for five seasons, including two as playing manager. After his career in uniform, he scouted for the Braves in both Boston and Milwaukee, as well as with the Los Angeles/California Angels. He died in Salt Lake City, Utah, at age 69.