Gleason was born in Camden, New Jersey. He acquired the nickname "Kid" early in life, not only because of his short stature but also because of his quite energetic, youthful nature. Gleason played two seasons in the minor leagues of northern Pennsylvania. In 1886 at Williamsport of the Pennsylvania State League, he batted.355 and stole 20 bases in 36 games. Gleason debuted as a pitcher with the Philadelphia Phillies on April 20, 1888, enjoying several successful seasons, especially 1890 with 38 wins, before becoming a second baseman. He was the starting second baseman for the old Baltimore Orioles in 1895. Gleason compiled a.261 career batting average, retiring after the 1912 season. With his two at-bats in one game in 1912, he became a member of a small group of men, 29 to that date, who had played major league baseball in four decades. Gleason returned to the major leagues in 1913 as a coach, before becoming manager of the Chicago White Sox on December 31, 1918. In his first season, the team won the pennant but lost the World Series to the Cincinnati Reds, resulting in allegations the White Sox had been paid by gamblers to "throw" the Series. The ensuing scandal resulted in lifetime bans from baseball for eight White Sox players. Gleason, however, was not involved in the gambling, and some sources noted he was among those who alerted White Sox owner Charles Comiskey of the fix. Although he felt betrayed and disappointed by his 1919 team, he continued to manage the White Sox through the 1923 season. After leaving in 1923, Kid Gleason went on to coach under manager Connie Mack with the Philadelphia Athletics until retiring after the 1931 season. Gleason won two World Series championships with the Athletics, in 1929 and 1930. Gleason died due to a heart ailment in 1933, at the age of 66, in Philadelphia; his funeral was well attended, a testament to his popularity. He is buried in Philadelphia's Northwood Cemetery. Gleason has been referenced in pop culture in several books, and is a prominent supporting character in Ring Lardner's 1916 novel You Know Me Al. He is portrayed by actor John Mahoney in the 1988 filmEight Men Out, based on Eliot Asinof's book of the same name.
