Gil Coan

Outfielder · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1946-1956)

Gil Coan was an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 1946 to 1956 for 4 teams, including the Washington Senators, a span of 11 seasons. In 918 career games, he hit .254 with 731 hits, 39 home runs, and 278 RBI.

AVG (Batting Average):
Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
HR (Home Runs):
Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
RBI (Runs Batted In):
Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.

Data updated

AVG .254
HR 39
RBI 278
H 731
OPS .675
PIV -3,252
Position
Outfielder
Bats / Throws
L / R
Height / Weight
6'0" / 180 lb
Born
5/18/1922 in Monroe, NC, USA
Died
2/4/2020 in Hendersonville, NC, USA
MLB Debut
1946-04-27
Last Game
1956-04-25

Full name: Gilbert Fitzgerald Coan

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Career Batting Statistics

Gil Coan — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
918 2,877 384 731 98 44 39 278 83 232 384 .254 .316 .359 .675 -3,252

Career AVG .254 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .316 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — 5.9% below league average.

Career SLG .359 vs. league average .384 across their career seasons — 6.5% below league average.

Career OPS .675 vs. league average .720 across their career seasons — 6.2% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Gil Coan Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1946 WS1 AL 59 134 17 28 3 2 3 9 2 7 37 .209 .256 (-19%) .328 (-18%) .358 (-8%) .687 (-13%) -294.1
1947 WS1 AL 11 42 5 21 3 2 0 3 2 5 6 .500 — — — — 0.0
1948 WS1 AL 138 513 56 119 13 9 7 60 23 41 78 .232 .263 (-12%) .340 (-12%) .379 (-12%) .719 (-12%) -1069.3
1949 WS1 AL 111 358 36 78 7 8 3 25 9 29 58 .218 .262 (-17%) .343 (-19%) .384 (-20%) .727 (-20%) -1207.6
1950 WS1 AL 104 366 58 111 17 4 7 50 10 28 46 .303 .265 (+14%) .346 (+4%) .401 (+7%) .747 (+5%) 353.1
1951 WS1 AL 135 538 85 163 25 7 9 62 8 39 62 .303 .260 (+16%) .336 (+6%) .385 (+10%) .721 (+8%) 831.5
1952 WS1 AL 107 332 50 68 11 6 5 20 9 32 35 .205 .252 (-19%) .326 (-15%) .369 (-14%) .696 (-14%) -798.7
1953 WS1 AL 68 168 28 33 1 4 2 17 7 22 23 .196 .264 (-26%) .335 (-11%) .397 (-28%) .733 (-20%) -522.0
1954 BAL AL 94 265 29 74 11 1 2 20 9 16 17 .279 .261 (+7%) .333 (-4%) .390 (-10%) .723 (-7%) -316.1
1955 BAL AL 61 130 18 31 7 1 1 11 4 13 15 .238 .258 (-8%) .332 (-6%) .393 (-16%) .726 (-11%) -228.5
1955 CHA AL 17 17 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 5 .176 — — — — -228.5
1955 NY1 NL 9 13 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .154 — — — — -228.5
1956 NY1 NL 4 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 — — — — 0.0
Career · 13 seasons 918 2,877 384 731 98 44 39 278 83 232 384 .254 — — — — -3,709

Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (918 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Gil Coan — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home472146319436918145.252
Away446141319036221133.256

Last 10 Games — Batting

Gil Coan — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1956-04-25 NY1BROL 100000001
1956-04-22 NY1PHIW 010000000
1956-04-19 NY1PITL 000000000
1956-04-18 NY1PITW 010000000
1955-09-25 NY1PHIL 300000001
1955-09-21 NY1PITW 000000000
1955-09-20 NY1PITW 100000000
1955-09-20 NY1PITW 100000000
1955-09-18 NY1BROL 101000000
1955-09-11 NY1CHCL 101000000

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Gil Coan — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
OF 749 95 1741 53 49 12

Season-by-Season Fielding

Gil Coan — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1946 WS1 OF 29 0 62 0 2 0
1947 WS1 OF 11 0 22 1 0 1
1948 WS1 OF 131 0 341 11 11 3
1949 WS1 OF 97 0 225 8 6 3
1950 WS1 OF 98 0 220 4 7 1
1951 WS1 OF 132 0 374 17 14 2
1952 WS1 OF 86 0 185 4 3 1
1953 WS1 OF 46 0 105 2 0 1
1954 BAL OF 67 64 148 1 5 0
1955 BAL OF 43 29 53 5 1 0
1955 CHA OF 3 1 2 0 0 0
1955 NY1 OF 6 1 4 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Gil Coan Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Left Field 660
Center Field 67
Right Field 21

College History

Gil Coan — College History
School Name City State Years Attended
Brevard College Brevard NC 1940

Award Voting History

Gil Coan — Award Voting History
Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1951 Most Valuable Player AL 23th 8.0 336 0

Most Similar Players

Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.

Career Spans

Gil Coan (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Pat Sheridan
    .253 avg, 51 HR
  2. 93
    Ted Uhlaender
    .263 avg, 36 HR
  3. 92
    Wilbur Good
    .258 avg, 9 HR
  4. 91
    Larry Twitchell
    .263 avg, 19 HR
  5. 91
    Jim Wohlford
    .260 avg, 21 HR
  6. 90
    Bris Lord
    .256 avg, 13 HR

Gil Coan: the record in brief

April 27, 1946 and April 25, 1956 bracket Gil Coan's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. By club, Coan's seasons break down as the Washington Senators (1946 to 1953), the Baltimore Orioles (1954 to 1955), the Chicago White Sox (1955), and the New York Giants (1955 to 1956). Born on May 18, 1922, in Monroe, NC, USA, Coan is listed as an outfielder and threw right-handed and batted left-handed. The bio gives 6'0" and 180 pounds. The bio records the death on February 4, 2020, in Hendersonville, NC, USA. The bio lists the given name Gilbert Fitzgerald.

Coan's career batting table shows 918 games, 2,877 at bats and 731 hits, a .254 average, along with 39 home runs, 278 runs batted in, and 83 stolen bases. Coan got on base at a .316 rate and slugged .359 (.675 OPS). Coan hit .254 while the league hit .261 over the same span, a figure close to average. Coan collected a career-high 163 hits in 1951. 1948 brought a season-best 23 stolen bases.

Frequently Asked Questions about Gil Coan

What years did Gil Coan play?
Gil Coan played in Major League Baseball from 1946 to 1956.
Was Gil Coan a pitcher?
No. Gil Coan was a position player (Outfielder).
How many home runs did Gil Coan hit?
Gil Coan hit 39 career home runs with 731 hits.
What teams did Gil Coan play for?
Gil Coan played for 4 teams: the Washington Senators (1946–1953), the Baltimore Orioles (1954–1955), the Chicago White Sox (1955), and the New York Giants (1955–1956).
What were Gil Coan's career stats?
In 918 games, Gil Coan had 731 hits, 39 home runs, 278 RBI, 384 runs, and 83 stolen bases, with a .254 batting average.
What position did Gil Coan play?
Gil Coan played primarily as an outfielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Gil Coan and how much did he weigh?
Gil Coan was listed at 6 feet and 180 pounds.
How many home runs did Gil Coan hit each season?
Gil Coan's home runs by season: 3 in 1946, 0 in 1947, 7 in 1948, 3 in 1949, 7 in 1950, 9 in 1951, 5 in 1952, 2 in 1953, 2 in 1954, 1 in 1955, and 0 in 1956. His most in one season was 9, in 1951.
What was Gil Coan's career batting average?
Gil Coan batted .254 over his career, with 731 hits in 2,877 at bats.
How many RBI did Gil Coan have?
Gil Coan drove in 278 runs in his career.
Is Gil Coan in the Hall of Fame?
No. Gil Coan has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.