Between 1865 and the First World War, Southern Ontario was a hotbed for baseball talent. Out of the sandlots of London rose one of the finest catchers of the era, George 'Mooney' Gibson. Gibson entered the professional ranks with Buffalo in 1903, played for a time with Montreal, then signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1905. An extraordinary catcher, he was known for his smart pitch-calling and his ability to hold runners on base. His best season came in 1909 when he caught 150 games and led his team to the World Series. Under his careful watch and powerful arm, Detroit's famous base-stealer Ty Cobb was able to steal just once during the entire series. Gibson was also able to bring out the best in pitcher Babe Adams, and the Pirates easily took the championship. After 12 years with Pittsburgh, Gibson played for two years with the New York Giants before retiring. Over the next 16 years, he traveled around the U.S., trying his hand at managing, coaching, and scouting for a variety of teams. He managed the Pirates from 1920 to 1922 and coached with the Washington Senators in 1923. Gibson spent 1925 managing the Chicago Cubs before returning to Pittsburgh as a scout and later manager once again. He coached Toronto's International League team briefly in 1934 before retiring. Gibson was named Canadian baseball player of the half century in 1950. He was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987 and was the first baseball player to be inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.