- published: 07 Dec 2013
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Constantine Gregory "Gus" Niarhos (December 6, 1920 – December 29, 2004) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the New York Yankees (1946, 1948–50), Chicago White Sox (1950–51), Boston Red Sox (1952–53) and Philadelphia Phillies (1954–55). Niarhos batted and threw right-handed, stood 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and weighed 160 pounds (73 kg).
A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Niarhos signed a contract with the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1941. He began his professional baseball career with the Akron Yankees at the age of 20. Niarhos posted a .306 batting average in 112 games, to help Akron win the 1941 Middle Atlantic League pennant. In 1942 he moved up to the Binghamton Triplets of the Eastern League where he hit for a .278 average. Niarhos joined the United States Navy in 1943 and, was stationed at Quonset Point Naval Air Station in Rhode Island.
After the Second World War ended, Niarhos returned to the Yankees organisation in 1946, playing for Kansas City Blues of the American Association. He made his major league debut with the Yankees on June 9, 1946 at the age of 25. Niarhos returned to the minor leagues in 1947 where he hit for a .321 batting average in 93 games for Kansas City, prompting Blues manager Billy Meyer to describe him as, "the best catcher in the organisation." This was high praise in an organisation that included future catching standouts such as Yogi Berra, Sherm Lollar and Aaron Robinson.