Standing at just 5 feet 4 inches (1.63 m), Gilbert was a weak hitter but a good defensive second baseman. He did hit .313 in the 1905 World Series, which the Giants won.
He played with the Giants through the 1906 season. Down the stretch in 1906, McGraw replaced Gilbert with Sammy Strang, who produced better offense.[4] After the season, the Giants tried to assign Gilbert to the Newark Indians of the Class-A Eastern League.[5] Not wanting to play in Newark,[4] Gilbert refused to report. Wanting to stay in the NL, Gilbert attempted to negotiate a contract with the Brooklyn Superbas.[6]
Gilbert returned to MLB in 1908 with the St. Louis Cardinals. After the Cardinals fired John McCloskey as their manager after the 1908 season, Gilbert was considered for the job.[8][9] They instead acquired Roger Bresnahan and made him their player-manager.[10] He made his final MLB appearance on June 27, 1909, and served as a Cardinals' scout during the remainder of the season.[11] He was released by Cardinals manager Roger Bresnahan, a former teammate with the Giants, in March 1910.[12]
During his career, Gilbert was highly regarded for his work ethic.[23] He was described as taking after McGraw.[24]
Later life
Gilbert died on August 8, 1927, at his home in New York as a result of apoplexy.[25][26] He attended a doubleheader in Newark the day before, and was reportedly in good health.[22]
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