good plate discipline. He was tough to strike out, whiffing just 372 times in 8,860 at-bats, or once every 23.8 at-bats. He also had a very good walk-to-strikeout ratio, drawing 1,186 bases on balls against 372 strikeouts for a 3.19 to 1 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Gehringer was also one of the best-fielding second basemen in history, having led all American League second basemen in fielding percentage and assists seven times. His 7,068 assists is the second-highest total in major league history for a second baseman. He also collected 5,369 putouts as a second baseman (the 6th highest total for a second baseman) and 1,444 double plays (the 7th highest total for a second baseman). He recorded a career .976 fielding percentage. Known for his consistency as a hitter and fielder, Gehringer was given the nickname "the Mechanical Man" by Yankee pitcher Lefty Gomez. Teammate Doc Cramer quipped: "You wind him up Opening Day and forget him." A durable player, Gehringer had two consecutive game streaks of more than 500 games—one from 1927 to 1931 and the other from 1931 to 1935. Career statistics: Early years: 1903–1926 Gehringer was born on May 11, 1903, on a rented farm in Iosco Township, south west of Fowlerville, Michigan, in southwestern Livingston County, Michigan. He was the second son of Leonard Gehringer and Theresa (Hahn) (Eisele) Gehringer, both German Catholic immigrants. Both of his parents had been married previously, and Charlie had eight half-siblings from Leonard's first marriage, and a half-sister from his mother's first marriage. As a young boy the family moved to a different rented farm just south of Fowlerville in Handy Township, Michigan. In 1922 after graduating from Fowlerville High School, he enrolled at the University of Michigan, about from the family farm. Gehringer took physical education classes and played basketball and baseball. Gehringer later recalled that he lettered in basketball but not baseball. In the fall of 1923, after his first year at the University of Michigan, Gehringer was discovered by Detroit Tigers left fielder Bobby Veach. Veach heard about Gehringer, and brought him down to Navin Field to work out for a week and show the Tigers what he could do. Player-manager Ty Cobb was reportedly so impressed with Gehringer that he asked club owner Frank Navin to sign Gehringer to a contract on the spot. "I knew Charlie would hit and I was so anxious to sign him that