Quick Facts
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Biography
John Gruber was the Pittsburgh Pirates' official scorekeeper and a sportswriter for local newspapers in Pittsburgh.
Gruber grew up in New Albany, Indian, and later moved to Baltimore where he learned his printing craft. In the mid-1880s, he moved to Pittsburgh from Baltimore and began working with Beobachter, a German language newspaper.
After leaving Beobachter, he joined The Pittsburgh Times, where he began to write baseball news.
From 1890 to 1905, he was the sports editor at The Pittsburgh Post, and from 1905 to 1911, at the Gazette. In addition, in 1893, he was hired by The Pirates as scorekeeper.
Personal life
Gruber was often called "Uncle John" by his colleagues, friends, and fans.
Gruber was married to Mary Elizabeth. They had 10 children; four died at birth or very young.
He died on 18 December 1932 in West View.