William Jethro "Kid" Gleason (October 26, 1866 – January 2, 1933) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) player and manager.

He acquired the nickname "Kid" early in life, not only because of his short stature (growing to only 5-foot-7, 155 pounds)[1] but also because of his quite energetic, youthful nature.

[2] Gleason debuted as a pitcher with the Philadelphia Quakers on April 20, 1888, after impressing Hall of Fame manager Harry Wright during an exhibition game against the University of Pennsylvania.

[1] Early in the 1895 season, manager Ned Hanlon moved Gleason to second base full time, where he hit well but fielded poorly that year.

[1] Gleason also earned local fame on April 26, 1900, for helping New York firemen rescue residents from an apartment fire.

"[4] After sitting out 1910 and 1911, Gleason joined the Chicago White Sox in 1912, where he made one appearance as a player and became a coach under manager Jimmy Callahan.

Gleason, however, was not involved in the gambling, and some sources noted he was among those who alerted White Sox owner Charles Comiskey of the fix.

His funeral was attended by an estimated 5,000 people, including baseball luminaries such as Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis and Hall of Fame manager John McGraw.