In this elite circle of the vintage ball catchers, we believe Gil "Gilligan" Faria ranks as the finest (although some cranks in Hartford and New York may respectfully dispute our claim).  Gilligan has caught every one of the Grays' overhand games since our 1998 debut.  He has become legendary for his authentic nineteenth century-style equipment.  He wears only a reinforced leather glove on his left hand, and a fingerless glove on his right, along with a battered old chest protector and an original nineteenth-century mask. 

With this simple gear, Gilligan is a virtual stonewall behind the plate.  Few pitches escape his grasp, especially with runners on the base paths in a close game.  What he cannot catch, he knocks down with breathtaking lunges and dives.  This is no mean feat with the powerful pitchers of the Grays, who send a steady diet of puzzling curves and lightning fastballs his way.  He is possessed of a strong throwing arm himself, which has stopped many base stealers in their tracks.  Gilligan is also a heady player, with a strong fundamental knowledge of the game and an almost telepathic communication with his pitchers.

Unlike his predecessor and namesake Barney Gilligan, the modern Gilligan is also quite handy facing pitchers as well as catching them, and delivered countless key hits over the six years, spraying an unpredictable variety of line drives across the field.  He is also one of the most gentlemanly and modest players in all of vintage ball, and has a host of well-wishers in every town in which we play.  Three cheers for the mighty Gilligan!