Joe Gordon played for the Yankees between 1938 and 1946 and won the AL MVP in 1942(.322/18/103). Far from being just an offensive player, Gordon played second base admirably(and acrobatically), often amongst the league leaders for his position in assists, double plays and fielding percentage. He was also known for his complete disregard for his own statistics and achievements.
Without ever having seen him play(we’re young here at Highlander Origins), i can only go on the opinions that his peers had of him. He is rarely spoken of among fans and sports reporters today but his overall contributions were not lost on teammates, scouts and coaches:
Joe McCarthy – “The greatest all-around ballplayer I ever saw, and I don’t bar any of them, is Joe Gordon.”
Bill Essick(scout) – “At his best when it meant the most and the going was toughest.”
After playing for the Yankees(finishing with exactly 1000 games and 1000 hits), Gordon continued his excellent career with the Indians while forging a friendship with the first black player in the AL, Larry Doby. Doby would later say that Gordon was his first real friend in white baseball – a lasting legacy for a man who was known as a great player and a consummate professional.
April 22, 2008 at 11:19 am |
Great post guys. The Joe McCarthy quote was excellent.