Joe Medwick
Encyclopedia
Joseph Michael Medwick nicknamed "Ducky", was an American Major League Baseball
player. A left fielder
for the St. Louis Cardinals
during the "Gashouse Gang
" era of the 1930s, he also played for the Brooklyn Dodgers
(1940–43, '46), New York Giants
(1943–45), and Boston Braves
(1945). He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America
in 1968
, receiving 84.81% of the votes.
Medwick was born to Hungarian immigrants and grew up in Carteret, New Jersey
where his portrait is displayed in Borough Hall rendered by fine art artist Lori Baratta. He made his debut with the Cardinals in 1932. Fans nicknamed him "Ducky Wucky", or just "Ducky", because of his waddle when he walked; but his build led to the nickname of "Muscles" which meant that none of his teammates dared to use the name "Ducky" to his face. His hard-charging style of play got him pulled out of the seventh game of the 1934 World Series
by Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis
, when Detroit Tigers
fans started pelting him with garbage after he slid hard into third base on a triple. (Audio) Landis also ordered Tigers third baseman Marv Owen
, into whom Medwick had slid, benched.
A ten-time All-Star
, he played for seventeen seasons, finishing with a lifetime .324 batting average
. He won the National League Triple Crown
and the NL Most Valuable Player
in 1937, remaining the last National League player to win a triple crown. Medwick holds the major league record for consecutive seasons with 40 or more doubles, set from 1933 through 1939.
Medwick helped lead the Dodgers to a pennant in 1941, but had lost much of his dominance after being nearly killed by a beanball thrown at him by former Cardinal teammate Bob Bowman, six days after his 1940 trade. He eventually returned to St. Louis to finish his career with the Cardinals in 1947 and 1948.
During a USO tour by a number of players in 1944, Medwick was among several individuals given an audience by Pope Pius XII
. Upon being asked by the Pope what his vocation was, Medwick replied, "Your Holiness, I'm Joe Medwick. I, too, used to be a Cardinal."
Medwick died of a heart attack
in St. Petersburg, Florida
at age 63.
Medwick was one of three players born in New Jersey
to be elected to the Hall of Fame, and one of five to have attended school in the state—in each case, the only one from the central part of the state. At Number 79, he was the highest-ranking New Jersey native to have made The Sporting News list of Baseball's Greatest Players in 1999. That same year, he was nominated as a finalist for the Major League Baseball
All-Century Team.
He was elected New Jersey athlete of the century at century's end.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player. A left fielder
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
for the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
during the "Gashouse Gang
Gashouse Gang
The Gashouse Gang was a nickname applied to the St. Louis Cardinals Major League Baseball team of .The Cardinals, by most accounts, earned this nickname from the team's generally very shabby appearance and rough-and-tumble tactics...
" era of the 1930s, he also played for the Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
(1940–43, '46), New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
(1943–45), and Boston Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
(1945). He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America
Baseball Writers Association of America
The Baseball Writers' Association of America is a professional association for baseball journalists writing for daily newspapers, magazines and qualifying Web sites. The BBWAA was founded on October 14, 1908, to improve working conditions for sportswriters in the early part of the 20th century...
in 1968
Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 1968
Elections to the Baseball Hall of Fame for 1968 followed rules revised in June 1967, which returned the BBWAA to annual elections without any provision for runoff....
, receiving 84.81% of the votes.
Medwick was born to Hungarian immigrants and grew up in Carteret, New Jersey
Carteret, New Jersey
Carteret is a borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 22,844.Carteret was created as the borough of Roosevelt on 11 April 1906, incorporating Woodbridge Township, and was a result of a referendum on 22 May 1906...
where his portrait is displayed in Borough Hall rendered by fine art artist Lori Baratta. He made his debut with the Cardinals in 1932. Fans nicknamed him "Ducky Wucky", or just "Ducky", because of his waddle when he walked; but his build led to the nickname of "Muscles" which meant that none of his teammates dared to use the name "Ducky" to his face. His hard-charging style of play got him pulled out of the seventh game of the 1934 World Series
1934 World Series
The 1934 World Series matched the St. Louis Cardinals against the Detroit Tigers, with the Cardinals' "Gashouse Gang" winning in seven games for their third championship in nine years....
by Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis
Kenesaw Mountain Landis
Kenesaw Mountain Landis was an American jurist who served as a federal judge from 1905 to 1922 and as the first Commissioner of Baseball from 1920 until his death...
, when Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
fans started pelting him with garbage after he slid hard into third base on a triple. (Audio) Landis also ordered Tigers third baseman Marv Owen
Marv Owen
Marvin James Owen was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball. He played nine seasons in the American League with the Detroit Tigers , Chicago White Sox , and Boston Red Sox ....
, into whom Medwick had slid, benched.
A ten-time All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
, he played for seventeen seasons, finishing with a lifetime .324 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
. He won the National League Triple Crown
Triple crown (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, a player earns the Triple Crown when he leads a league in three specific statistical categories. For batters, a player must lead the league in home runs, run batted in , and batting average; pitchers must lead the league in wins, strikeouts, and earned run average...
and the NL Most Valuable Player
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
in 1937, remaining the last National League player to win a triple crown. Medwick holds the major league record for consecutive seasons with 40 or more doubles, set from 1933 through 1939.
Medwick helped lead the Dodgers to a pennant in 1941, but had lost much of his dominance after being nearly killed by a beanball thrown at him by former Cardinal teammate Bob Bowman, six days after his 1940 trade. He eventually returned to St. Louis to finish his career with the Cardinals in 1947 and 1948.
During a USO tour by a number of players in 1944, Medwick was among several individuals given an audience by Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
. Upon being asked by the Pope what his vocation was, Medwick replied, "Your Holiness, I'm Joe Medwick. I, too, used to be a Cardinal."
Medwick died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
at age 63.
Medwick was one of three players born in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
to be elected to the Hall of Fame, and one of five to have attended school in the state—in each case, the only one from the central part of the state. At Number 79, he was the highest-ranking New Jersey native to have made The Sporting News list of Baseball's Greatest Players in 1999. That same year, he was nominated as a finalist for the Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
All-Century Team.
He was elected New Jersey athlete of the century at century's end.
See also
- List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters
- List of Major League Baseball doubles records
- List of major league players with 2,000 hits
- List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles
- List of Major League Baseball players with 100 triples
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI
- Hitting for the cycleHitting for the cycleIn baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter hitting a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are uncommon in Major League Baseball , occurring 293 times since the first by Curry...
- Triple Crown
- List of Major League Baseball RBI champions
- List of Major League Baseball batting champions
- List of Major League Baseball home run champions
- List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions
- List of Major League Baseball doubles champions
- List of Major League Baseball triples champions
External links
- Joe Medwick at Find a GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...