1937 MVP and Triple Crown Winner, Joe “Ducky” Medwick!

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Joe Medwick Photo Gallery
Click on any image below to see photos in full size and to start Photo Gallery:

: Joe Medwick, Bill Lee, Paul Dean

: Joe Medwick slides hard into Mickey Cochrane in the 1934 World Series

: All Stars Joe Gordon, Joe DiMaggio, Mel Ott, Ted Williams, Joe Medwick

: Dixie Walker, Joe Medwick, Dolph Camilli, Pete Reiser

: Joe Medwick and Curt Davis, shown here with Leo Durocher, were traded together to the Dodgers in 1940. Six days later, Medwick was nearly killed by a bean-ball from Bob Bowman

: Stan Musial, Joe Medwick, Enos Slaughter, July 30, 1950

: Medwick with teammate Enos Slaughter

: All Stars Joe Medwick, Ernie Lombardi, Mel Ott, Wally Burger, Rip Collins

: Cardinals Enos Slaughter, Terry Moore, Joe Medwick

: Cardinals Johnny Mize, Curt Davis, Lon Warneke, Terry Moore, Joe Medwick

: Joe Medwick of the St. Louis Cards

: Joe Medwick

: Medwick carried off the field after his beaning in 1940

: Commissioner Landis removes Medwick from the 1934 World Series “for his own safety.”

: Joe Medwick with Mel Ott, who tied with Medwick for the Home Run lead in 1937.

: Joe “Ducky” Medwick in a rare good mood.

: Joe Medwick sprawled out after his beaning by Bob Bowman

: Medwick and teammate Dizzy Dean

: Commissioner Landis removes Medwick from Game Seven of the 1937 World Series “for his own safety.”

: Medwick slides hard into Marv Owen in the 1934 World Series, and the Tiger fans react by pelting Medwick with garbage.

1937 MVP and Triple Crown Winner, Joe “Ducky” Medwick!

With today’s announcement that Mike Trout and Kris Bryant are the 2016 MVPs, this is a good time to say a few words about a terrific hitter who was the 1937 MVP and also the ’37 Triple Crown winner: Joe “Ducky” Medwick.

“When Joe Medwick dies, half the National League will go to his wake just to make sure that S-O-B is dead!” –Unnamed teammate of Joe Medwick

As the above quote testifies, Joe Medwick was not real popular among his teammates. He was known as a hard-nosed, self-centered guy with a terrible temper. As a member of the famed “Gas House Gang,” he brawled more often with his own teammates than with opposing players.

Medwick may not have been popular, but he was a magnificent hitter. Remembered mostly for his great years with the Cardinals from 1932-40, Medwick also played for the Dodgers, Giants, and Braves. Over his 17-year career (1932-48), the 10-time All-Star hit .324, with 2471 hits, 1198 runs, 205 home runs, 1383 RBIs, and a .362 on-base percentage. Although a known free swinger, he struck out only 551 times in 8143 plate appearances.

Joe had a career year in 1937, his MVP-Triple Crown year. It’s one of the greatest offensive years in baseball history and he remains the last National League player to win a Triple Crown. He led the league in batting average (.374), hits (237), doubles (56), runs (111), home runs (31), RBIs (154), on-base percentage (.414), slugging (.641), and total bases (406). Medwick led the National League three consecutive years in RBIs (1936-38). He holds the National League record for doubles in a season (64), and the Major League record for most consecutive years with 40 or more doubles (1933-39). He was a star player on the 1934 “Gas House Gang” World Series champion Cardinals and was also a member of the 1941 pennant-winning Dodgers.

Medwick suffered a horrendous beaning in 1940. He was rendered unconscious and nearly killed by a fastball thrown by former Cardinal teammate, Bob Bowman. It happened six days after he was traded to the Dodgers along with Curt Davis. Unlike Ray Chapman, who died from a beaning by Carl Mays in 1920, Medwick survived the beaning but suffered a severe concussion and was never the same player. Dodger manager Leo Durocher had to be restrained from going after Bowman, yelling that he had hit Medwick on purpose.

Medwick’s wildest moment in baseball occurred in Game Seven of the ’34 World Series. In the sixth inning Medwick tripled off the centerfield fence, sliding hard into third with spikes high. Whether he accidentally or deliberately spiked Tiger third baseman Marv Owen isn’t known. Punches were thrown. Umpire Bill Klem broke up the struggle and neither player was ejected. Angry Tiger fans reacted by pelting Medwick with garbage and anything else they could get their hands on. Fearing for Medwick’s safety, Commissioner Landis summoned the umpiring crew, Medwick, and Cards’ Manager Frankie Frisch to his box and decided to remove Medwick from the game. He‘s still the only player ever to be thrown out of a game “for his own personal safety.”

Joe Medwick was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1968. In 1999, he was named #79 on The Sporting News’ list of Baseball’s Greatest Players; and was nominated the same year as a finalist for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. The Cardinals inducted Medwick among 22 former players in the Cardinals’ Hall of Fame for the inaugural class of 2014

-Gary Livacari

Photo Credits: Sports Illustrated, The Baseball Book; The Leslie Jones Boston Public Library collection; and public domain

Background information: Excerpts edited from the Joe Medwick Wikikpedia page, and from the Dean-Ball Era “Bad to the Bone” web page. http://www.thedeadballera.com/BadBoneMedwick.htm

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