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 Lefty Gomez and June O’Dea Photo Gallery
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Another Edition of From the Lighter Side!

The Marriage of Lefty Gomez and Actress June O’Dea

“I’d rather be lucky than good!” -Famous quote attributed to Lefty Gomez

It’s been a long while since I featured ballplayers and their wives, so now’s a good time to once again shine our baseball spotlight. This time we feature Hall-of-Famer Lefty Gomez and his wife, the beautiful actress, June O’Dea. 

Vernon “Lefty” Gomez was undoubtedly a great pitcher. But he was also known for his colorful screwball personality, his self-deprecating humor, and his always-ready quips. Behind only Yogi Berra and possibly Dizzy Dean, he was one of the most quotable ballplayers to ever lace up the spikes. He even added to the baseball lexicon, having coined the phrase, “Gopher Ball,” meaning that the outfielders always had to “go-fer” all the home runs he threw (see below for some good examples of the Gomez wit). 

But after I saw pics of his lovely wife, actress June O’Dea, I always thought that Lefty married—how shall I put this nicely?—just a little bit “over his head!” I have a feeling even he’d agree with me on that. Check out the photo gallery and see what you think…

Lefty and June

In 1932, Gomez became smitten with the stunningly beautiful actress June O’Dea (born Eileen Frances Schwarz), then the leading lady of the Broadway hit, “Of Thee I Sing.” He later recalled “hanging around the theater” and seeing “the show so often I could act it myself.”

They were married the following year, beginning their stormy on-again-off-again marriage. June became best friends with Dorothy Arnold, the first wife of Joe DiMaggio. Except on the nights before Lefty was to pitch, it was said June and Dorothy would “drag their husbands from one Manhattan nightspot to another.” In 1936, with Lefty’s urging, June gave up her career to become a fulltime wife and mother.

But by 1937, the marriage was on shaky ground. Through the tabloids, June learned that Lefty was seeking a Mexican divorce, charging incompatibility. Being a devout Catholic, June refused a divorce but agreed to a formal separation, citing abandonment and cruel and inhuman treatment. Separation proceedings continued for months, but were called off in May of 1938.

Fortunately, the marriage survived, as the couple later reconciled. They went on to have two daughters and two sons and eventually seven grandchildren. Lefty and June remained married for 56 years until Lefty’s death in 1989. June passed away in 1992.

Daughter Vernona Gomez is a highly acclaimed author, having written the definitive biography of her father: Lefty, An American Odyssey. She is also a historian, successful career businesswoman, and concert pianist, having made her debut at Carnegie Recital Hall at age eight. (From Vernona’s biographical notes: “As a child, she bounced on Babe Ruth’s knee, made sandcastles on the beach with Joe DiMaggio at spring training and won at cards with the legendary 511 game-winner Cy Young who pulled the ‘Old-Maid’ from her hand, much to her delight.”)

Lefty’s Career

Lefty played 14 seasons in the majors (1930-1943), all with the Yankees, except for one game with the Senators in 1943. Over his career, he posted a 189-102 record (.649) with a 3.34 ERA, 1468 strikeouts, 173 complete games, and 28 shutouts.

Lefty Gomez was a five-time World Series champion with the Yankees, a 20-game winner four times, and a seven-time All-Star. Lefty led the American League twice each in wins, winning percentage, and ERA; and was a three-time league leader in shutouts and strikeouts. He held opponents to a lifetime .242 batting average while pitching in the offense-heavy 1930s.

Lefty’s best season came in 1934 when he went 26-5. In both 1934 and 1937, he won the pitching Triple Crown. His .649 career winning percentage ranks 15th in major league history among pitchers with 200 or more decisions. He won six World Series games without a loss, a career World Series record. 

Lefty was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1972. In 1999, he was ranked #73 on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players. He is also a Yankee Stadium Monument Park honoree.

The Famous Lefty Gomez Humor

• When asked if it was true if he would throw at his own grandmother, Lefty responded: “You’re damn right I would. She’s a good hitter!”
• “When Neil Armstrong first set foot on the moon, he and all the other space scientists were puzzled by an unidentifiable white object. I knew immediately what it was. That was a home run ball hit off me by Jimmie Foxx in 1933!”
• In one game, “El Goofo,” one of Lefty’s numerous nicknames, came up to bat when it was slightly foggy. Bob Feller was on the mound and Gomez struck a match before stepping into the batter’s box. “What’s the big idea?” asked the umpire. “Do you think that match will help you see Feller’s fast one?” Gomez replied, “No, I’m not concerned about that. I just want to make sure he can see me!”
• After he retired from baseball he was once called upon to fill out a job application form. In the “Reason for leaving last employment” blank, Lefty wrote, “Couldn’t get anybody out!”
• “I was never nervous when I had the ball. But when I let go, I was scared to death. I talked to the ball a lot of times in my career. I yelled, ‘Go foul, go foul!’”
• “I want to thank all my teammates who scored so many runs – and Joe DiMaggio who ran down so many of my mistakes!”
• “I’m something like the old soak who never knew whether his wife told him to take one drink and come home at 12, or take 12 drinks and come home at one!”
• “I was the worst hitter ever…I never even broke a bat until last year when I was backing out of the garage!” (A notoriously poor hitter, his career OPS+ of -7 is the fifth-worst in baseball history among players with at least 1,000 plate appearances.)

Lefty Gomez, one of baseball’s most endearing and zany personalities, passed away on February 17, 1989. Let’s take a moment to remember the great Hall-of-Fame pitcher and his lovely wife, June O’Dea! 

And yes…I think it’s safe to say that Lefty did marry just a bit “over his head!”

Gary Livacari

Photo Credits: Featured photo from the George Brace Baseball Photo Collection; from LeftyGomezLLC; and from Google search.

Information: Excerpts edited from the Lefty Gomez Wikipedia page

Stats from Baseball Reference.com

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