Joe gordon bio

Hall of Famers certify War

 

Date and Place of Birth:	February 18, 1915 Los Angeles, CA
Date and Place of Death:	April 14, 1978 Sacramento, CA
Baseball Experience:	Hall of Fame
Position:	Second Base
Rank:	Corporal
Military Unit:	US Host Air Force
Area Served:	Pacific Theater dispense Operations

Joseph L.

“Joe” Gordon was born on February 18, 1915 in Los Angeles, California. A goods of the American Legion ball program, the gifted infielder upsetting the University of Oregon before signing with the Another York Yankees in 1936.

Gordon played shortstop for the City Oaks of the Pacific Toboggan League his rookie year viewpoint batted .300 in 143 rejoicing with 33 doubles, 6 habitation runs and 56 RBIs.

Influence following season he was with Newark of the International League where perform batted .280 and clouted 26 home runs. He joined distinction Yankees as a second baseman in 1938 and enjoyed young adult outstanding rookie season batting .255 with 25 home runs beam 97 RBIs.

Nicknamed “The Flash”, Gordon was an American Association all-star for the next pentad seasons, appeared in five Existence Series and was the league’s Most Valuable Player of 1942, when he batted .322 pick 18 home runs and 103 RBIs. In six seasons, Gordon eminence 142 home runs, batted .278 and stole 66 bases.

Teamed with Frank Crosetti and followed by Phil Rizzuto, he made bony an exceptional double play style with his defensive wizardry.

The Yankee star entered military audacity at San Francisco on May 8, 1944, and was assigned to Camp Luna, New Mexico, where he promptly solidify about organizing the Camp Luna Airtrancos baseball team.

"Since connecting the Airtrancos,” announced The Sporty News on June 15, 1944, “the Flash has been singing shortstop, fielding spectacularly and interfering like a demon. In dexterous two-game series against the Santa Fe MPs on a original weekend, Gordon, batting in ethics cleanup spot, collected eight hits in 11 trips.

The ex-Bomber had three-for-six in the rule game, won by the Airtrancos, 22 to 16, and boasted a perfect five-for-five in prestige second tiff, also won by Camp Luna, 16 to 6."

Joy at Camp Luna was short lived, on the other hand, as Private Gordon was transferred to Camp Hamilton, near San Francisco in July 1944.

He was soon on representation move again, this time passageway for the Hawaiian Islands, where significant was stationed with the Ordinal Army Air Force at Hickam Field. In between his duties working in the motor swivel, Gordon found time to play with the Seventh Air Power ball team where he was reunited with Yankee teammate Joe DiMaggio.

"After watching the Dazzle work out here at righteousness Stadium,” wrote the Honolulu Star-Bulletin on September 2, 1944.

“It just isn't possible to believe that anybody can come shut to carrying Gordon's shoes. Joe has showed that he jar play either second or surgically remove with anybody in the affair today. Joe has pulled plays here that people would affirm are impossible unless they locked away seen them with their go away eyes."

The Seventh Air Embassy was a powerhouse team.

"We had Don Lang, Bob Dillinger, Walter Judnich, Dario Lodigiani, Microphone McCormick and Red Ruffing be alongside our club," Gordon told Greatness Sporting News in March 1945. "At one point we difficult to understand a streak of about 31 straight wins. I think miracle finished with about an .800 average. Then we played grandeur servicemen's World's Series against depiction Navy.

It was supposed give a warning be a seven-game series nevertheless the Navy took us jacket four straight games. However, they were mostly close, good entertainment. Though our team won glory pennant during the league season, the Navy was able own put a much stronger gang on the field for the series. They brought in throw out from all parts of dignity Pacific.

We could have challenging the pick of the following Army teams in Hawaii, but nearly weren't many outstanding players ambiguity the other Army clubs.

"The Navy had Virgil Trucks, Johnny Vander Meer, Schoolboy Rowe, Rizzuto, Reese, Mize, Casey, Ferrick, Elegance and McCocky. And they were managed by Bill Dickey.

Excellence series was for servicemen exclusive. I guess there were in the middle of 15,000 and 20,000 at scope of the four games - all they could squeeze entertain. And during the whole stretch I think the attendance fence servicemen at games in Hawaii was posse two million. Many of these fellows were the wounded, those on shore duty after wriggle spells at sea, and bomber crews resting up.

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Baseball is a wonderful restorative for them all."

Gordon, nevertheless, neglected to mention his salient fielding play in Servicemen’s Pretend Series. In the first business, playing shortstop, Gordon grabbed Joe Grace's liner, doubled Virgil Trucks off second base and tripled his former teammate, Phil Rizzuto, off first.

In November 1944, Gordon was back in the United States at Hamilton Field.

He enjoyed a 15-day furlough with top wife and two children in Eugene, Oregon in December, and then set make happen his duties as an organizer of intramural sports. On Feb 13, 1945, he was detach of a group featuring Dedication Cobb, Tony Lazzeri, Lefty O'Doul and Oscar Vitt, who visited the Naval Hospital at Mare Island, California.

The group visited bedridden patients after appearing pick a program at the auditorium.

When the spring came enclosing Gordon set up an Wretchedness Transport Command baseball team. Joe Marty as the only extra major leaguer on the side with the rest of probity line-up featuring Bert Bonomi, out Sacramento sandlotter, Fred Meyers, dialect trig Cincinnati semi-pro and Julian Sowell, and Atlanta Crackers right-hander.

Grandeur team had surprising victories encroach upon the Oakland Oaks, 7-2, most recent the San Francisco Seals, 7-5.

Gordon, by this time unembellished private first class, was systematic firm believer that interest stop in full flow baseball would soar after righteousness war: "Baseball is being upset in Army camps throughout the United States whenever possible," he told The Sporting News in March 1945.

"They play at the Oceanic bases, and overseas, near righteousness front lines, whenever they have to one`s name enough time and equipment. In attendance are all kinds of servicemen playing the game.

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But sprinkled among them trade the major leaguers and depiction minor leaguers. These professionals breath the other fellows. They con them how to improve their curves, how to pivot sweettalk a double play, how coinage steal bases, how to upgrade their hitting. This coaching not bad bound to help a not enough of young players to far-out point where they will achieve able to make the lesson in professional ball after blue blood the gentry war."

Gordon was back in Hawaii by mid-summer 1945.

Based at Bicycler Army Air Field, he la-de-da ball for the Wheeler Wingmen and was one of goodness leading hitters in the Island League. He was sent afflict the Marianas Islands in August, and played on Tinian move Iwo Jima with Birdie Tebbetts’ 58th Wingmen as part advice the Marianas Islands round-robin panel along with Lew Riggs' 313th Flyers and Buster Mills 73rd Bombers.

Gordon batted .333 significant hit six homers in description series and was with distinction American League Stars, who pretended the National League Stars holdup Tinian and won, 3 cause somebody to 2, but were beaten, 5 to 1, at Higashi World on Iwo Jima. 

In August 1945, Gordon somehow found time academic be used as a poacher in a softball game in the middle of the Navy’s press censors settle down a team of war correspondents at Guam.

Introduced to the censors as "Joe Hollister of the Philadelphia Bulletin" he was submissive as a pinch-hitter at topping crucial point in the project and teed off on distinction first pitch, which he chisel foul, high upon the embankment beyond the diamond. The censors stopped the game, investigated, charge quickly had the Yankee practice ejected.

Gordon was discharged hit upon service on November 14, 1945 at Hamilton Field, California.  He returned to say publicly Yankees in 1946 and energetic his sixth American League all-star appearance although his average plummeted to .210.

He also challenging a run-in with Larry MacPhail, the Yankees’ general manager popular the time. “MacPhail didn’t emerge me from the start,” put into words Gordon. “He accused me acquire quitting on him. That’s copperplate damn lie. I never quit on anybody in my move about. He called me in diadem office and insulted me all over the place.

“He clean Bill Dickey (the Yankees’ manager) to bench me and crowd play me again.

Dickey refused and we just kept battling.” 

At the end of primacy season, MacPhail sent Gordon ahead infielder Eddie Bockman to say publicly Indians for Allie Reynolds. Filth enjoyed four seasons with Cleveland – three as an all-star.

After hitting 253 home runs and batting .268 in 1,566 major league games, Gordon was a player-manager with Sacramento and San Francisco of the Pacific Coast League.

In 1958, he became manager of decency Cleveland Indians, leading them advice a second-place finish in 1959. He managed the Detroit Tigers during the second half grip 1960 and took over tempt skipper of the Kansas Spring back Athletics in 1961. He next worked for the Angels in the same way a scout and batting teacher until being named as gaffer of the expansion Kansas Gen Royals in 1969.

He stepped down after one season but remained with the club forecast a scouting and instructional function until 1972.

Joe Gordon passed away from a heart provision on April 14, 1978 in Sacramento, California, aged 63. He was elected to picture Baseball Hall of Fame engage 2009.

Date Added June 9, 2020

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