SHOCKTOBER PREVIEW: UNLIKELY WORLD SERIES HEROES (PART III)

 

TOMMY THEVENOW

(ST. LOUIS CARDINALS)

Thevenow spent 15 seasons in the majors, never hitting a single ball beyond the outfield fence. All three of his lifetime homers (accumulated during a three-week span in 1926) were of the inside-the-park variety. In spite of his weak hitting, Thevenow became a regular in the St. Louis lineup on account of his stellar defense. In the Cardinals championship season of ’26, he led American League shortstops in putouts and assists. His modest .256 regular season batting average was not a reliable predictor of what lay ahead as he posted the highest mark among both World Series clubs at .417. Only two players (Babe Ruth and Billy Southworth) scored more runs. Plagued by injuries throughout his career, Thevenow played for the Phillies, Pirates, Bees, and Reds before falling from the major league ranks for good in the late-1930s.

 

TIM LAUDNER

(MINNESOTA TWINS)

 Laudner struggled with a bat throughout his major league career. Although he had moderate power, he struck out fairly often while averaging just one walk per every 12 plate appearances. He launched a career-best 16 homers during the Twins’ championship year of 1987, but failed to crack the .200 mark during the regular season. Entering the World Series against the heavily-favored Cardinals, Laudner was among the least likely candidates for a breakout performance. Defying the odds, the free-swinging catcher showed uncharacteristic discipline at the plate, hitting .318 with 5 walks. His four runs scored and four RBIs helped Minnesota to an unlikely Series victory.  

 

DAVID ECKSTEIN

(ST. LOUIS CARDINALS)

At 5-foot-6, Eckstein was one of the smallest players in the majors. He carried the nickname of “Just Enough,” gaining acclaim for his energy and enthusiasm. Serving as the Cardinals’ leadoff man in 2006, he hit at a respectable .292 clip, earning his second (and final) All-Star selection. His performance in the World Series that year was next-level as he tied with teammate Scott Rolen in hits and doubles. Only Albert Pujols drove in more runs. Eckstein’s .364 batting average earned him Series MVP honors. It was the second championship of his career (the first one coming with the Angels in 2002). Eckstein retired after the 2010 campaign with a lifetime .333 batting mark in World Series play—more than 50 points above his lifetime regular season average.    

SHOCKTOBER PREVIEW: UNLIKELY WORLD SERIES HEROES (PART II)

 

HANK GOWDY

(BOSTON BRAVES)

Tall and lean at 6-foot-2, 180 pounds, Gowdy was once referred to as a “fair-haired skyscraper.” Originally property of the Giants, he came to Boston in a 1911 trade involving two other players. 1914 was Gowdy’s first season as a full-time catcher. The Braves got off to a rocky start, but Gowdy helped turn things around, leading major league backstops in extra-base hits. He faced three of the best pitchers of the era in the Fall Classic that year—Charles Bender, Eddie Plank, and Bullet Joe Bush. Rising to the challenge, Gowdy gathered a cumulative total of six hits and five walks, guiding the so-called “Miracle Braves” to a sweep of the powerful A’s, who had won three of the previous four World Series. Sportswriters began referring to Gowdy as “Hammerin’ Hank,” but as the Braves gradually sank in the standings, Gowdy faded into relative obscurity. His critical error for the Giants in the 1924 Fall Classic made him a Series “goat.”

 

DANNY BAUTISTA

(ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS)

Bautista was no stranger to postseason play. He came up through the Tigers farm system and wound up being traded to the Braves in 1996. Serving as a utility outfielder, he made sporadic appearances in the ’97 and ’98 playoffs. Acquired by the Marlines in 1999 and the Diamondbacks the following year, Bautista became a regular in the Arizona outfield during the 2001 slate. Prior to then, he had never appeared in 100 games for any team in a single season. The Diamondbacks clinched the pennant in spite of Bautista’s abysmal 1-for-10 showing at the plate in the Division Series and League Championship Series. Bautista caught fire against the Yankees in the Fall Classic, tying for the team lead in RBIs despite sitting out two of the seven games. He ended up with a .583 batting average as Arizona stunned New York. 

 

DAVID FREESE

(ST. LOUIS CARDINALS)

A late arrival to the majors, Freese was 27 years-old in his rookie season with the Cardinals. The St. Louis lineup was stocked with stars and Freese became part of a third base platoon that included veteran slugger Pedro Feliz. In 2011, Freese shared hot corner responsibilities with rookie Daniel Descalso. Freese was more adept with a bat and became St. Louis’s primary third-sacker in the 2011 playoffs. After capturing MVP honors in the NLCS against Milwaukee, he led the underdog Cardinals to a World Series victory over the Rangers, raking Texas pitching for 5 extra-base hits and 7 RBIs. He hit a walk-off homer in the sixth match and a game-tying double in the finale. His performance earned him another MVP award. He finished the 2011 postseason with 5 homers and 21 ribbies in 18 games. Freese returned to the World Series with the Dodgers in 2018, but was unable to recapture the magic that had put him on the map. He retired after the 2019 slate.

SHOCKTOBER PREVIEW: UNLIKELY WORLD SERIES HEROES (PART I)

 

MICKEY HATCHER

(L.A. DODGERS)

Hatcher was a versatile utility man who appeared at several defensive stations over the course of his 12-year career. He even took the mound once in a blowout loss against the Cardinals in 1989. Known more for his enthusiasm and hustle, Hatcher had little power at the plate and rarely walked. But his performance in the 1988 World Series helped carry the underdog Dodgers to a surprising victory over the A’s. Hatcher hit safely in all five games, leading both teams in homers and RBIs. Prior to the Series, he had knocked just one homer in his previous 118 appearances. Hatcher had another respectable season in ’89, but when his batting average dipped to .212 the following year, he disappeared from the majors. 

 

 HARVEY HADDIX

(PITTSBURGH PIRATES)

A product of the Cardinals’ farm system, Haddix won 20 games during his rookie year and never duplicated the feat. He is best known for tossing 12 perfect innings against the Braves in a game he ultimately lost during the 1959 campaign. A bit on the small side at 5-foot-9, 170 pounds, Haddix—by his own admission—lacked stamina in comparison to other pitchers of the era. “I’ve been a seven-inning pitcher at times because I’m a little man and have to work harder out there than some fellows,” he once said. The diminutive southpaw won 11 games for the pennant-winning Pirates in 1960 while posting a mediocre 3.97 ERA. He was much better in the World Series that year, winning his only start and picking up another victory out of the bullpen in Game 7. The Pirates' win over the Yankees came as a shock to many--especially slugger Mickey Mantle, who remarked sourly: "The better team lost...the only time I ever felt that way. It wasn't even close." 

 

DUSTY RHODES

(NEW YORK GIANTS)

Rhodes’s poor defense kept him on the bench for a majority of his seven-year major league career. But he was immensely popular with teammates. Describing his persona, Hall of Fame manager Leo Durocher once asserted: “He was a buffoon, and I say this affectionately. I loved him on my ball club because of his personality and the funny things he did that kept everybody loose. But I couldn’t have stood two of him.” After compiling a pedestrian .242 batting average in his first two seasons, Rhodes had a breakout year during New York’s pennant-winning effort of 1954. He was unstoppable in the World Series, delivering clutch hits in each of his three appearances. When the curtain closed on the Giants’ improbable sweep of the Indians (winners of 111 games during the regular season), Rhodes had slammed a pair of homers and driven in seven runs in six at-bats. 

SHOCKTOBER PREVIEW: PIVOTAL MOMENTS IN WORLD SERIES HISTORY (PART III)

 

1926 WORLD SERIES

YANKEES vs. CARDINALS

GAME 7

 

Prior to 1926, the Cardinals had been absent from championship play for more than three decades. Although they had four Hall of Famers in residence at the start of the season, their victory over the Yankees (who were stocked with franchise greats from top to bottom) would have been highly improbable without the services of fading superstar Grover “Pete” Alexander. Alexander had captured three consecutive Triple Crowns with the Phillies beginning in 1915. But chronic alcohol issues prompted Cubs’ manager Joe McCarthy to place the hurler on waivers in June of 1926. Believing he was worth the risk, the Cardinals added him to their roster. It proved to be a smart move as the 39 year-old veteran won nine games down the stretch and stymied the Yankees in the World Series. 

 

After beating New York in both of his starts, Alexander was called upon to extinguish a seventh inning Yankee rally in Game 7. The Bombers had loaded the bases against Hall of Famer Jesse Haines, who had developed a blister on his pitching hand and could not continue. Rumors abounded that Alexander was still intoxicated from an all-night bender, but the hurler vehemently denied those claims in later interviews. With two outs and the count at 1-1, Tony Lazzeri blasted a long drive down the left field line. Had it stayed fair, it would have given the Yankees a 6-3 lead. But it hooked just foul at the last second, saving Alexander from being labeled a Series “goat.” Lazzeri struck out and “Old Pete” followed with two innings of shutout ball, sealing a 3-2 Series-clinching victory for the Cardinals. There was no Series MVP Award in those days, but Alexander would have been a front-runner.   

SHOCKTOBER PREVIEW: PIVOTAL MOMENTS IN WORLD SERIES HISTORY (PART II)

 

1924 WORLD SERIES

NEW YORK GIANTS vs. WASHINGTON NATIONALS

GAME 7

 

The Giants were among the most powerful teams in baseball, having captured four consecutive pennants. The Nationals (often referred to as the “Senators”) had established a long tradition of losing, placing sixth or lower in the standings from 1901 through 1911. Their poor performances in the early years inspired a long-running joke: “Washington—first in war, first in peace, and last in the American League.” Trailing three games to two in the Series, the Nationals took the Giants completely off guard with a tense 2-1 victory over veteran pitcher Art Nehf, who was widely considered to be New York’s most reliable big-game pitcher. The Series finale was among the most unusual in history.

 

More than 31,000 fans flocked to Griffith Stadium in D.C. to see if the Nationals could finally shed their image as perennial losers. The Giants jumped out to a 3-1 lead before Washington’s player/manager, Bucky Harris, tied the game with an RBI single that took a bad hop at third base and bounced past Hall of Fame infielder, Freddie Lindstrom. The game was still knotted at three in the bottom of the 12th, when Muddy Ruel of the Nationals hit a one-out pop-up near home plate. It should have been an easy play, but Giants’ catcher Hank Gowdy tripped over his own discarded mask, dropping the ball. Given new life, Ruel ripped a double. Legendary hurler Walter Johnson, who had delivered four innings of scoreless relief for Washington on short rest, followed with a playable grounder to shortstop Travis Jackson. Jackson—a Hall of Famer who carried the nickname “Stonewall” for his sensational defense—booted the ball. Defying credibility, Nationals’ center fielder Earl McNeely followed with a sharp grounder that took another bad hop at third base and bounced into left field, bringing Ruel home with the Series-clinching run. Washington owner Clark Griffith believed it was divine intervention. Relief pitcher Jack Bentley (who was charged with the loss) later said it was one of the “weirdest” games he ever played in.

SHOCKTOBER PREVIEW: PIVOTAL MOMENTS IN WORLD SERIES HISTORY (Part I)

 

1906 WORLD SERIES

CHICAGO CUBS vs. CHICAGO WHITE SOX

GAME 5

 

The Chicago Cubs won 116 games in 1906 (a record that still stands) and carried four Hall of Famers on their roster. Their pitchers combined for 30 shutouts (an NL high) and a 1.75 ERA—tops in the majors. They were expected to make quick work of the White Sox, who had stunned the baseball world by capturing the AL pennant with an anemic .230 team batting average. Only one club fared worse at the plate that year—the Boston Nationals, who wound up with 102 losses.

 

With the Series tied at two games apiece, the White Sox defense completely fell apart, spotting the Cubs five unearned runs on an astounding total of six errors. But in a surprising turn of events, the ChiSox—dubbed “The Hitless Wonders” by sportswriters—outmuscled their intra-city rivals by a score of 8-6. Second baseman Frank Isbel led the charge for the Southside crew, clubbing four doubles—a World Series record. The resilient Sox followed their improbable Game 5 victory with another offensive explosion, knocking Hall of Fame pitcher Mordecai Brown out of the box by the second inning. The 8-3 victory completed a stunning upset. The 16 runs scored by the Sox in their last two outings exceeded the club’s collective total in their previous seven games.

MY LATEST BOOK RELEASE: SHOCKTOBER: The Biggest Upsets in World Series History

 

While the Dodgers' victory over the Yankees in the 2024 World Series was far from surprising, baseball's October Showcase has held many twists and turns over the years. The Boston Braves beat the Chicago Cubs in the 1906 Fall Classic after posting an anemic .230 team batting average during the regular season (the lowest mark by any championship team). The so-called "Miracle Mets" won the NL pennant and ousted the powerful Orioles in the 1969 World Series after finishing below .500 in each of the previous seven seasons. And in 2001, the Diamondbacks staged a late-inning, series-clinching rally off of the greatest relief pitcher in baseball history. These stories--along with many others--appear in my latest book: Shocktober: The Greatest Upsets in World Series History.  The book is set for release on January 7, 2025. In anticipation of its arrival, I'll be posting various articles and excerpts in the coming weeks. To order a copy, click the link on the right side of my blog page (may not appear on mobile devices).    

TALES OF THE YANKEE CLIPPER (PART VI) ENEMY ALIENS

 

 

            Prior to World War II, the United States government had adhered to a policy of isolationism. In the wake of the Pearl Harbor Attack, media-fueled hysteria built to a fever pitch. Feeling the need to neutralize a perceived threat from within, the Roosevelt administration unjustly labeled thousands of Italian, German, and Japanese immigrants “enemy aliens.”

            More than 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry were uprooted from their homes and placed in internment camps. Germans were not only subjected to relocation, but they were also forbidden to own specific items (such as flashlights, cameras, and radios) that might be used to communicate with Nazi sympathizers. More than 600,000 Italian-Americans were forced to deal with travel restrictions and curfews. Joe DiMaggio’s parents were among the many innocent Sicilians who were made to feel like criminals.

             By the time the United States officially entered the war, Giuseppe and Rosalie had been living in America for several decades. Since they couldn’t read or write enough English to pass the naturalization exam, neither of them had the proper documentation. Aware of their connection to the famous Yankee icon, General John DeWitt of the Western Defense Command considered arresting the couple to make an example of them. But in the end, he decided that other restrictive measures would suffice. Giuseppe and Rosalie were forbidden to visit DiMaggio’s Grotto on Fisherman’s Wharf. They were required to carry I.D. papers on them at all times and, if they wished to travel further than five miles from home, they had to request a permit. Giuseppe’s crab boat—a 16-footer named the Rosalie D.—was confiscated along with the vessels of more than a thousand Italians operating on the Pacific Coast.

            The mistreatment of “Enemy Aliens” continued until the end of the war and beyond. Even after hostilities ceased overseas, it took several years to dismantle the internment program. The punitive measures taken against Italian-Americans didn’t sit well with Joltin’ Joe. According to Army officials, he exhibited a “conscious attitude of hostility and resistance” toward his military duties. The Yankee slugger felt that the Army was exploiting his All-Star status for the purpose of public relations. He resented having to play in Army baseball games. And though he was repeatedly hospitalized for chronic abdominal pain, no evidence of an ulcer was detected by military doctors. Major William G. Barrett believed that DiMaggio was fabricating the illness to earn a medical discharge. His suspicions were included in an official report. Joe eventually got the release he had been seeking in September of 1945.

            Rosalie DiMaggio became an official US citizen in 1944. Giuseppe became naturalized the following year. In 2001, the US Department of Justice formally acknowledged the mistreatment of Italian-Americans during the war. The California state legislature waited nine more years to issue a formal apology (of sorts). A 2010 resolution sponsored by Democratic senator Joe Simitian officially expressed “deepest regrets” over actions taken by government officials during the enemy alien ordeal.  

EXCERPTS FROM TALES OF THE YANKEE CLIPPER (PART V) JOE IN HIS BIRTHDAY SUIT

 

 

            DiMaggio was photographed thousands of times during his career. Nearly all of those photos are tasteful. But in 2009, the one he would not have wanted anyone to see finally surfaced.

            The photo—a full frontal shot of Joe standing naked in the showers at Yankee Stadium—appeared in a San Francisco art gallery exhibit. It later passed into the possession of an auction house and went up for sale. The auctioneers provided the following description of the graphic picture: “Obviously aware of being photographed in such a state, [DiMaggio] is seen smiling for the camera—a young Joe, perhaps still in the 1930s, still in his purest youth. We are not sure how the photo made it to this point, but it is 100% authentic, first generation, and vintage.” An unidentified man—only partially in the frame—is standing shoulder to shoulder with Joe in the shot.      

            At least one source claimed that the photo was a sham. Morris Engelberg, attorney for the DiMaggio estate and one of Joe’s most trusted advisors, commented to reporters, “I could never imagine Joe DiMaggio, this private individual, ever letting anyone take a photo of him in the nude with someone next to him. When Joe DiMaggio went to the bathroom in a restaurant, I always had to escort him. And I made sure no one took a picture of him at the urinal.” Engelberg’s comments about Joe being intensely private are indisputable. The self-conscious Yankee idol strenuously avoided situations that might cause him embarrassment throughout his career. And it would indeed have been highly out of character for him to allow such a photo to be taken.

            The New York Post published Engelberg’s comments under a facetious headline reading, “Lawyer: That’s Not Joltin’ Joe’s Penis.” Speculating on the identity of the man standing next to DiMaggio, a writer from the San Francisco Chronicle comically reported, “A similar photo of Mantle recently surfaced. Collect the entire set. Bonus mystery: Next to DiMaggio in the photo is an unidentified guy. Is it a Yankee teammate? A coach? A stadium peanut vendor? Maybe it’s Engelberg letting down his guard.” Though the New York Daily News couldn’t verify the picture’s authenticity, a correspondent claimed that it had been taken in 1939.

            Genuine or fraudulent, the one of a kind photo was acquired for more than $17,000 by John Rogers—owner of the Rogers Photo Archive. Comprised of more than 40 million images, Rogers’ private collection is among the largest in the world.            

EXCERPTS FROM TALES OF THE YANKEE CLIPPER (PART IV) DIMAGGIO'S STALKER

 

    While recovering from an injury at the beginning of the 1949 campaign, DiMaggio began receiving love notes from a woman he was not acquainted with. At the same time, letters started turning up at the offices of various New York gossip columnists. They were signed by a woman calling herself “Junior Standish,” who claimed to be in a romantic relationship with the Yankee slugger. DiMaggio was familiar with a Broadway dancer of the same name, but had never actually dated her. When a handful of columnists reported that the two had become a couple, DiMaggio and Standish both made public statements to the contrary.

            The plot thickened when the mysterious letter-writer attempted to make contact with DiMaggio at his hotel. After being turned away, she sent a note threatening suicide if her efforts to meet him were thwarted in the future. Alarmed by this turn of events, Yankee PR-man Arthur Patterson contacted the police and enlisted the help of a bodyguard to protect Joe.  

            While police were investigating the matter, another note containing suicidal threats was delivered to DiMaggio’s hotel room. Hoping to produce some tangible leads regarding the author’s identity, details were leaked to the press. A 30-year-old woman was eventually taken into custody. While being interrogated by the assistant district attorney in Manhattan, she suffered a mental breakdown, screaming hysterically and threatening to kill herself. Police transported her to a Bronx hospital for psychiatric evaluation. Doctors agreed to release her into the custody of her father on the condition that she seek counseling and leave DiMaggio alone. She agreed to the arrangement and never bothered Joe again. Her identity was not disclosed to the press.

            Incidents of a darker nature had plagued major-league baseball on prior occasions. A few weeks before DiMaggio’s stalker was taken into custody, a 19-year-old office worker named Ruth Steinhagen shot Phillies’ first baseman Eddie Waitkus in a Chicago hotel room. The troubled teen, who had developed an unhealthy obsession with Waitkus, ended up in a state psychiatric hospital, where she remained for three years. Waitkus recovered and played six more seasons. A similar scene had unfolded in 1932, when Cubs shortstop Billy Jurges was shot at the Carlos Hotel in Chicago by a showgirl named Violet Popovich. Jurges had broken off a casual relationship with Popovich, prompting her to behave irrationally. The infielder was shot twice—once in the hand and again in the ribs—but returned to action that year. He played in the majors until 1948.             

EXCERPTS FROM TALES OF THE YANKEE CLIPPER (PART III) JOHNNY BABICH CALLS OUT DIMAGGIO

 

    In the summer of 1941, rarely a day went by when DiMaggio did not receive top billing in the sports pages.  But for a few days in late-June, a little-known pitcher from the Philadelphia A’s stole Joltin’ Joe’s thunder.

            His name was Johnny Babich and he had an axe to grind. A right-handed flamethrower from Albion, California, he had played with the Kansas City Blues (a New York affiliate) in 1939, compiling a handsome 17-6 record with a 2.55 ERA. After a tryout with the Yankees, he was left unsigned. It was something he never forgot.

            The journeyman hurler had an issue with DiMaggio as well. Both men had played in the Pacific Coast League during the 1933 slate. They had faced each other in the midst of Joe’s record-setting 61-game hitting streak. In the eighth inning of a scoreless tie, DiMaggio had drilled a fastball off the left field wall, driving in the only run of the game and making Babich a loser.

            Babich was confident and boastful—like Dizzy Dean without the talent to back it up. He carried a lifetime earned run average of 5.57 entering the 1940 campaign. Yet somehow he managed to dominate the Yankees that season, winning five of six decisions against them. The losses to Babich had a huge impact on the pennant race as the Bombers ultimately finished two games out of first place. With his reputation as a “Yankee Killer” secured, Babich got carried away with himself during DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak.

            Hall of Famer Phil Rizzuto remembered the incident well. “Babich was another Sal Maglie,” he told biographer Maury Allen. “He would knock his mother down. He really threw hard and could intimidate a hitter. He announced in the papers three or four days before we played the A’s that he would personally stop the streak. He was going to get Joe out the first time and then walk him the next three times.”

            The media really played up the story and, according to Rizzuto, DiMaggio was quite upset when he read what Babich had said. The anticipated showdown took place on June 28 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia with close to 14,000 fans in attendance—well above average for the A’s that season. In the first inning, Joe D. came to the plate with a pair of runners aboard. He worked the count to 3-1 before popping out to shortstop Al Brancato. Phase I of Babich’s plan was complete. Now all he had to do was keep the ball out of the strike zone in DiMaggio’s next few at-bats. 

            The Yankee icon returned to the plate as a lead-off hitter in the third inning. By then, the Bombers had built a 3-0 lead. Babich’s first two offerings were way outside, but DiMaggio lunged for the second one, driving it straight through the pitcher’s legs. One writer remarked, “If Joe had hit the ball a few inches higher, Babich would have been a hurling soprano.” Fueled by all the hype, DiMaggio was not content to settle for a mere single. He went tearing around first base without hesitation and slid safely into second. “The whole bench stood up and cheered Joe and laughed at Babich and called him some pretty good names,” Rizzuto recalled. DiMaggio later remarked that the hurler appeared mortified.   

            After absorbing a 7-4 loss on June 28, Babich logged another dreadful outing against the Yankees a week later, allowing six earned runs in one inning of work. DiMaggio tagged him for a single, extending the hitting streak even further. It would prove to be Babich’s last season in the big leagues as he posted a 2-7 record with a stratospheric 6.09 ERA. He continued pitching in the minors through the 1945 campaign and later spent two seasons as a manager, leading the Stockton Ports of the California League to a championship in 1947.               

EXCERPTS FROM TALES OF THE YANKEE CLIPPER (PART II) MR. GORDON, MEET MR. DIMAGGIO

 

            

            During DiMaggio’s controversial 1938 holdout, he made an arrangement with San Francisco owner Charley Graham to take batting practice with the Seals so he could stay sharp while discussions with the Yankees continued. During one round of BP, DiMaggio was hammering every pitch that left-hander Jimmy Rego delivered. Worried that manager Lefty O’Doul might cut him from the squad, Rego stopped grooving pitches to the Yankee slugger and started using his best stuff. “Jesus, I was throwing hard and shoving the bat right up his ass,” the hurler later recalled. DiMaggio—perhaps feeling the pressure of his ongoing contract dispute—got so frustrated, he threw his bat out toward the mound before stalking off the field.      

            With the country still in the throes of the Great Depression, DiMaggio knew that he was jeopardizing his reputation by turning down a salary that most Americans could only dream about. Worse yet, the Yankees were protected by baseball’s reserve clause, which essentially stated that players were property of the teams they had signed with until owners decided to trade or release them. Realizing the gravity of the situation, DiMaggio ultimately decided that the risk of holding out any longer was too great and accepted what the Yankees were offering.

            The Yankee Clipper’s return to baseball was quite eventful. He entered his first regular season game on April 30 in Washington. With two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, Taffy Wright of the Senators hit a blooper behind second base. DiMaggio raced in from center field. Myril Hoag came motoring in from right field. Rookie Joe Gordon—who had been called up from the championship Newark squad—ventured far beyond the infield in hot pursuit. All three players converged on the ball. At the last minute, Hoag made the grab and somehow managed to avoid crashing into his teammates. But the 6-foot-2, 200 pound DiMaggio collided with the smaller Gordon, who stood 5-10 and weighed around 180. DiMaggio sustained a minor bruise on his head and remained in the game. Gordon, on the other hand, was carted off the field on a stretcher. He was out of action for a month.

            Recounting the incident, DiMaggio later wrote, “Considering that this was my first game since I had come to terms with the Yankees, that I was booed for the first time in my life by fans and that I knocked out our new second sacker halfway through the game, it might be said that I broke in with a bang!” 

            Playing beside the Yankee Clipper could definitely be hazardous at times. In July of 1936, DiMaggio ran into Hoag at full speed while chasing a ball hit by Hall of Famer Goose Goslin. Though both outfielders initially appeared to have escaped serious injury, Hoag was found unconscious in his hotel room two days later. Holes were drilled in his head to relieve inter-cranial pressure and doctors believed that he would never play ball again. But in an unexpected turn of events, he successfully rehabbed, returning to the Yankee lineup in April of 1937. He continued to play in the majors through 1945, finishing his career with the Cleveland Indians.

            Gordon and Hoag were not the only men to incur serious injuries while playing alongside Joe D. In Mickey Mantle’s rookie year, he shredded his knee while stopping abruptly to avoid a collision with DiMaggio. Multiple players reported that Joe had a quiet voice that could not always be clearly heard when he called for a ball.