Books and articles about Sid Gordon

Image provided by Matthew Fulling

SHOPPING » Look for Sid Gordon books at BN.com » Look for Sid Gordon books at Amazon.com Your purchases keep BaseballLibrary.com online. Thank you!

RELATED LINKS Book Excerpts » Land of the Giants by Stew Thornley » New York Giants: A Baseball Album: Sid Gordon Submissions » The Jewish All-Star Team by Adam W. Green Around the Web » Sid Gordon from baseball-reference.com » Sid Gordon from thediamondangle.com Jump directly to Library content from any website!

Gordon became one of Manhattan's most popular players, after being born and raised in Brooklyn. A reliable outfielder who could play acceptably at third base, the stocky righthanded hitter hit .251 as a Giants rookie in 1943, then spent two years in the service. In 1947 the Giants broke the single-season home run record, and Gordon hit 13 of their 221. In 1948 he blossomed with 30 homers, 107 RBI, and a .299 batting average. He held out in the spring of 1949 but finally settled for $2,500 less than he'd asked for. After the season he was sent to the Braves in a multiplayer deal that brought Alvin Dark and Eddie Stanky to the Giants. A check for $2,500 from Giants owner Horace Stoneham underscored the esteem in which Gordon was held. (FS)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » May 29, 1948: Richie Ashburn hits his 1st ML homer, a leadoff inside-the-park home run, off Thornton Lee's 3rd pitch. It runs Ashburn's hit streak to 18 games but it's the Phils only run, as the Giants win, 7–1. Bill Rigney leads off the 1st, 3rd, and 5th innings with hits, while Sid Gordon adds a three-run homer in the 5th. Lee is a complete-game winner over another ex-American League hurler, Walt Dubiel. » June 20, 1948: Johnny Mize, Willard Marshall, and Sid Gordon of the Giants hit HRs in the eighth inning in a 6-4 win against Murry Dickson of the Cardinals. » August 18, 1948: The Giants crush the first-place Braves, 8–2, behind Sheldon Jones. Sid Gordon hits his 24th and John Mize his 29th, both off Vern Bickford, to pace the New Yorkers. The Braves lead Brooklyn by a game. » May 9, 1949: The first-place Giants win their 7th in a row as Sheldon "Available" Jones stops the Cubs, 7–2. Aided by ten walks and homers by Sid Gordon and Willard Marshall, the Giants pin the loss on starter Ralph Hamner, who allows one hit in three innings. » July 31, 1949: Sid Gordon of the New York Giants blasts two HRs in the second inning of game two, as the Giants sweep the Reds 10-0 and 9-0 behind Larry Jansen and Adrian Zabala. » December 14, 1949: In a major trade, the Giants get Alvin Dark and Eddie Stanky from the Braves in a swap for Willard Marshall, Sid Gordon, Buddy Kerr, and Sam Webb. » April 19, 1950: Sid Gordon of the Braves hits the first National League grand slam of the season, as Boston beats the Giants 10-6 at the Polo Grounds. There will be 35 grand slams in the league this year, a NL single-season record, later topped. Giants pitcher Jack Harshman hits his first homer, off Johnny Sain, but it's not enough. » May 6, 1950: The Boston Braves hit five home runs in a 15–11 trouncing of the Reds. This gives them a National League record 13 home runs in three consecutive games, breaking the Giants mark of 12 set in July 1, 2, 3, 1947. Luis Olmo, Earl Torgeson, Bob Elliott, Willard Marshall, and Sid Gordon hit the five today. » June 1, 1950: Marty Marion, Sid Gordon, and Hank Thompson hit grand slams for the Cards (5–2 over Brooklyn), the Braves (14–2 over the Pirates), and the Giants (8–7 in the first of two at Cincinnati) respectively. Gordon adds a second homer as he drives home seven runs for Boston, winners over the Pirates, 10–6. The Cards lose the services of C Joe Garagiola, who separates his shoulder after tripping over Jackie Robinson covering 1B, and Tommy Glaviano, who sprains his ankle. Hitting .347 at the time, Garagiola won't return until September 3 (as noted by Bill Deane) and will hit only 2-for-13 the rest of the season. But the grand slam, the first in Marion's 11-year-career, moves the Birds into a tie for first place with the Dodgers. » June 3, 1950: The Braves' Sid Gordon slugs his 3rd grand slam of the season, plus a 2nd home run, to account for seven Braves runs in a 10–6 whipping of Pittsburgh. Gordon now leads the NL in homers with 11. Wally Westlake hits a pair of homers, and Hank Schenz hits his 1st (and 2nd career) homer of the year. Johnny Sain gives up a home run to Sam Jethroe in winning his 8th, tops in the majors. » July 4, 1950: Braves slugger Sid Gordon ties the major-league record for season grand slams with four when he hits one against the Phillies. Boston's 12–9 win in game two gives the two teams a total of 40 runs, 55 hits, and 90 total bases for the day. » August 11, 1951: The Dodgers take the 1st of two games against the Braves, winning 8–1 behind Ralph Branca. Brooklyn now leads the National League by 13 1/2 games with 49 games to play. The Braves take the nitecap, 8–4, behind Max Surkont and a home run by Sid Gordon. With Red Barber and Connie Desmond making the calls, the doubleheader is the first ML game to be telecast in color. » September 6, 1952: Sid Gordon of the Braves goes 5-for-8 in the first game of a doubleheader that goes 17 innings, as Boston loses 7-6 to Philadelphia. » September 28, 1952: The Braves play a 12-inning, 5-5 tie in Brooklyn in their last game as the Boston Braves. The Dodger pitching staff sets a NL record for most strikeouts in a season with 773 when Jim Hughes fans Sid Gordon in the 12th. » December 28, 1953: Pittsburgh sends flashy infielder Danny O'Connell to Milwaukee for 3B Sid Gordon, OF Sam Jethroe, P Max Surkont, and minor league pitchers, Fred Waters, Curt Raydon, and Larry Lasalle. They also get $100,000 from the Braves. According to historian Sean Lahman, this is the only six-for-one trade in major league history and surpassed only by the 7-for-1 deal that will send Vida Blue from Oakland to San Francisco in 1978.