Books and articles about Joe Medwick

Medwick's reputation as a bad-ball hitter who slashed doubles to all fields got him into the Hall of Fame, but he is most often remembered for his unusual removal from Game Seven of the 1934 World Series. With the Cardinals winning a blowout in Detroit, he slid hard into Tiger third baseman Marv Owen on his sixth-inning triple, even though the throw hadn't come in yet. When Medwick went out to left field with the score 9-0, Detroit fans threw bottles, food, and garbage at him. Commissioner Landis, in attendance as always at the Series game, ordered Medwick from the field for his own safety so the game could be resumed, and Chick Fullis replaced him in left field. Medwick hit .379 with five RBI for the Series, including four hits, one a HR, in the opener.

Image provided by Matthew Fulling

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

RELATED LINKS Book Excerpts » "The fans kept throwing stuff and finally they had to take Medwick out of the game just to restore peace": Charlie Gehringer Submissions » Baseball Returns to Brooklyn, New York: You Can't Go Home Again by Sam Person Ask The Experts » Who were the Gashouse Gang? » What was the World Series roster for the 1934 St. Louis Cardinals? Around the Web » Take 5: Top seasons by a Cardinals outfielder from stltoday.com » Joe Medwick from thebaseballpage.com Jump directly to Library content from any website!

Medwick came up in September 1932 and hit .349 to win the job. He hit .300 his first 11 seasons, and won the NL's last Triple Crown in 1937 with career highs of 31 HR, 154 RBI, and a .374 BA. He was NL MVP that year, also leading in slugging, runs, and doubles. For three straight years, 1936-38, he led the NL in both RBI and doubles. He drove in at least 100 runners six straight seasons (1934-39), scored 100 runs six times, including five consecutive years (1934-38), hit 40 doubles seven straight years (1933-39), and had seven seasons of 10 or more triples.

His prime seasons came with the Cardinals. After dropping off slightly in 1939, he was sold to the Dodgers in mid-1940 for the then-astronomical sum of 125,000. He helped Brooklyn to their first pennant in over 20 years in 1941 with his last great season, but suffered a life-threatening beaning by former teammate Bob Bowman after quarreling with him in an elevator; Branch Rickey thought it was an attempt by St. Louis to ruin Medwick. He had decent seasons in 1942 and, after a trade to the Giants, in 1944, but was never the same after the beaning. The Hall of Fame Veterans Committee selected him in 1968. (WOR)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » June 6, 1933: The Cards and Reds battle to a 6–2 St. Louis decision, with Dizzy Dean beating Paul Derringer. The pre-game fight between the two pitchers, who exchanged words then fists during batting practice, goes to the Reds pitcher, who landed the first blow. Reds manager Jewel Ens was tossed during the game, and several bottles were tossed as well. One bottle strikes Burgess Whitehead on the shoulder. Pepper Martin, the National League's top hitter at .386, has four hits, as does Ducky Medwick. » June 29, 1933: In the top of the 2nd, Ethan Allen of the Cards races around the bases for an inside-the-park home run at the Polo Grounds, but is out for batting out of turn. Joe Medwick was the correct batter. Allen then bats for himself and grounds out. But St. Louis prevails, 7–3. » May 8, 1934: Cardinal P Bill Walker has his arm broken by a batting practice smash by Joe Medwick. » October 3, 1934: Dizzy Dean wins the opening game of the WS 8-3, as Detroit manager Mickey Cochrane holds back his ace, Schoolboy Rowe. Veteran Al Crowder is ineffective as the Cardinals romp. Joe Medwick homers in a 4-for-4 day while the Tigers make 5 errors. » October 9, 1934: Dizzy Dean makes good his boast that "me and Paul will win all 4 games." He humbles Detroit 11-0, as the Tigers go to pieces. When Joe Medwick slides roughly into 3B in the 6th inning, he tangles with Marv Owen. Irate Tigers fans in the temporary LF stands then launch a barrage of fruit at Medwick, halting the game. With the score at 9-0, Commissioner Landis removes Medwick from the game "for his own safety." » May 30, 1935: Joe Medwick has three doubles and a triple in the first game, a 12–5 Cards win over the Reds. The Cards take the second game, 4–2, as Medwick contributes another two doubles and a single: his six long hits for the afternoon is the 3rd time it has happened in the NL. » June 29, 1935: Despite Joe Medwick's hitting for the cycle, Paul Dean and the Cardinals are beaten 8–6 by the Reds. » September 12, 1935: Dizzy Dean wins his 26th, a 5–2 victory over New York's Carl Hubbell, to keep the Cardinals in 1st place by a game. But the Cards Ducky Medwick has his hitting streak stopped at 28 straight games » July 21, 1936: Cardinals slugger Joe Medwick has 10 hits in succession to equal the National League record. He had seven hits in his last seven times at bat in a doubleheader on the 19th, and he hits safely in his first three today. He is finally stopped by the Giants Carl Hubbell. The Giants break a 1–1 tie on Dick Bartell's homer in the 10th off Dizzy Dean to win, 2–1. » July 26, 1936: Before a paid attendance of 41,596 in Boston—the largest crowd in the National League since 1930—the Cards and Bees split. The Bees take the opener, 4–3, on Wally Berger's two run homer in the 8th inning off Jess Haines. The nitecap is knotted at 2–2 in the 7th, when the Cards unload five runs. Joe Medwick leads off the frame with a homer, Johnny Mize doubles, and Virgil Davis homers to knock out Ben Cantwell. After two more reach base, Dizzy Dean drives them both home to ensure his 16th win of the year. Dean a run-scoring triple in the 3rd as well. » September 25, 1936: Joe Medwick sets a still-standing NL record with his 64th double. » April 2, 1937: Dizzy Dean, Paul Dean, and Joe Medwick have a scuffle in a Tampa hotel lobby with New York News reporter Jack Miley and Chicago Times writer Irv Kupcinet. » May 12, 1937: St. Louis OF Joe Medwick tallies four extra-base hits: two home runs -- off Claude Passeau and Orville Jorgens -- and a pair of doubles in a Cards 15–3 win over the Phillies. The Cards collect 20 hits, including four by Pepper Martin and a round tripper by Brusie Ogrodowski. » August 4, 1937: Joe Medwick again ties the major-league record with four extra base hits in a game. It is the third time he has performed the feat. » November 9, 1937: St. Louis Cardinals Triple Crown winner Joe Medwick is named National League MVP by the BBWAA. » June 4, 1940: At Sportsman's Park, the Cardinals play their first home night game, losing 10–1 to the Dodgers. The Browns lost their 1st home night game at Sportsman's Park 10 days earlier. Brooklyn scores five in the first inning, led by Pete Coscarart's three run homer. Ducky Medwick goes 5-for-5 for the Cardinals. » June 12, 1940: In a sweet trade for Brooklyn, GM Larry MacPhail perfects his outfield and gets one pitcher: Joe Medwick and 37-year-old Curt Davis, a 22-game winner last year, are acquired from the Cardinals for Ernie Koy, P Carl Doyle, minor leaguers Bert Haas and Sam Nahem, and $125,000. Medwick is hitting .338. » June 14, 1940: Luke Hamlin holds the Reds to two hits and Brooklyn wins, 2–0, to take over first place from the Reds. Joe Medwick's safety drives in the first run, and Vosmik Joe adds another. » June 18, 1940: Joe Medwick, in the Dodger lineup for six days after his trade from the Cardinals, is beaned by St. Louis P Bob Bowman at Ebbets Field in the 2nd game of a doubleheader. The Cards win their 6th straight in 11 innings 7–5, as Bowman is escorted from the park by policemen. Hospitalized, Medwick will return to the lineup after several days, but he is never again a major power hitter. Larry MacPhail wants Bowman banned for life. The night before, Bowman allegedly got into an argument with Medwick and Leo Durocher in a hotel elevator. » March 7, 1941: At Havana, the Dodgers roll over the Cleveland Indians 15–0. Pee Wee Reese and Joe Medwick use a batting helmet designed by two Johns Hopkins doctors with the help of Larry MacPhail. The two Dodgers, victims of HBPs last year, pronounce the helmets satisfactory. Brooklyn P Van Lingle Mungo celebrates the win a little too hard and when tomorrow's game is rained out, he continues to party. The result is that manager Leo Durocher sends him a note informing Mungo he's been reassigned to the Dodgers' minor league camp in Macon. Mungo will pitch just two innings for Brooklyn this year. » June 18, 1942: Another brawl between the Cards and the Dodgers at Ebbets Field leads to ejection and fines for Joe Medwick and Creepy Crespi. The Dodgers' NL lead is seven 1/2 games. » May 2, 1944: Phillies P Charley Schanz takes a 1–0 no-hitter into the 7th inning before giving up a 2-run homer to Joe Medwick of the Giants, the only Giants' hit of the day. Schanz wins his own game by clearing the bases with a triple in the 9th. » November 23, 1944: Five groups totaling 23 players, managers, umpires, and writers visit war theaters as part of the USO program. Included are Mel Ott, Dutch Leonard, Frankie Frisch, Bucky Walters, Harry Heilmann, Carl Hubbell, Freddie Fitzsimmons, Bill Summers, Beans Reardon, Johnny Lindell, Tuck Stainback, Steve O'Neill, Leo Durocher, Joe Medwick, Nick Etten, Dixie Walker, Paul Waner, and Rip Sewell. » March 3, 1946: The Browns sign veteran Joe Medwick, who has been released by the Boston Braves. They will release him before the season starts and he will sign up with Brooklyn. » May 25, 1947: Joe Medwick returns to the Cardinals after a 7-year absence. Signed just before the doubleheader, Medwick pinch-hits a double in game to account for the only run in a 2–1 loss to the Reds. Ducky has lost his power from his St. Louis heyday, but he will hit .307 as pinch-hitter and OF against lefthanders. » January 23, 1968: Joe Medwick is voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. » September 15, 1988: In a 10–3 Twins win, Kirby Puckett collects his 1,000th hit, a double off Chicago's Shawn Hillegas, He is the 4th ever to get 1,000 hits in first five seasons (Medwick, Waner, Combs.) He'll end with 1062, two hits short of Joe Medwick's record of 1064. » October 1, 1991: At Fenway, the Tigers outhit the Red Sox to win, 8–5. Frank Tanana (12–12) evens his record. Wade Boggs has a pair of doubles to top the 40 mark for the 7th straight year. Only Joe Medwick has done this in ML history.