Full Description
This illustrated biography resurrects the professional life of Joe "Ducky" Medwick, a Hall of Fame outfielder who demanded the best of himself as much as he insisted respect from team owners, fellow players, the press, and his fans. In 1936 Medwick set the record for most doubles in a season, and in 1937 he became the last National League player to win the Triple Crown. Though his career ended in 1948, both The Sporting News and the Society for Baseball Research named Medwick one of the top 100 players of all time. In this first-ever biography of one of baseball's most cantankerous players, author Thomas Barthel recounts the fascinating details of Medwick's successful career. All the highs and lows are replayed including an in-depth examination of game 7 of the 1934 World Series when the Gas House Gang member was barraged for 17 minutes by fruit and trash. This biography also features interviews of several St. Louis and Brooklyn players and administrators of the 1930s and 1940s and includes conversations with Hall of Fame outfielder Enos Slaughter and Hall of Fame writer Bob Broeg.
This long overdue biography is not only an insightful read about one of the top players of all time but a fascinating look at pre-World War II baseball.
Contents
Chapter 1 Prefatory Note Chapter 2 Acknowledgments Chapter 3 Prologue Chapter 4 1 Down Chrome Chapter 5 2 The Playing Fields of New Jersey Chapter 6 3 Scottdale, 1930 Chapter 7 4 A Ducky Buffalo, Houston, 1931 Chapter 8 5 Waiting for the Call, Houston, 1932 Chapter 9 6 With the Big Club, St. Louis, September 1932 Chapter 10 7 Playing left Field for the Cardinals, 1933 Chapter 11 8 The Gas House Year Chapter 12 9 Ten in the Top Three, 1935 Chapter 13 10 Sixty-Four Doubles, 1936 Chapter 14 11 A Triple Crown Year, 1937 Chapter 15 12 Three RBI Crowns in a Row, 1938 Chapter 16 13 Just Second in RBIs, 1939 Chapter 17 14 Traded, 1940 Chapter 18 15 The Bums Go to the World Series, 1941 Chapter 19 16 The Best Clutch Hitter in the League, 1942 Chapter 20 17 Rickey Again, 1943 Chapter 21 18 The Best Right-Handed Hitter in Baseball, 1944 Chapter 22 19 New York and Boston, 1945 Chapter 23 20 The First Playoffs, 1946 Chapter 24 21 Yogi in the Spring and Sportsman's Again, 1947 Chapter 25 22 Up and Down, 1948 Chapter 26 23 Miami Manager Medwick, 1949 Chapter 27 24 Insurance Man, 1950 Chapter 28 25 Raleigh, 1951 Chapter 29 26 Tampa and Out, 1952 Chapter 30 27 Amadee and the Billikins Until...1953-1967 Chapter 31 28 A Godlet, 1968 Chapter 32 29 Batting Teacher, 1969-74 Chapter 33 30 Muscles, 1975 Chapter 34 31 Since Medwick Chapter 35 32 Medwick's Legacy Chapter 36 Bibliography
