MLB history: Forgotten stars of the current AL Central teams

Joe Gordon, Indians

“Wait,” you may be saying, “wasn’t Joe Gordon a Yankee?” Indeed, he was. On his Hall of Fame plaque, he is wearing his New York cap, and for seven of his 11 years in MLB, Gordon wore that hat.

However, for four of the five years of his career after two years of military service during World War II, Gordon was an important part of the Cleveland Indians and a very important part of the 1948 world championship squad, one of only two Cleveland has had.

A quick glance at Gordon’s career numbers suggest he may have cruised into the Hall based on his having played for the powerhouse Yankees of the late ’30s and on another championship team for a year. Nothing succeeds like winning, as the saying goes.

However, Joe McCarthy said after the Yankees World Series win in ’41, “The greatest all-around ballplayer I ever saw, and I don’t bar any of them, is Joe Gordon.” High praise indeed, considering his teammates.

Gordon was known for his acrobatic play in the field although his career fielding percentage was a point below the league’s average for his time in MLB. The guy just got to a lot more balls, apparently.

In 1946, though, things did not go well for him. Returning from the service, he suffered a rash of injuries starting with a spiking injury that severed a tendon in his hand in spring training. After the season, he was traded to the Indians for Allie Reynolds, a very good trade for both clubs.

In ’47, Gordon’s first year with the Indians, he was instrumental in the other players on the team accepting Larry Doby, the AL’s first African-American player. After hitting .272 that year after his injury-plagued .210 the year before, Gordon had his best offensive year for the Indians in their second championship run.

He drove in 124 runs and hit .280. In the World Series against the Braves, Gordon set off the winning Cleveland rally in game six with a solo homer.

At retirement, he had accumulated an MVP award (’42), nine All-Star appearances, the respect of his peers and greats such as Rogers Hornsby, and several World Series rings (or watches – you get to look that up.)

Did he accumulate some honors because he was a Yankee? Sure – that selection as an All-Star in ’46 seems a little odd. But it’s more likely Joe Gordon was one of those guys whose numbers don’t tell the story of his real value.