MVP Profile: Joe Gordon, 1942

Second Baseman, New York Yankees

Age:  27

5^th season with Yankees

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 5’10” Weight: 180

Prior to 1942:

Born in Los Angeles, Gordon grew up in Arizona and Portland, Oregon, where he played center field at Jefferson High School. Moving on to the University of Oregon, he played shortstop and batted .380 in 1934 and .415 in ’35. Nicknamed “Flash”, Gordon was also a member of the gymnastics team where he developed the acrobatic skills that would help to make him an exceptional second baseman. After playing winter ball in Los Angeles, he signed with the Yankees in 1936. That year he was assigned to the Oakland Oaks of the Class AA Pacific Coast League. An injury to the starting shortstop gave him an opportunity to appear in the starting lineup and Gordon hit .300 with 33 doubles and 6 home runs. Groomed to replace the aging Tony Lazzeri at second base for the Yankees, Gordon was sent to the Newark Bears of the International League in 1937. While honing his skills as a second baseman, Gordon batted .280 with 26 home runs as a leadoff hitter. He took over for Lazzeri in 1938, hitting .255 with 25 home runs and 97 RBIs. The quick and agile Gordon also quickly established himself as one of the AL’s best defensive second basemen and placed twelfth in league MVP voting. He was an All-Star for the first time in 1939 as he batted .284 with 28 home runs and 111 RBIs for a Yankee team that won its fourth straight World Series title. In 1940 Gordon hit .281 with 30 home runs, 103 RBIs, and 18 stolen bases while scoring 112 runs. Having dealt first baseman Babe Dahlgren in the offseason, the Yankees shifted Gordon to first in 1941 before returning him to second base in May (where his successor had fallen short) and he had another fine year with the bat posting a .276 average with 24 home runs and 87 RBIs. By 1942 he was a three-time All-Star with speed and a potent bat who had demonstrated excellence in the field.

1942 Season Summary

Appeared in 147 games

2B – 147

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 625 [22, tied with Bobby Doerr]

At Bats – 538

Runs – 88 [11]

Hits – 173 [8]

Doubles – 29 [14, tied with Johnny Pesky & Joe DiMaggio]

Triples – 4

Home Runs – 18 [6]

RBI – 103 [4]

Bases on Balls – 79 [9]

Int. BB – 7 [9, tied with Bob Johnson, Phil Rizzuto & Bill Dickey]

Strikeouts – 95 [1]

Stolen Bases – 12 [13, tied with Oris Hockett & Johnny Pesky]

Caught Stealing – 6

Average - .322 [4]

OBP - .409 [5]

Slugging Pct. - .491 [6]

Total Bases – 264 [6]

GDP – 22 [1]

Hit by Pitches – 1

Sac Hits – 7

Sac Flies – N/A

League-leading batter strikeouts were +7 ahead of runner-up Chet Laabs

League-leading times grounded into DPs were +1 ahead of runners-up Pinky Higgins & Glenn McQuillen

Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) vs. St. Louis Browns 6/13, (in 4 AB) vs. Detroit 7/13, (in 5 AB) at Washington 9/6

Longest hitting streak – 29 games

HR at home – 7

HR on road – 11

Most home runs, game – 2 (in 4 AB) at Chicago White Sox 5/20

Multi-HR games – 1

Grand Slams – 2

Most RBIs, game – 5 vs. Cleveland 6/7, at St. Louis Browns 9/9

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding

Chances - 824

Put Outs – 354

Assists – 442

Errors – 28

DP – 121

Pct. - .966

Postseason Batting: 5 G (World Series vs. St. Louis Cardinals)

PA – 21, AB – 21, R – 1, H – 2, 2B – 1,3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 0, BB – 0, IBB – 0, SO – 7, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .095, OBP - .095, SLG -.143, TB – 3, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – N/A

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: BBWAA

All-Star (started for AL at 2B)

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

Joe Gordon, NYY: 270 pts. - 12 of 24 first place votes, 80% share

Ted Williams, BosRS.: 249 pts. –9 first place votes, 74% share

Johnny Pesky, BosRS.: 143 pts. – 2 first place votes, 43% share

Vern Stephens, StLB.: 140 pts. – 1 first place vote, 42% share

Ernie Bonham, NYY: 102 pts. – 30% share

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Yankees went 103-51 to win the AL pennant by 9 games over the Boston Red Sox, while leading the league in home runs (108) and RBIs (744). Lost the World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals, 4 games to 1.

Aftermath of ‘42:

The Yankees won the AL pennant again in 1943 and Gordon contributed a .249 batting average, 17 home runs, and 69 RBIs, as well as outstanding play at second base. He added a home run and two RBIs in the World Series rematch with the Cardinals, won by the Yanks in five games. He joined the Army Air Force in 1944 and missed the ’44 and 1945 seasons due to World War II service. Returning to the Yankees in 1946, Gordon had a poor season at the plate, batting just .210 with 11 home runs and 47 RBIs, although he was still an All-Star selection in an injury-riddled year in which he appeared in only 112 games. In the offseason Gordon was traded to the Cleveland Indians for RHP Allie Reynolds. He rebounded in 1947 to hit .272 with 29 home runs and 93 RBIs, while also leading AL second basemen with 466 assists. A classy team leader, he also helped smooth the arrival of infielder Larry Doby, the first black player in the American League, who joined the club during the season. Part of an outstanding middle infield with shortstop Lou Boudreau, Gordon contributed to a pennant in 1948 as he batted .280 with 32 home runs and 124 RBIs. In 1949, his last All-Star season, he hit .251 with 20 home runs and 84 RBIs. Gordon played one last major league season in 1950, hitting .236 in 119 games with 19 home runs and 57 RBIs. Giving way to the up-and-coming Bobby Avila at second base, Gordon was released in the offseason. He was player/manager of the Sacramento Solons in the Pacific Coast League in 1951 where he led the circuit with 43 home runs and 136 RBIs. Following a lesser year in 1952, he became a scout for the Detroit Tigers and later returned to the Indians as manager until he was dealt to Detroit during the 1960 season for manager Jimmy Dykes in an unusual managerial swap. Gordon later managed the Kansas City Athletics and was the original manager of the Kansas City Royals. For his major league playing career he batted .268 with 1530 hits that included 264 doubles, 52 triples, and 253 home runs. Gordon also scored 914 runs and compiled 975 RBIs and 89 stolen bases. With the Yankees he accumulated 1000 hits over 1000 games, for a .271 average with 186 doubles, 38 triples, and 153 home runs. He further scored 596 runs for the Yanks with 617 RBIs and 68 stolen bases. Appearing in 29 World Series games he hit .243 with four home runs and 16 RBIs. A nine-time All-Star, Gordon finished in the Top 10 in MVP voting five times. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009, 31 years after his death at age 63.

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MVP Profiles feature players in the National or American leagues who were winners of the Chalmers Award (1911-14), League Award (1922-29), or Baseball Writers’ Association of America Award (1931 to present) as Most Valuable Player.

MVP Profile: Mort Cooper, 1942

Pitcher, St. Louis Cardinals

Age:  29

4^th season with Cardinals

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 210

Prior to 1942:

A Missouri native from a rural community 25 miles east of Kansas City, Cooper played American Legion baseball and then pitched for a local club in 1932 and was signed by the Kansas City Blues of the American Association in 1933. Optioned to the Des Moines Demons of the Class A Western League, he was released after suffering a broken leg and moved on to the Springfield Cardinals of the same league and, for the year, he compiled a 7-5 record in 26 pitching appearances. St. Louis signed Cooper for $75 and he started the 1934 season with the Columbus Red Birds of the American Association. Struggling with his control, he was sent down to Elmira of the Class A New York-Pennsylvania League where he went 10-12 with a 4.43 ERA and 128 walks in 185 innings pitched. Coping with the effects of injuries from an off-season auto accident, Cooper was just 6-7 for Columbus in 1935 with a 3.65 ERA in 101 innings pitched. He started the 1936 season with Asheville of the Class B Piedmont League before returning to Columbus, where both his control and his fastball improved as he posted a 5-7 record with a 4.76 ERA while pitching just 85 innings as he continued to regain his strength and stamina. With Columbus again in 1937, the burly Cooper struggled with a sore elbow and finished at 13-13 with a 4.10 ERA. Demoted to the Houston Buffaloes of the Class A Texas League in 1938, he learned to throw a screwball and compiled a 13-10 record with a 2.72 ERA and league-leading 201 strikeouts. The Cardinals called him up in September and he was 2-1 in four appearances, with a 3.04 ERA. Cooper struggled during his first full season with the Cards in 1939 while utilized as a reliever and spot starter. Once moved into the rotation, he put together a 12-6 record with a 3.25 ERA and 130 strikeouts over 210.2 innings pitched. With the Cardinals finishing third in 1940, Cooper was 11-12 with a 3.63 ERA and 95 strikeouts while pitching 230.2 innings. Furthermore, his younger brother Walker Cooper joined the club and developed into an outstanding catcher over his tenure in St. Louis. In 1941 Cooper had surgery to remove bone spurs and produced a 13-9 record with a 3.91 ERA and 118 strikeouts for the second place Redbirds.  With a good fastball augmented by a screwball, curve, and forkball, Cooper was poised to become the ace of a talented pitching staff for the Cardinals.

1942 Season Summary

Appeared in 45 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 37 [18, tied with Bob Klinger, Ray Starr & Jim Tobin]

Games Started – 35 [2]

Complete Games – 22 [3]

Wins – 22 [1]

Losses – 7

PCT - .759 [2]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 10 [1]

Innings Pitched – 278.2 [2]

Hits – 207 [10]

Runs – 73

Earned Runs – 55

Home Runs – 9 [19, tied with six others]

Bases on Balls – 68 [18]

Strikeouts – 152 [2]

ERA – 1.78 [1]

Hit Batters – 5 [5, tied with four others]

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 5 [4, tied with four others]

League-leading wins were +1 ahead of runner-up Johnny Beazley

League-leading shutouts were +5 ahead of runners-up Curt Davis, Rip Sewell & Al Javery

League-leading ERA was -0.35 lower than runner-up Johnny Beazley

Midseason Snapshot: 11-4, ERA - 1.52, SO - 79 in 142 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 9 (in 9 IP) at Chi. Cubs 9/20

10+ strikeout games – 0

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 2 (in 9 IP) at Brooklyn 5/20, (in 9 IP) at Boston Braves 6/25, (in 9 IP) vs. Cincinnati 8/14, (in 9 IP) vs. Cincinnati 9/24

Batting

PA – 113, AB – 103, R – 6, H – 19, 2B – 1, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 7, BB – 3, SO – 21, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .184, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 7, SF – N/A

Fielding

Chances - 52

Put Outs – 6

Assists – 44

Errors – 2

DP – 3

Pct. - .962

Postseason Pitching: (World Series vs. NY Yankees)

G – 2 GS – 2, CG – 0, Record – 0-1, PCT – .000, SV – 0, ShO – 0, IP – 13, H – 17, R – 10, ER – 8, HR – 1, BB – 4, SO – 9, ERA – 5.54, HB – 0, BLK – 0, WP – 0

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

All-Star (Starting P for NL)

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Mort Cooper, StLC.: 263 pts. – 13 of 24 first place votes, 78% share

Enos Slaughter, StLC.: 200 pts. – 6 first place votes, 60% share

Mel Ott, NYG: 190 pts. – 4 first place votes, 57% share

Mickey Owen, Brook.: 103 pts. – 31% share

Johnny Mize, NYG: 97 pts. – 29% share

(1 first place vote for Marty Marion, St.LC., who ranked seventh)

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Cardinals went 106-48 to win the NL pennant by two games over the Brooklyn Dodgers. The pitching staff led the league in ERA (2.55), shutouts (18), strikeouts (651), fewest hits allowed (1192), and fewest runs allowed (480). The Cards won 43 of their last 51 games to surpass the Brooklyn Dodgers and secure the pennant. Won World Series over the New York Yankees, 4 games to 1.

Aftermath of ‘42:

Cooper followed up with another outstanding season in 1943, producing a 21-8 record with a 2.30 ERA, 24 complete games that included two consecutive one-hitters, and 141 strikeouts, while chewing on aspirin as he pitched to deal with chronic arm pain. The Cardinals repeated as NL champions and again faced the Yankees in the World Series. Scheduled to start Game 2, he learned that his father had died that morning. He and his brother Walker decided to play and Cooper came through with a six-hit 4-3 win, which proved to be the only victory in the Series for the Cards.  St. Louis made it three straight pennants in 1944 and Cooper, who was exempted from the World War II military draft due to an old knee injury, was excellent once again with a 22-7 record, 2.46 ERA, league-leading 7 shutouts, and 97 strikeouts. In the all-St. Louis World Series triumph over the Browns, he was 1-1 with a 1.13 ERA. He and his brother Walker held out for higher salaries in 1945 and both were traded early in the season as a result. Mort was sent to the Boston Braves for RHP Red Barrett and $60,000. The sore elbow limited him to a 7-4 record with the Braves and a 3.35 ERA. He had surgery to remove bone spurs again and, despite lingering effects from the surgery, Cooper produced a 13-11 record in 1946 with a 3.12 ERA. Significantly overweight in 1947 and with his arm damaged from surgery, he had a 2-5 tally when the Braves dealt him to the New York Giants for RHP Bill Voiselle. Cooper went 1-5 with a 7.12 ERA the rest of the way. Having had further surgery on his elbow, he retired during spring training in 1948. An abortive comeback attempt with the Cubs in 1949 lasted for just one game before he was released. Cooper finished his career with a 128-75 record, a 2.97 ERA, and 913 strikeouts over 1840.2 innings pitched. He compiled 128 complete games that included 33 shutouts. With the Cardinals he went 105-50 with a 2.77 ERA and 758 strikeouts over 1480.1 innings. A three-time All-Star, he finished among the top ten in NL MVP voting three times, including the one win. In six World Series starts he produced a 2-3 record with a 3.00 ERA. The hard-working and hard-living Cooper died from the effects of cirrhosis of the liver, pneumonia, and diabetes in 1958 at the age of 45. The ace pitcher for a team that won three consecutive NL pennants was inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2019.

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MVP Profiles feature players in the National or American leagues who were winners of the Chalmers Award (1911-14), League Award (1922-29), or Baseball Writers’ Association of America Award (1931 to present) as Most Valuable Player.