Joe "Flash" Gordon

Born Joseph Lowell Gordon
18 February 1915 to Benjamin Lowell
Gordon and LuLu Pearl Evans
in Los Angeles, California. Joe died in
1978 (see his obituary from the New
York Times.) Joe played for the New
York Yankees from 1938-1943, and
1946; for the Cleveland Indians from
1947-1950. He managed the
Cleveland Indians from 1958-1960;
the Detroit Tigers (1960); Kansas City
A's in 1961; Kansas City Royals in
1969.

His playing career was impressive
even with the interruption of military
service in WWII from 1943-1945, Joe
Gordon was considered to be the
best second basemen of his time by
his contemporaries. Even playing in
parks which were "bad" for right
handed hitters, he hit 20 or more HR
in seven of the eleven years of his
career, with 253 Career HR setting an AL Career Record for most HR by a 2nd
baseman and, 975 RBIs in his career! His playing career included the MVP
Award in 1942, nine time All-Star (1939-1943, 1946-1949), six pennants, five
World Series Titles, in which he belted out 4 HR, hit .400 in the 1938 sweep of
the Cubs, and an even more impressive .500 in the 1941 five-game win over
the Dodgers! His teams were 5-1 in the Series; winning 21 of 28 games.

Gordon played more than 1500 games at second base, and Yankee manager,
Joe McCarthy, tried moving him to first base at the beginning of 1941 as a
replacement for Lou Gehrig. A surprising move which didn't do justice to his
skills as a second baseman, he was quickly moved back to his main position at
second when his replacement, Jerry Priddy, was hovering at .220 and the
Yankees were off to a poor start for the season. With Joe's return to 2nd, they
were off and running to yet another pennant!

Joe Gordon made Baseball history when he was part of the ONLY and most
unusual trade of managers in 1960 when the Indians and Tigers swapped
managers with Jimmy Dykes trading places with Joe Gordon.

Joe Gordon was recognized during his career as the best 2nd baseman in ML
baseball, he is considered by many today as the top 2nd baseman of his era!
So why is it that this fine sportsman has been left out of the Baseball Hall of
Fame? He was an outstanding defensive player who was in head-to head votes
for the All-Stars voted ahead of Bobby Doerr almost every year, and yet Doerr
has been inducted into the Hall -- even though Gordon was a better hitter, and
was, by their contemporaries, considered the better defensive player. On
March 1, 1988 for the first time since 1956 the Special Veterans Committee did
not elect anyone to the Hall of Fame. Phil Rizzuto, Leo Durocher, Joe Gordon,
and Gil Hodges were among the candidates passed over.

Bill James, compiler and author of The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract,
thinks Gordon should be in the Hall of Fame and it is hard to argue with him. No
matter how you measure it, Gordon was among the top second basemen of all
time. Maybe the House of Gordon should consider starting a nationwide petition
to get Joe his due recognition in the Hall of Fame.