Ival Goodman
Encyclopedia
Ival Richard Goodman was an All-Star right fielder
in Major League Baseball
who played for the Cincinnati Reds
(1935-1942) and Chicago Cubs
(1943-1944). Goodman, who batted left-handed and threw right-handed, helped lead the Reds to a National League
pennant in 1939 and a World Series
title in 1940, and he was elected to the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1959.
purchased Goodman from the St. Louis Cardinals
on November 3, 1934 for $25,000. The decision paid immediate dividends. In his first season in the majors, Goodman appeared in 148 games, hitting .269 with 12 home runs and 72 runs batted in. Goodman also scored 86 runs and led the league with 18 triples. He led the league again the following season with 14 triples.
Goodman remained a fixture in the Reds lineup in the following years. In 1938 he set a since-broken Reds record with 30 home runs, which was second only to Mel Ott
's 36 that season, while scoring 103 runs (fourth in the NL) and driving in 92 (eighth in the NL). He was named to the NL All-Star
team that season..
In the Reds' pennant-winning 1939 season, Goodman hit a career-high .323 (sixth best in the NL) and was again named to the NL All-Star
team. He also hit .333 in the World Series
that year, but the Reds lost to the New York Yankees
in an eventual four-game sweep.
The Reds rebounded in 1940, posting 100 wins for the first time in club history and winning their first World Series
title since 1919, in what would be Goodman's final season as an everyday player. He hit .258 that year with 12 home runs and 78 runs scored. He also drove in five runs in the World Series
that season.
purchased him from the Reds. He hit .320 in 80 games for the Cubs in 1943, but appeared in just 62 games the following season, which would be his last in the majors.
Goodman died on November 25, 1984 in Cincinnati, Ohio
.
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
who played for the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
(1935-1942) and Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
(1943-1944). Goodman, who batted left-handed and threw right-handed, helped lead the Reds to a National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
pennant in 1939 and a World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
title in 1940, and he was elected to the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1959.
Cincinnati Reds years
The Cincinnati RedsCincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
purchased Goodman from the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
on November 3, 1934 for $25,000. The decision paid immediate dividends. In his first season in the majors, Goodman appeared in 148 games, hitting .269 with 12 home runs and 72 runs batted in. Goodman also scored 86 runs and led the league with 18 triples. He led the league again the following season with 14 triples.
Goodman remained a fixture in the Reds lineup in the following years. In 1938 he set a since-broken Reds record with 30 home runs, which was second only to Mel Ott
Mel Ott
Melvin Thomas Ott , nicknamed "Master Melvin", was a Major League Baseball right fielder. He played his entire career for the New York Giants . Ott was born in Gretna, Louisiana. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed...
's 36 that season, while scoring 103 runs (fourth in the NL) and driving in 92 (eighth in the NL). He was named to the NL All-Star
All-star
All-star is a term designating an individual as having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry...
team that season..
In the Reds' pennant-winning 1939 season, Goodman hit a career-high .323 (sixth best in the NL) and was again named to the NL All-Star
All-star
All-star is a term designating an individual as having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry...
team. He also hit .333 in the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
that year, but the Reds lost to the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
in an eventual four-game sweep.
The Reds rebounded in 1940, posting 100 wins for the first time in club history and winning their first World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
title since 1919, in what would be Goodman's final season as an everyday player. He hit .258 that year with 12 home runs and 78 runs scored. He also drove in five runs in the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
that season.
Chicago Cubs years
Goodman appeared in just 42 games in 1941 and 87 games in 1942, and on November 14, 1942, the Chicago CubsChicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
purchased him from the Reds. He hit .320 in 80 games for the Cubs in 1943, but appeared in just 62 games the following season, which would be his last in the majors.
Goodman died on November 25, 1984 in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
.
League leader
- TriplesTriple (baseball)In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
: 1935 (18) and 1936 (14) - Hit by pitchHit by pitchIn baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:...
: 1936 (9), 1938 (15) and 1939 (7)
Honors and awards
- NL All-Star: 1938 and 1939
- Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame Inductee: 1959