Sid Gordon
Encyclopedia
Sidney "Sid" Gordon known as "Sid," was a stocky, powerfully built American right-handed Major League Baseball
outfielder
, third baseman
, and first baseman
.
He had a 13-year career in MLB for the New York Giants
(1941–43, 1946–49, and 1955), Boston Braves
(1950–52), Milwaukee Braves (1953), and Pittsburgh Pirates
(1954–55). Gordon was one of the Giants' most popular players. He played 13 years in the majors, batting .283, hitting 202 home runs, and batting in 805 runs. In 3 different years he homered at least once in every park in which he played. A slugger, he also had a great eye—he drew 731 walks, against only 356 strikeouts. He was a 2-time All-Star
.
Harold Ribalow in his book The Jew in American Sports referred to Gordon as the "Solid Man."
section of Brooklyn
, and was Jewish. His parents were Morris and Rose (née Meyerson) Gordon. Morris emigrated from Russia, and became a plumber and a coal dealer in the United States. Eventually, the family moved to the Flatbush
section of Brooklyn.
Gordon went to Samuel J. Tilden High School
, where he was a star baseball player. In 1936, the year he graduated from Tilden, Gordon's high school coach arranged for Gordon to work out for Casey Stengel
, then manager of the Dodgers. Stengel liked what he saw, but soon after the Dodgers fired Stengel.
Gordon attended Long Island University
's Brooklyn campus.
Gordon kept playing in sandlot baseball, where he was noticed by scout George Mack of the Giants
. In January 1938, he was signed as undrafted amateur free agent by the Giants, and Mack sent Gordon to Milford, Delaware
, in the Eastern Shore Baseball League
.
In 1939 Gordon played in Three-I League with Clinton. He batted .327 and hit 24 triples. In 1941 he hit .304 and stole 15 bases in the International League
.
At the end of the 1941 season, the Giants brought him up. Wanting to get Gordon more experience as an outfielder, manager Bill Terry
sent Gordon to Jersey City in 1942, where he hit .300.
in the outfield, Harry Feldman
on the mound, and Harry Danning
behind the plate.
Gordon's first full year in the majors came in 1943; he hit only .251, but with 32 strikeouts and 43 walks showed discipline at the plate. He also hit 11 triples, 5th in the league.
raging, Gordon spent 1944 and 1945 in the Coast Guard
.
In 1947 he hit 8 triples, 6th highest in the league, and a career-high 13 outfield assists. The Giants broke the single-season home run record, and Gordon hit 13 of their 221. Giant manager Mel Ott
had put together a 1-dimensional ball club built around a lot of sluggers with little speed. Leo Durocher
famously observed that Ott was too nice a guy, and his team would finish last. Durocher listed a number of players whom he thought were nice guys, Gordon among them.
In 1948 Gordon changed his approach to hitting under the guidance of Giant coach Red Kress
. As Gordon recalled, "Before 1948 I could hit a fairly long ball but it always went to right or right-center. At the Polo Grounds right-center is just a big out. Red Kress, a coach on the Giants, used to get me to pull the ball to left. He started out by moving my right-hand grip on the bat around a little and he opened up my stance – I now put my left foot toward third when I hit. I learned to roll my wrists more and to step into the ball. Pretty soon I was dropping them in left. Red spent hours working with me on it. I can't give him enough credit."
In 1948 Gordon was 3rd in the National League
in slugging percentage (.537), 4th in RBIs (107), 5th in home runs (30; a career high) and at-bats-per-home run (17.4), 6th in runs (100; a career high) and total bases (280), 8th in batting average (.299), 9th in walks (74) and OBP (.390), and 10th in stolen bases (8). He was voted onto the All-Star
team for his first time. The Giants had "Sid Gordon Day" at the Polo Grounds
, and he received a new car, golf clubs, and a set of luggage. July 3 was also dubbed "Sid Gordon Day" at Ebbets Field
, marking a rare honor for a visiting player. He finished 4th in voting for the 1948 National League
MVP.
After his breakout 1948 season, Gordon held out in the spring of 1949. He signed for $2,500 ($ today) less than he wanted. In 1949 he was 4th in the league in at-bats-per-home run (18.8), 5th in home runs (26) and walks (95; a career high), 6th in OBP (.404), and 9th in slugging percentage (.505). In 1949 he homered twice in one inning, tying a major league record that still stands. He was voted onto the All-Star team for the second year in a row. He finished 30th in voting for the 1949 NL MVP.
combination. In December 1949 he traded Willard Marshall, Red Webb, Buddy Kerr
, and nice guy Gordon to the Boston Braves
for Alvin Dark
and Eddie Stanky
. The deal having been consummated, Giants owner Horace Stoneham
told him that "it broke my heart to let you go," and sent Gordon a check for $2,500 as a token of his respect for the popular slugger.
In 1950, he had a good year, finishing 4th in the league in slugging percentage (.557), 6th in at-bats per home runs (17.8), 7th in obp (.403), 8th in batting average (.304) and doubles (33), and 9th in home runs (27) and RBIs (103), and 10th in walks (78). He also hit 4 grand slam
s, tying what was then the major league record. While he hit only 5 home runs at home, he hit 22 on the road; the 17 home run disparity tied for the greatest disparity ever in one season at the time. He finished 22nd in voting for the 1950 NL MVP.
Playing for Boston in 1951 and 1952, he moved with them to Milwaukee in 1953.
In 1951 he finished 2nd in the league in RBIs (109; a career high), 8th in the league in home runs (29), runs (96), and at-bats per home runs (19.0), and 9th in slugging percentage (.500) and walks (80). On August 11 he hit a home run in a doubleheader, the first major league games to be telecast in color. He finished 16th in voting for the 1951 NL MVP.
In 1952 he finished 4th in the league in home runs (25) and at-bats per home run (20.9), 7th in obp (.384) and slugging percentage (.483), and 8th in walks (77). He finished 30th in voting for the 1952 NL MVP.
, Max Surkont, and cash to the Pittsburgh Pirates for flashy infielder Danny O'Connell
. It was the only six-for-one trade in major league history, and was surpassed years later only by the 7-for-1 deal that sent Vida Blue
from Oakland to San Francisco in 1978. He hit .306 for the Pirates in 1954.
Through 2010, he was third in career home runs (behind Shawn Green
), fourth in RBIs (behind Buddy Myer
), and sixth in hits (behind Brad Ausmus
) among all-time Jewish major league baseball players.
. One day in June 1949 in St. Louis the Cardinals
' bench was all over Gordon. Anti-Semitic remarks were hurled at Gordon. However, Cards manager Eddie Dyer
said, "Sid is a friend of mine," and that Gordon had been attacked not because he was Jewish but because he was a good player and "the good ones receive the attention of bench jockeys." Gordon for his part took the high road, ignoring the anti-Semitic remarks, forcing the bigots to admire him.
When the Dodgers were desperately looking for a Jewish player and found Sandy Koufax
, Walter O'Malley
told reporter Dave Anderson
that he hoped Koufax would be as good as Hank Greenberg
or Sid Gordon.
Gordon is 3rd all-time of all Jewish baseball player in home runs (behind Hank Greenberg
and Shawn Green
, 4th in RBIs (behind Greenberg, Green, and Buddy Myer
, and 6th in hits (behind Myer, Green, Lou Boudreau
, Greenberg, and Brad Ausmus
. In a 1976 Esquire
magazine article, sportswriter Harry Stein published an "All Time All-Star Argument Starter," consisting of five ethnic baseball teams. Gordon was the left fielder on Stein's Jewish team.
"Gordon" seems surprising as a Jewish name. It is usually and properly assumed to be Scottish
, Norman
English
, or Irish
, as a place name meaning "spacious fort." However, according to Patrick Hanks
and Flavia Hodges, the name is also "Jewish, Eastern Ashkenazic: probably a habituation name from the Belarus
city of Grodno, whence the Eastern Ashkenazic surnames Gardin(ski). It goes back at least to 1657. It was widespread among Jews in Poland by the end of the 17th century, when two naturalized Polish noblemen, Henry and George Gordon, obtained legislation to prevent its continued adoption by Jews.
in Central Park
in New York on June 17, 1975, when he had a heart attack. Taken to Lenox Hill Hospital
, he died several hours later. He was 57 years old. His wife Mary and two sons survived him. He was buried at the New Montefiore Cemetery in Farmingdale, New York
.
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...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
, third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
, and first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
.
He had a 13-year career in MLB for the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
(1941–43, 1946–49, and 1955), Boston Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
(1950–52), Milwaukee Braves (1953), and Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
(1954–55). Gordon was one of the Giants' most popular players. He played 13 years in the majors, batting .283, hitting 202 home runs, and batting in 805 runs. In 3 different years he homered at least once in every park in which he played. A slugger, he also had a great eye—he drew 731 walks, against only 356 strikeouts. He was a 2-time 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...
.
Harold Ribalow in his book The Jew in American Sports referred to Gordon as the "Solid Man."
Early life
Gordon was born in the BrownsvilleBrownsville, Brooklyn
Brownsville is a residential neighborhood located in eastern Brooklyn, New York City.The total land area is one square mile, and the ZIP code for the neighborhood is 11212....
section of Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, and was Jewish. His parents were Morris and Rose (née Meyerson) Gordon. Morris emigrated from Russia, and became a plumber and a coal dealer in the United States. Eventually, the family moved to the Flatbush
Flatbush, Brooklyn
Flatbush is a community of the Borough of Brooklyn, a part of New York City, consisting of several neighborhoods.The name Flatbush is an Anglicization of the Dutch language Vlacke bos ....
section of Brooklyn.
Gordon went to Samuel J. Tilden High School
Samuel J. Tilden High School
Samuel J. Tilden High School is a New York City public high school in the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn. It is named for Samuel J. Tilden, the former governor of New York State and presidential candidate who, although carrying the popular vote, lost to Rutherford B...
, where he was a star baseball player. In 1936, the year he graduated from Tilden, Gordon's high school coach arranged for Gordon to work out for Casey Stengel
Casey Stengel
Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel , nicknamed "The Old Perfessor", was an American Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in ....
, then manager of the Dodgers. Stengel liked what he saw, but soon after the Dodgers fired Stengel.
Gordon attended Long Island University
Long Island University
Long Island University is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution of higher education in the U.S. state of New York.-History:...
's Brooklyn campus.
Gordon kept playing in sandlot baseball, where he was noticed by scout George Mack of the Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
. In January 1938, he was signed as undrafted amateur free agent by the Giants, and Mack sent Gordon to Milford, Delaware
Milford, Delaware
Milford is a city in Kent and Sussex counties in the U.S. state of Delaware. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 9,559....
, in the Eastern Shore Baseball League
Eastern Shore Baseball League
The Eastern Shore Baseball League was a Class D minor league baseball league that operated on the Delmarva Peninsula for parts of three different decades. The league's first season was in 1922 and the last was in 1949, although the years were not consecutive, and featured teams from Maryland,...
.
Minor leagues
At Milford, Gordon was put at third base, an unfamiliar position, but responded with a .352 average and 25 homers, while playing every game. Gordon led the league in hits (145), total bases (256), and triples (9).In 1939 Gordon played in Three-I League with Clinton. He batted .327 and hit 24 triples. In 1941 he hit .304 and stole 15 bases in the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
.
At the end of the 1941 season, the Giants brought him up. Wanting to get Gordon more experience as an outfielder, manager Bill Terry
Bill Terry
William Harold Terry was a Major League Baseball first baseman and manager. Considered one of the greatest players of all time, Terry was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1954. In 1999, he ranked number 59 on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was a nominee...
sent Gordon to Jersey City in 1942, where he hit .300.
NY Giants (1941–43)
On September 11, 1941, he appeared in his first major league game. The Giants put four Jewish players on the field: Gordon and Morrie ArnovichMorrie Arnovich
Morrie Arnovich, known as Snooker, was a stocky Major League Baseball outfielder. He was a line drive hitter and he played seven seasons for the Philadelphia Phillies, the Cincinnati Reds and the New York Giants between , and , and again for one game in .One of the most religious Jewish major...
in the outfield, Harry Feldman
Harry Feldman
Harry "Hank" Feldman was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the New York Giants from 1941 to 1946. In 1962, at age 42, the 6' 0",...
on the mound, and Harry Danning
Harry Danning
Harry Danning, nicknamed Harry the Horse was a professional baseball player. He played his entire Major League Baseball career as a catcher for the New York Giants, and was considered one of the top defensive catchers of his era. He batted and threw right-handed...
behind the plate.
Gordon's first full year in the majors came in 1943; he hit only .251, but with 32 strikeouts and 43 walks showed discipline at the plate. He also hit 11 triples, 5th in the league.
World War II (1944–45)
With World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
raging, Gordon spent 1944 and 1945 in the Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
.
NY Giants (1946–49)
Returning to baseball after the war, in 1946 he was 10th in the league in on base percentage (.380).In 1947 he hit 8 triples, 6th highest in the league, and a career-high 13 outfield assists. The Giants broke the single-season home run record, and Gordon hit 13 of their 221. Giant manager 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...
had put together a 1-dimensional ball club built around a lot of sluggers with little speed. Leo Durocher
Leo Durocher
Leo Ernest Durocher , nicknamed Leo the Lip, was an American infielder and manager in Major League Baseball. Upon his retirement, he ranked fifth all-time among managers with 2,009 career victories, second only to John McGraw in National League history. Durocher still ranks tenth in career wins by...
famously observed that Ott was too nice a guy, and his team would finish last. Durocher listed a number of players whom he thought were nice guys, Gordon among them.
In 1948 Gordon changed his approach to hitting under the guidance of Giant coach Red Kress
Red Kress
Ralph "Red" Kress was a shortstop and coach in Major League Baseball. From through , he played for the St. Louis Browns , Chicago White Sox , Washington Senators , Detroit Tigers and New York Giants . Kress batted and threw right-handed...
. As Gordon recalled, "Before 1948 I could hit a fairly long ball but it always went to right or right-center. At the Polo Grounds right-center is just a big out. Red Kress, a coach on the Giants, used to get me to pull the ball to left. He started out by moving my right-hand grip on the bat around a little and he opened up my stance – I now put my left foot toward third when I hit. I learned to roll my wrists more and to step into the ball. Pretty soon I was dropping them in left. Red spent hours working with me on it. I can't give him enough credit."
In 1948 Gordon was 3rd in the 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...
in slugging percentage (.537), 4th in RBIs (107), 5th in home runs (30; a career high) and at-bats-per-home run (17.4), 6th in runs (100; a career high) and total bases (280), 8th in batting average (.299), 9th in walks (74) and OBP (.390), and 10th in stolen bases (8). He was voted onto the 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 for his first time. The Giants had "Sid Gordon Day" at the Polo Grounds
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
, and he received a new car, golf clubs, and a set of luggage. July 3 was also dubbed "Sid Gordon Day" at Ebbets Field
Ebbets Field
Ebbets Field was a Major League Baseball park located in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York, USA, on a city block which is now considered to be part of the Crown Heights neighborhood. It was the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League. It was also a venue for professional football...
, marking a rare honor for a visiting player. He finished 4th in voting for the 1948 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...
MVP.
After his breakout 1948 season, Gordon held out in the spring of 1949. He signed for $2,500 ($ today) less than he wanted. In 1949 he was 4th in the league in at-bats-per-home run (18.8), 5th in home runs (26) and walks (95; a career high), 6th in OBP (.404), and 9th in slugging percentage (.505). In 1949 he homered twice in one inning, tying a major league record that still stands. He was voted onto the All-Star team for the second year in a row. He finished 30th in voting for the 1949 NL MVP.
Boston Braves/Milwaukee Braves (1950–53)
When Durocher took over in late 1949, he wanted speed and a good double playDouble play
In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two"....
combination. In December 1949 he traded Willard Marshall, Red Webb, Buddy Kerr
Buddy Kerr
John Joseph "Buddy" Kerr was an American shortstop in Major League Baseball. From 1943 through 1951, Kerr played for the New York Giants and Boston Braves...
, and nice guy Gordon to the Boston Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
for Alvin Dark
Alvin Dark
Alvin Ralph Dark , nicknamed "Blackie" and "The Swamp Fox", is a former shortstop and manager in Major League Baseball who played for five National League teams from 1946 to 1960. Named the major leagues' Rookie of the Year with the Boston Braves when he batted .322...
and Eddie Stanky
Eddie Stanky
Edward Raymond Stanky , nicknamed "The Brat", was an American second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball. He played for the Chicago Cubs , Brooklyn Dodgers , Boston Braves , New York Giants , and St. Louis Cardinals...
. The deal having been consummated, Giants owner Horace Stoneham
Horace Stoneham
Horace C. Stoneham was the principal owner of Major League Baseball's New York/San Francisco Giants from the death of his father, Charles Stoneham, in 1936 until 1976. During his ownership, the team won National League pennants in 1936, 1937, 1951, 1954 and 1962, a division title in 1971, and a...
told him that "it broke my heart to let you go," and sent Gordon a check for $2,500 as a token of his respect for the popular slugger.
In 1950, he had a good year, finishing 4th in the league in slugging percentage (.557), 6th in at-bats per home runs (17.8), 7th in obp (.403), 8th in batting average (.304) and doubles (33), and 9th in home runs (27) and RBIs (103), and 10th in walks (78). He also hit 4 grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
s, tying what was then the major league record. While he hit only 5 home runs at home, he hit 22 on the road; the 17 home run disparity tied for the greatest disparity ever in one season at the time. He finished 22nd in voting for the 1950 NL MVP.
Playing for Boston in 1951 and 1952, he moved with them to Milwaukee in 1953.
In 1951 he finished 2nd in the league in RBIs (109; a career high), 8th in the league in home runs (29), runs (96), and at-bats per home runs (19.0), and 9th in slugging percentage (.500) and walks (80). On August 11 he hit a home run in a doubleheader, the first major league games to be telecast in color. He finished 16th in voting for the 1951 NL MVP.
In 1952 he finished 4th in the league in home runs (25) and at-bats per home run (20.9), 7th in obp (.384) and slugging percentage (.483), and 8th in walks (77). He finished 30th in voting for the 1952 NL MVP.
Pittsburgh Pirates (1954–55)
In December 1953 he was traded by the Braves with Larry Lasalle, Fred Walters, Curt Raydon, Sam JethroeSam Jethroe
Samuel Jethroe, nicknamed "The Jet" , was an American center fielder in Negro League and Major League Baseball. With the Cincinnati & Cleveland Buckeyes he won a pair of batting titles, hit .340 over seven seasons from 1942 to 1948, and helped the team to two pennants and the Negro League World...
, Max Surkont, and cash to the Pittsburgh Pirates for flashy infielder Danny O'Connell
Danny O'Connell
Daniel Francis O'Connell was an American infielder in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates , Milwaukee Braves , New York/San Francisco Giants andWashington Senators...
. It was the only six-for-one trade in major league history, and was surpassed years later only by the 7-for-1 deal that sent Vida Blue
Vida Blue
Vida Rochelle Blue Jr. is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 17-year career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics , San Francisco Giants , and Kansas City Royals He won the American League Cy Young award and Most Valuable Player Award in 1971...
from Oakland to San Francisco in 1978. He hit .306 for the Pirates in 1954.
NY Giants (1955)
In 1955, as the 9th-oldest player in the league, he was back with the Giants, where he ended his baseball career.Through 2010, he was third in career home runs (behind Shawn Green
Shawn Green
Shawn David Green is a former Major League Baseball player.Green was a 1st round draft pick and a two-time major league All-Star...
), fourth in RBIs (behind Buddy Myer
Buddy Myer
Charles Solomon "Buddy" Myer was an American second baseman in Major League Baseball from 1925 to 1941.An excellent hitter, he batted .300 or better in eight full seasons, and retired with a career average of .303. He walked more than twice as many times as he struck out...
), and sixth in hits (behind Brad Ausmus
Brad Ausmus
Bradley David "Brad" Ausmus is a former All Star catcher in Major League Baseball, and currently a special assistant for the San Diego Padres....
) among all-time Jewish major league baseball players.
Reactions to Gordon as a Jew; Anti-Semitism
A well-liked and highly regarded person wherever he traveled, Gordon was nevertheless subjected to a stark case of anti-SemitismAnti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
. One day in June 1949 in St. Louis the 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...
' bench was all over Gordon. Anti-Semitic remarks were hurled at Gordon. However, Cards manager Eddie Dyer
Eddie Dyer
Edwin Hawley Dyer was an American left-handed pitcher, manager and farm system official in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1922–44 and 1946–50...
said, "Sid is a friend of mine," and that Gordon had been attacked not because he was Jewish but because he was a good player and "the good ones receive the attention of bench jockeys." Gordon for his part took the high road, ignoring the anti-Semitic remarks, forcing the bigots to admire him.
When the Dodgers were desperately looking for a Jewish player and found Sandy Koufax
Sandy Koufax
Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers...
, Walter O'Malley
Walter O'Malley
Walter Francis O'Malley was an American sports executive who owned the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers team in Major League Baseball from to . He served as Brooklyn Dodgers chief legal counsel when Jackie Robinson broke the racial color barrier in...
told reporter Dave Anderson
Dave Anderson (sportswriter)
Dave Anderson is an American sportswriter based in New York City. After graduating in 1947 from Xavier High School - an elite Jesuit preparatory school in New York City - Anderson attended the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts, graduating in 1951.Anderson has written for a number of New...
that he hoped Koufax would be as good as Hank Greenberg
Hank Greenberg
Henry Benjamin "Hank" Greenberg , nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank" or "The Hebrew Hammer," was an American professional baseball player in the 1930s and 1940s. A first baseman primarily for the Detroit Tigers, Greenberg was one of the premier power hitters of his generation...
or Sid Gordon.
Gordon is 3rd all-time of all Jewish baseball player in home runs (behind Hank Greenberg
Hank Greenberg
Henry Benjamin "Hank" Greenberg , nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank" or "The Hebrew Hammer," was an American professional baseball player in the 1930s and 1940s. A first baseman primarily for the Detroit Tigers, Greenberg was one of the premier power hitters of his generation...
and Shawn Green
Shawn Green
Shawn David Green is a former Major League Baseball player.Green was a 1st round draft pick and a two-time major league All-Star...
, 4th in RBIs (behind Greenberg, Green, and Buddy Myer
Buddy Myer
Charles Solomon "Buddy" Myer was an American second baseman in Major League Baseball from 1925 to 1941.An excellent hitter, he batted .300 or better in eight full seasons, and retired with a career average of .303. He walked more than twice as many times as he struck out...
, and 6th in hits (behind Myer, Green, Lou Boudreau
Lou Boudreau
Louis "Lou" Boudreau was an American Major League Baseball player and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1970...
, Greenberg, and Brad Ausmus
Brad Ausmus
Bradley David "Brad" Ausmus is a former All Star catcher in Major League Baseball, and currently a special assistant for the San Diego Padres....
. In a 1976 Esquire
Esquire (magazine)
Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
magazine article, sportswriter Harry Stein published an "All Time All-Star Argument Starter," consisting of five ethnic baseball teams. Gordon was the left fielder on Stein's Jewish team.
"Gordon" seems surprising as a Jewish name. It is usually and properly assumed to be Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
, Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
, or Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
, as a place name meaning "spacious fort." However, according to Patrick Hanks
Patrick Hanks
Patrick Hanks is an English lexicographer and corpus linguist. He has edited dictionaries of general language, as well as dictionaries of personal names. After graduation from University College, Oxford, he started his lexicographic career as editor of the Hamlyn Encyclopedic World Dictionary . In...
and Flavia Hodges, the name is also "Jewish, Eastern Ashkenazic: probably a habituation name from the Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
city of Grodno, whence the Eastern Ashkenazic surnames Gardin(ski). It goes back at least to 1657. It was widespread among Jews in Poland by the end of the 17th century, when two naturalized Polish noblemen, Henry and George Gordon, obtained legislation to prevent its continued adoption by Jews.
Personal life
Gordon married Mary Goldberg in 1940. They had two sons, Michael and Richard. Michael was a catcher in the minors from 1963 to 1965.Death
Gordon was playing softballSoftball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
in Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
in New York on June 17, 1975, when he had a heart attack. Taken to Lenox Hill Hospital
Lenox Hill Hospital
Lenox Hill Hospital, on Manhattan's Upper East Side in New York City, is a 652-bed, acute care hospital and a major teaching affiliate of New York University Medical Center. Founded in 1857 as the German Dispensary, today's 10-building Lenox Hill Hospital complex has occupied its present site since...
, he died several hours later. He was 57 years old. His wife Mary and two sons survived him. He was buried at the New Montefiore Cemetery in Farmingdale, New York
Farmingdale, New York
The Village of Farmingdale is an incorporated village on Long Island within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York in the United States...
.
See also
- List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters
- List of select Jewish baseball players
External links
- Baseball Library profile
- Baseball Reference stats
- Baseball Cube stats
- Fangraphs stats
- BR Bullpen profile
- Jewish Major League career leaders
- SABR bio
- Sid Gordon at Find a GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...