NL Player of the WeekJoe Medwick
Our current NL batting leader, flirting with .400, is the Cardinals' left fielder, Joe "Ducky" Medwick (HA13).
Medwick played his minor league ball in Houston. Allegedly, a female fan, seeing him walk, gave him the nickname, which stuck (much to his dismay). He was called up late in 1932 by the Cardinals, and remained with them until 1940, when he was traded to Brooklyn. He would stop in New York (NL), Boston, and Brooklyn again before returning to the Cards in 1947 for two more seasons. From 1932 to 1941, he was consistently among the league's leading hitters, and managed a few very good years even after that. He was an All Star every year from 1934-1940, and won the MVP in 1937.
Medwick was a scrapper, and got into numerous scuffles and fights, which generated a lot of animosity from other teams and their fans. According to Bill James, Medwick was the "Albert Belle of the 1930s." Perhaps the most famous incident occurred in the final game of the 1934 World Series. He slid hard with his spikes into Tigers' third baseman Marv Owen, which led to a fight among the players. The Detroit fans then bombarded the field with fruit and vegtables when Medwick went out to take his position the next inning. Given that the Carindals had the game well in hand, Commissioner Landis ordered Medwick out of the game for his own safety.
In the late 1930s, Medwick clashed with team ownership over his salary when his 1938 numbers fell off dramatically (though still very good) from his 1937 MVP numbers. After originally offering a substantially lower salary, Cards' owner Sam Breadon relented, offering him a salary only $2,000 less for 1939. It was the principle, explained Breadon. He'd rather throw the $2,000 out the window into the street than give it to Medwick. Medwick responded that if Breadon threw $2,000 out the window, he'd still be holding onto it when it hit the sidewalk.
Unsurpisingly, he was dealt to Brooklyn in 1940. Medwick was beaned by former Cards teammate Bob Bowman, and some allege that Medwick was never the same ballplayer. James disputes this, noting the any decline in Medwick's performance was largely attributable to playing in a less hitter friendly park and the overall decline in ERA in the early 1940s in the NL. Controlling for these things, says James, Medwick's performance in 1941-2 was the same as in 1938-39.
Medwick was inducted in the Hall of Fame in 1968.
