RIP Gil McDougald

Perhaps only those of us of a certain age will remember the Yankees infielder of the 50s. Never a star but an integral part of 5 World Series champions.
What the obit doesn't mention is he lost his hearing the the 80s and had it mostly restored by Cochlear implant in the early 90s.
RIP to a very classy man.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101130/ap_on_sp_ba_ne/bba_obit_mcdougald

 

Unfortunate that one of the things he was known for was the line drive that hit Herb Score in the face. I read in a story years ago that McDougald was visibly upset when they were tending to Score and actually expressed to teammates that he was going to retire from baseball right then and there.

 

The Times obit does:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/30/sports/baseball/30mcdougald.html?hpw

Sounds like a neat guy.

 

One of the more underrated players in Yankees history. You always hear about Mantle, Rizzuto and Martin, but you rarely heard of McDougal, except for the Score incident.

And it sounds like he was a very nice man. RIP.

 

Sorry spnited - happy to join you in discussion of the good ole days of NY sports from Clyde / Joe Willie/ Reed/ Gilbert/ Kranepool but can only discuss the 50's from what I've heard.

Did you ever get to see Walter Johnson pitch?

 

Just missed the Big Train, Boom.

But McDougald also is part of my first real baseball memory ... Game 7 of 1955 World Series when my father's Dodgers final beat the Goddamn stinking Yankees (official team name in my house in the 50s).
He was doubled off first base in the 6th (I think) inning when Sandy Amoros made a spectactular play on Yogi's flyball in the left field corner at the old, old Yankee Stadium.
McDougald was already around second when Amoros caught the ball and was easily doubled off first on the relay from Amoros to Reese to Hodges. Saved the Dodgers' 2-0 win and only World Series championship in Brooklyn.

 

Excellent chapter on McDougald's life in the book "Perfect," about Don Larsen and his perfect game.

 

Gil was a VERY valuable piece of the NYY teams of the 1950's.
ALL of his games were performed at 2B, 3B & SS.

Rookie Of The Year 1951. Retired at 32 years old. Wow.

Different era.

Career .276 BA.

Career .356 OPB

Very respectable.


He was awesome defensively at all three positions as well...

R.I.P. Gil!!!

 

I've talked to a lot of Brooklyn Dodger fans and it does not take long before they get to that Sandy Amoros play.

Was not a difficult play but Yankee fans of '96 probably remember Charlie Hayes in same way.

 

I'd like to here more about Herb Score if anyone here remembers him.

 

Score was to be the successor to Bob Feller--powerful hype. The Indians had great starting pitching in those days. Score had a scorching fastball and a great curve. Whether he had the makeup to persist the way Feller did wasn't tested, unfortunately.

Those are the scant memories of a very young guy at the time who was just discovering baseball, in a textile league town, via The Sporting News and The Game of the Week.

 

In one the versions of Baseball Abstract, Bill James has him rated extremely high as a player. James argue McDougald would have been a star if A. Stengel played him at one position instead of making him the stopgap everywhere and B. if he had signed with the Angels instead of retiring. James theorizes McDougald would have been a power threat in LA.