1934-1936 Diamond Stars: #66 "Ducky" Medwick

Sunday, December 31, 2023

#66 "Ducky" Medwick - St. Louis Cardinals

Joseph Michael Medwick

St. Louis Cardinals

Outfield

Bats: Right Throws: Right Height: 5'10" Weight: 187

Born: November 24, 1911, Carteret, NJ

Major League Teams: St. Louis Cardinals 1932-1940; Brooklyn Dodgers 1940-1943; New York Giants 1943-1945; Boston Braves 1945; Brooklyn Dodgers 1946; St. Louis Cardinals 1947-1948

World Series Appearances: St. Louis Cardinals 1934; Brooklyn Dodgers 1941

Died: March 21, 1975, St. Petersburg, FL (63)

Hall of Fame Induction: 1968

A fierce competitor and by some accounts difficult to get along with in the clubhouse, Joe Medwick compiled a Hall of Fame career over 17 seasons and is the last National League player to have won the Triple Crown. Medwick became a regular with the Gashouse Gang in 1933, and as the club's everyday left fielder between 1934 and 1940, he made seven All-Star Games and helped propel the Cardinals to a World Series title in 1934. It was during Game 7 of that 1934 World Series that Medwick was ejected from the game for his own safety, when play had been interupted as Detroit fans threw garbage and other objects onto the playing field. Medwick had slid hard into Tigers' third baseman Marv Owen (#67), sparking the fans' revolt. He led the league three years in a row between 1936 and 1938 in doubles and RBIs, with his 64 doubles in 1936 still a National League record. Medwick's career year came in 1937 when his .374 average, to go along with 31 home runs and 154 RBIs, won him the Triple Crown and league MVP honors.

Dealt to the Dodgers in June 1940, his former Cardinals teammate Bob Bowman beaned him in just his sixth game with Brooklyn, knocking him unconscious and landing Medwick in the hospital. The beaning caused bad blood between the two teams and an investigation, with Bowman insisting he never meant to hurt Medwick. Medwick made two All-Star teams with the Dodgers in 1941 and 1942, and made his final All-Star Game appearance with the Giants in 1944. He was a 10-time All-Star for his career. His last action in the majors came in 1948 with his old Cardinals' team and he retired as a player after attempting a minor league comeback in the early 1950s. Medwick batted .324with 2,471 hits, 540 doubles, 205 home runs and 1,383 RBIs. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1968 in his final year of eligibility.

Building the Set

December 3, 2023 from Oaks, PA (The Philly Show - Bagger's Auctions) - Card #96

I wrote a full write-up of The Philly Show from December over at The Phillies Room. Having added another 145 commons to our 1969 Topps set build, and then securing autographs from Tom Herr and Bobby Wine, Doug and I were ready to call it a day.

On our way out, I stopped at a table near the exit when I noticed a display with baseball cards from the 1930s, including a few Diamond Stars cards. I've been watching the Carl Hubbell (#39) card for a while on a few eBay auctions, and given the reasonable price tag on this card for $110, I started a short negotiation with the dealer. He pointed out there were some other Diamond Stars cards in a bargain bin next to the case, and I was pleasantly surprised to find this extremely reasonably priced Medwick card to pair with the Hubbell purchase. Both cards joined my Diamond Stars set build and we quickly exited the show soon afterwards, given my now completely empty wallet.

Variations Available

1 - 1935 / green back / 1934 statistics / 1935 copyright

The Card / Cardinals Team Set

As discussed in this SABR article, there's some interesting action going on behind Medwick as the slugger takes his swing. This thread from the social media site formerly known as Twitter has some good theories as to what's going on, and it does appear as if two players and (inexplicably) an umpire are standing around an early batting cage. The write-up on the back of the card is fantastic. The author refers to Medwick as "aggressive" and "spirited" and several of his Gashouse Gang teammates are name dropped. Dizzy (#124) and Paul Dean (#125), Frankie Frisch (#17), Pepper Martin (#26), Leo Durocher (#127) and Bill DeLancey (#81) are all mentioned. Only Frisch, Martin and DeLancey appear in the original Diamond Stars set with Medwick.

The back also refers to the "sensational" 1934 World Series against the Tigers, and refers to the War, which at the time was World War I. The world had no idea what was coming in less than a decade.

1935 Season

In his third full season in the majors, Medwick started all 154 games in left field for the Cardinals. The team's top offensive force, he batted .353 with 23 home runs and 126 RBIs, clinching the club's Triple Crown. First baseman Ripper Collins (#116) tied Medwick for the team lead in home runs. The Cardinals finished in second place in the National League, four games behind the Cubs.