The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1939-10-25
d MAGGIE NOW
RECOGNIZED AS
BEST IN GAME
Official Vote of Writers
Gives Yankee Star Top
Spot; Foxx Second
BY GEORGE KIRKsEY

UNITED Press StaR Correspondent
New York, Oct. 25-(UP)-An in
dividual baseball record without
equal was capped today with an
other achievement-Joseph Paul Di-
Maggie was voted the American
Leagues most valuable player award.
The Yankee center fielder re-
ceived $50 out of a possible 1896 points
among the committee OF "A men,
beers Of the Baseball Writer'S Asso-
citation Of America (three from each
of the eight American League cities).
DfMaggio, who won the American
League batting title, with an aver
age Of 1881, drew Is first place votes,
three seconds, three thirds, one
fourth and six fifths.
The black-thatched italian boy
who grew up along picturesque
Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco,
and spent his early days crab fish
ing, thus in four years graduates to
the most coveted spot in baseball
No. l star Of baseball's greatest team.
Not that DiMaggio hasn't been the
sparkplug which made the Yanks 60
ever since he joined them, but it's
now official beyond all argument.
Until DiMaggio joined the Yanks
they had the second place staggers"
but from the day The lithe-limbed
San Francisco boy appeared in their
cast the Bronx Bombers have never
known anything but pennants and
worlds championships. The Yanks
hitcned their wagon to DiMaggio's
star and have blazed across the base
ball heavens as has no other team
in history.
Photographic Eyes
A picture player, DiMaggio makes
baseball playing look easy. In long,
graceful strides he eats up ground
IN the outfield to make catches no
other outflelder of his time has been
able to duplicate. Blessed with pho
tographic eyes, DiMaggio is tough
to fool at the plate. His four major
league batting marks are 1928 in 1895;
.346 in 1887; 1924 in 1888 and 1871 in
1899. Although he takes a full swing,
DiMaggio uses snap wrist action
to get added power into his drives.
Since he donned Yankee uniform
DiMaggio has been a contender for
the most valuable player award. He
finished eighth in his freshman year,
second in his sophomore year, and
sixth in his junior year. Charlie
Gehringer, Tigers talented second
baseman, nosed out DiMaggio in
1887, 70 to IA votes (the point sys-
tenn not being used at that time).
Jimmy Foxx, Red Sox first base
man who underwent an appended
tony in September, finished second
Foxx, who three times has won the
most valuable player award, received
ITO votes despite the fact that only
one voter gave him a first.
Not So Bad
Bob Teller, Cleveland's fire baller,
received three first place ballots and
finished third with 1855 opints. Ted
Williams, Red Sox's freshman SEN
sation who led the league in runs
batted in DAD, came fourth with
126 points, although he failed to get
a first place vote.
Charlie Ruffng, Yankee pitching
star, finished fifth with 116 points
but received no firsts. Bill Dickey,
Yankee catcher, polled three No.
votes but was unmentioned by II
committeeman and wound up sixth
with ITO points.
Only other players who received
first place votes were Emil Leonard,
Washington's knuckle ball pitcher
who won 20 games for a sixth place
club and beat the Yanks four times,
and Mike Kreevich, White Sox out
fielder. Leonard received two No.
votes and finished seventh with II
points. Kreevich polled one first and
finished tenth with 38 points. Bob
johnson, Athletics outfielder, was
eighth with So points and Joe Cor
don, Yanks' second -baseman, ninth