The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-11-05

Ball Writer'S
Honor Yankee
Willioms Second:
PeskY Gets Third

NEW YORK - Joe Gordon.
one Of the biggest husts IN World
Series history. was chosen today
As the most valuable player In the
American League last season.
A committee OF "a baseball
writers who conducted the annual
poll for the junior leagues top
performer. gave the New YORK
Yankees second baseman 40
points TO award him the honor
over Outfielder TED Williams Of
the Boston Red sox-
Gordon's mediocre showing
In the World SERIES which
the Yankees lost 10 the ST.
Louis Cardinals. four games
20 enc, had no bearing On his
candidacy since the votes are
cast before the series gets
underway - n system which
Is held TO he only fair 10 the
players on the other seven
teams.
Selection of Gordon provided an
odd angle to this years most vslu-
able choices since Pitcher Mort
Cooper OF the Cards was voted
the National League laurels and
both men were the series most
emphatic flops.g Cooper. after
leading his league in pitching,
failed to win game in two
starts. but his failure took a back
seat to Gordon's showing.
AMAZING DECLINE
Gordon's decline was amazing.
In 1871. he hit 500 against the
Brooklyn Dodgers and was the
most clearly designed hero the
series had developed In years. For
the first two months Of last sea-
son he hit close to 400. a remark
able showing In view of the fact
that the slower ball brought about
A general reduction in averages.
He closed the season with .s2l
but paid for his spring rush with
an "empty" bat in the series.
He made only two hits for
a .O95 average. fielded poorly
by comparison with his al
most flawIess record during
the season when he teamed
with Phil Rizzuto TO give tho
Yankees the best double-plsy
combination In baseball. and
In the ninth inning of the
last contest, got caught off
second base 10 snuff out what
might have been q dramatic
rally.
But his fine play during the
season which paced the Yankees
to the pennant just as surely as
did Joe DiMaggio's work In 1e4i,
won him a place on every writer's
ballot to relegate Williams into
second slot and eclipse the Red
sox slugger's batting feats.
FIRSTS
Gordon received II first place
votes. eight second. three third
and one fifth, while Williams. who
was the first player since Lou
Gehrig in 1884 to gain the triple
crown - the batting title. runs
batted in and homers hit - polled
nine first place votes, eight sec
ond. four third, two fourth and
one fifth for a total Of 249. VIII
liams wound up second to d.
Maggie last year.
Third place, with las votes,
went 20 Rookie Shorstop
Johnny Pesky Of the Red sox.
Another freshman snort
fielder, yern stephens Of tho
st. Louis Browns, came In
fourth with $40, while right
handler Ernie Bonham of the
Yankees landed In fifth with
I02.
Points were ranked as follows
first place. IA; second nine and
SO on down the line to one for
10th. A total of 20 players re-
ceived points while honorable men,
ton went 10 IS others.
After Bonham came Tex Hugh
son. Boston. 81; Joe DiMaggio, IS:
Stan Spence. Washington, IS;
Phil Marchildon. Philadelphia, 80.
and Manager Lou Boudreau, Cleye-
land. "a.
Dom DiAaggio. Boston, won
honorable mention.
NEW woMEN's HIGH