The 1936 to 1939 New York Yankees are considered by many historians as the greatest baseball dynasty of all-time. Lou Gehrig was still holding down first base and while The Babe might have been long gone, his place was taken by Joe DiMaggio and a host of other young stars. The Yanks of the late 1930's were not as colorful as the earlier "Murderer's Row" squad of a decade earlier and one of the things most remarked on was the team's business-like quality, a franchise trait still in evidence today. Every team in both leagues knew that when the New York Yankees showed up, they came to win. There's one great story that completely epitomizes that no-nonsense attitude that made the 36-39 Yankees such a great team. One afternoon before a game a reporter was leaning on the batting cage chatting with manager Joe McCarthy. At that point the Yankees had beaten the Giants twice and the Cubs once for three consecutive World Championships and was closing in on a fourth. As the two men watched the Yanks take their cuts in the cage, the reporter asked McCarthy why he thought his team was so dominant. The skipper looked at the guy who was taking his turn in the batting cage. It was the team's second baseman, Joe Gordon. McCarthy told him to come out of the cage and waved him over. "Joe," McCarthy asked, "what's your batting average?". "I don't know." said Gordon. "What's your fielding average?" the manager inquired. "I don't know." said Gordon again. "How many RBI's do you have, Joe?" Again, "I don't know that either." "OK, thanks Joe" McCarthy said. As Gordon trotted back out onto the field McCarthy turned to the reporter and said: "See, all he cares about is beating you". The personal statistics Joe Gordon didn't know that day were enough that after his 11 years as a big leaguer they added up to a plaque in Cooperstown.

     In his prime before service in World War II, Gordon averaged about 25 homers a summer and batted at a .300 clip. In the 1938 World Series against the Cubs, Gordon's .400 batting average was the main reason New York swept the series, and his .500 hitting helped defeat a strong Brooklyn club in '41. He was an eight-time All-Star and was named the AL's Most Valuable Player in 1942, but it was in the field where his mark was made on those great Yankees teams.

     This is the jersey worn by Joe Gordon while a key member of the 1939 Yankees - the strongest team in the history of that storied franchise. The creamy white flannel pinstripes just echo class and dignity. As befits the jersey of the man who was the cornerstone of a great dynasty, Gordon's pinstripes show heavy game use. The inside collar shows the expected staining from use during a heated pennant race. There's some vintage game damage, most noticeable in the right front tail near the placket which has been expertly restored. The famous inter-twined "NY" has been removed from the front chest. Close examination reveals that the original had been removed, then a replacement sewn on which in turn was removed at some point. The Yankees, like most big league clubs, stripped their jerseys after the conclusion of a season and sent them to their minor league teams for use. This recycling effort often meant that not only was the uniform stripped of all graphics but also that it was worn until it literally fell apart. Luckily this Hall of Fame piece escaped that fate. The inside collar retains the original Spalding label with added size "44" tagging. This corresponds with Joe Gordon's measurements from the 1939 season. Above the label "J Gordon" is chain stitched in red thread, now faded to a light salmon color with age, as is the "39" indicating its issue for the summer of 1939. One of the things that make all 1939 jersey's so attractive and sought after is the patriotic 1839-1939 Baseball Centennial patch on the left sleeve. Gordon's jersey sports a beautiful version of this famous patch and though original it has been reapplied to the sleeve at some point. The back of the jersey retains Gordon's original number "6" in navy felt. Some parts of the number has thinned with age and the stitching has separated in some areas as would be expected from a well-used seven-decade old jersey. You won't find many game used flannel from the pre-war era, and to find one from a Hall of Famer and integral part of the greatest team in Yankees history is almost a miracle. The uniform experts at MEARS have examined this extraordinary jersey and based on the condition and historical quality of the piece awarded it their grade of A5.5 - though like the jersey's previous owner, you don't need to know statistics and numbers to know one's a true winner. A Joe Gordon jersey is an extreme rarity and this particular jersey was displayed in the Yankees museum as an exemplar of Joe Gordon. Comes with LOA from Richard Angrist detailing this information.

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