Gil McDougald Dies

[Bob]

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Yankees' McDougald, '51 ROY, dies at 82

By Rhett Bollinger / MLB.com | 11/29/10 8:53 PM EST

Former Yankees infielder Gil McDougald died of prostate cancer on Sunday at his home in Wall Township, N.J. He was 82.

McDougald played his entire 10-year career with the Yankees from 1951-60 and was a member of eight pennant-winning teams (1951-53, '55-58 and '60) and five championship clubs (1951-53, '56 and '58). He was also the first Yankee to win the Rookie of the Year Award when he was honored in '51 after hitting .306 with 72 runs scored, 14 home runs, 63 RBIs and a .396 on-base percentage.

In 1,336 career games, McDougald was a .276 hitter with 112 home runs and 576 RBIs, while playing 599 games as a second baseman, 508 at third and 284 at shortstop.

"Gil was a great guy, well-liked by the team and a helluva ballplayer," his former Yankees teammate Whitey Ford said in a statement. "He was a good fielder and was always a fierce competitor."

A five-time All-Star, McDougald finished in the top 10 in voting for the MVP Award three times, including a top-five finish in 1957 when he batted .289 with 13 home runs, 62 RBIs and 87 runs scored. He also drove home the game-winning run in the '58 Midsummer Classic at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium with a sixth-inning single in a 4-3 win for the American League.

McDougald also batted above .300 twice -- .306 in 1951 and a career-high .311 in '56 -- and set a personal best with 83 RBIs in '53. He saw action in eight World Series, batting .237 with seven home runs and 24 RBIs in 53 postseason games.

"Before I was traded to the Yankees, Gil and I played against each other in the Minors in the Texas League," former Yankees teammate Bob Turley said in a statement. "He was always one of the most serious guys out there, and he loved to win. But Gil was also a person who got along well with everyone. He was always in good spirits."

A native of San Francisco, McDougald is survived by his wife, Lucille, their seven children (Christine, Gilbert Jr., Tod, Denise, Courtney Ann, John and Matthew), 14 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Private funeral services will be held on Friday in New Jersey.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in McDougald's name toward charities that assist with cochlear implants, those that work toward finding a cure for prostate cancer or to the charity of the donor's choosing.