The Cubs won their third pennant in seven years, but were again foiled in the World Series. The MVP was their star catcher, Gabby Hartnett. He had a great year, but I don't think he was the best choice.

        As you can see, Hartnett was outstanding, but he missed almost 40 games. I don't think he was as good as his teammate, Billy Herman, who didn't miss any games. And if you figure in the incredible season that Arky Vaughan had, I can't justify Hartnett's selection.
        But I wouldn't kick Gabby off of my team. Of all of the truly great catchers in baseball history, Charles Leo Hartnett is probably the one who gets overlooked the most. He played for twenty years, all of them as a catcher, and all but one with the Cubs. He was as great a player as Bill Dickey, maybe not as good as Mickey Cochrane, though he played much longer.
        Hartnett is probably best remembered for his heroics in 1938. The Cubs won the pennant that year; not only was Hartnett the regular catcher, but he also took over managerial duties. The Cubs had an amazing finish to the season, winning 21 straight games, and edging the Pirates at the end of the season. Hartnett capped the streak with the "Homer in the Gloamin'", a game-winning home run against the Pirates hit into the darkness of Wrigley Field.
        The Homer in the Gloamin' was one of 236 homers that Hartnett mashed out in his career; he was also a lifetime .297 hitter. He played in 1793 games behind the plate, and had an excellent defensive reputation. He also played in four World Series — remarkable considering that they were all with the Cubs.
        This year, I think Vaughan was much better than anybody else in the league. There is an argument for Herman: Vaughan missed 16 games, a fair number. Herman played every day for the champions, and was a better defensive player. Still, I have to take Vaughan. He was a good defensive shortstop, and he led the league in OPS by a fairly wide margin.
        It's a close call between Mel Ott and Joe Medwick, two great NL sluggers. I'll go with Medwick; he led the league in runs produced, and his team finished in second place.
        Medwick played for 17 seasons, though he was only a great hitter for a short time. In his prime he combined power and average, and won the Triple Crown two years later. He is a member of the Hall Of Fame, and his credentials are not-bad; among outfielders, I would rank him in a group with Jim Rice and Dave Parker. Medwick's popular nicknames were "Ducky" and "Muscles". I would have to think that "Ducky" is among the most unflattering nicknames in baseball history, especially for a great player.