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Saturday, September 13, 2025
Gil McDougald New York Yankees Ten Seasons
Gil McDougald, the Major League Baseball player, was born on Saturday, May 19, 1928, in San Francisco, California. McDougald was 22 years old when he broke into the major leagues on April 20, 1951, with the New York Yankees.
Gil McDougald played his first major league game on April 20, 1951. On May 3 of that year, he tied a major league record, since broken, by batting in six runs in one inning. Later in the year, in the World Series, he became the first rookie to hit a grand slam home run in the Series. Gil McDougald was the 1951 American League (AL) Rookie of the Year. 1951 was also first year Mickey Mantle came up to the Majors (Yankees). Mickey's in the Baseball Hall of Fame — Gil is not.
McDougald skyrocketed through the Yankee farm system. Playing for the Twin Falls Cowboys of the Class C Pioneer League, he batted .340 and was selected as the league All-Star at second base in 1948. Promoted the following year to the Victoria Athletics of the Class B Western International League, he turned in a near mirror-image performance, batting .344 (with 64 extra-base hits) and was again chosen the league’s All-Star second baseman.
While playing and living in Victoria, BC, Canada, Gil & wife, Lucille were neighbors and Bill Irvine (11yrs) baby-sat for their first-born daughter, Christina. McDougalds rented a home at 1540 Edgeware Rd., Victoria. BC, at the corner of Edgeware Rd. and Doncaster Dr. before moving on to Texas the following season. The Irvines lived at 2848 Doncaster Dr. (in 1948 the address was 2940), just 60metres from the McDougald's residence.
At that time — while still attending highschool — Bill served as a concessions' waiter selling refreshemnts from a tray supported around his neck. Due to this fact, Bill got to see all the Western International League's baseball game held at Athletic Park in Victoria in 1949.
On nights when Bill was not 'working', Gil took him into the game for free as he entered for the night's game. Gil at 20years old and Bill a decde younger became friends and Bill fondly rmembers him sitting and talking with the elder on Gil's front steps.
At season's end, and Gil moved on to the Texas league, Bill soon put it all behind him and took up golfing at Cedar Hill Golf Course. It is all now, just part of history.
