“Gil was a great guy, well liked by the team, and a hell of a ballplayer,’’ Ford said in a Yankees statement. “He was a good fielder and was always a fierce competitor.’’
A versatile infielder who played second base, third base, and shortstop, Mr. McDougald batted .276 with 112 home runs and 576 RBIs during his career. He eclipsed .300 twice, in 1951 and ’56, and had a career-high 83 RBIs in 1953, when the Yankees won the last of five consecutive World Series titles.
Mr. McDougald finished in the top 10 in AL MVP voting three times (1951, 1956, 1957). He was selected to six All-Star games, including both contests in 1959. He singled home the decisive run for the American League in the sixth inning of the 1958 game at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore.
“Before I was traded to the Yankees, Gil and I played against each other in the minors in the Texas League,’’ former Yankees pitcher Bob Turley said. “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.’’
Mr. McDougald leaves his wife, Lucille; seven children; 14 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. Private funeral services will be held Friday in New Jersey, the Yankees said.
