| Andy Pafko | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Center fielder | |
| Born:(1921-02-25)February 25, 1921 Boyceville, Wisconsin, U.S. | |
| Died: October 8, 2013(2013-10-08) (aged 92) Stevensville, Michigan, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 24, 1943, for the Chicago Cubs | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 29, 1959, for the Milwaukee Braves | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .285 |
| Home runs | 213 |
| Runs batted in | 976 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Andrew Pafko (February 25, 1921 – October 8, 2013) was an American professionalbaseball player. He played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theChicago Cubs (1943–51),Brooklyn Dodgers (1951–52), andMilwaukee Braves (1953–59). He batted and threw right-handed and playedcenter field.
Pafko was born inBoyceville, Wisconsin.[1] In his 17-year MLB career, he was an All-Star for four seasons[a] and was a .285hitter with 213home runs and 976runs batted in (RBI) in 1,852games.[2] In 1999, he was named to the Chicago Cubs All-Century Team.
Pafko grew up inBoyceville, Wisconsin.[3] The small village did not have a baseball team.[3] Pafko was signed as a 19-year-old by theClass D baseball team in nearbyEau Claire.[3] Pafko learned about the interest from team managerIvy Griffin while working on his father's farm. "I still remember the day he pulled into the driveway at the farm in that nice new car", Pafko said. "It took me about five minutes to get off the threshing machine and change my clothes. I was gone."[3]
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In 1941, Pafko played on theGreen Bay Blue Sox team in the Wisconsin State League.[3] He had 12 home runs, 66 RBIs, while batting .349 on the team that won the league championship.[3] He played another season in the minor leagues before debuting in the major leagues in 1943 with theChicago Cubs.[3]
Nicknamed "Handy Andy", Pafko was a popular player well known for good hitting and fielding, and contributed to championship-caliber teams in three different cities. Pafko became popular for taking away hits with a running dive forward, in the direction of the infield, so much so, for a time, the move was known as a "Pafko dive".
He played for the Chicago Cubs during their1945 World Series appearance. After Cubs third basemanStan Hack retired the following year, Pafko replaced him at third base long enough to be almost named anAll-Star there. MLB cancelled theAll-Star Game and selection that season due to the war, and theAssociated Press sportswriters named Pafko as one of their All-Stars. Pafko did become a four-time consecutive All-Star from 1947 through 1950, making him one of the few players to achieve All-Star status in both the infield and outfield. On August 2, 1950, Pafko hit 3 home runs with 5 RBI in an 8-6 loss to the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds.[4]
Pafko was traded to the Brooklyn Dodgers in June 1951 during the middle of the season; he was the left fielder whenBobby Thomson hit the "Shot Heard 'Round the World".[3] Pafko returned home when he was traded to the Boston Braves before the start of the 1953 season, becoming the only Wisconsin native on the Braves roster when they arrived in Milwaukee and participating in their strong contending teams there, including the1957 World Series champions.[3] Pafko started in the first game atMilwaukee County Stadium on April 3, 1953.[3] A devout Slovak Lutheran, he was an instant favorite with Milwaukee's large Eastern European community.[3] In the mid 1950s, the Milwaukee area Lutherans had an "Andy Pafko Night" and gave him a new car.[3]
After playing in the major leagues, Pafko coached for the Braves from 1960 through 1962, then managed in the minor leagues,[3] including a two-year stint as the skipper for theKinston Eagles in theCarolina League. Pafko also scouted for theMontreal Royals in the late 1960s.[2] He was also active in the Milwaukee Braves Historical Association.[5] He eventually settled in theChicago area,[3] and always provided good copy for the press, especially when the subject of the Cubs would come up. When the Cubs won their division in 1984, Pafko mused, "I never dreamed it would take them 39 years to win again. I thought they would have wonby accident before then!" Pafko was named to the Cubs All-Century team at the turn of the 21st century. Pafko andLennie Merullo (died May 30, 2015) were the last two men alive who played for the Cubs in a World Series, prior to 2016.
The bookCarl Erskine's Tales from the Dodgers Dugout: Extra Innings (2004) includes short stories from former Dodger pitcherCarl Erskine. Pafko is prominent in many of these stories. He is also the title character inPafko at the Wall andThe Perfect Pafko. He also plays a role inRoger Kahn's American classic,The Boys of Summer.[6]
Pafko died at a nursing home inStevensville, Michigan on October 8, 2013. He was 92.[2][7]