Andy Pafko
| Andy Pafko | |||
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| Center fielder | |||
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Born: February 25, 1921 Boyceville, Wisconsin |
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Died: October 8, 2013 (aged 92) Stevensville, Michigan |
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| 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 | ||
| Teams | |||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
Andrew "Andy" Pafko (February 25, 1921 – October 8, 2013) was an American and former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs (1943–51), Brooklyn Dodgers (1951–52), and Milwaukee Braves (1953–59). He batted and threw right-handed and played center field.
Pafko was born in Boyceville, Wisconsin. In his 17-year MLB career, he was an All-Star for four seasons and was a .285 hitter with 213 home runs and 976 RBI, in 1852 games. In 1999, he was named to the Chicago Cubs All-Century Team.
Pafko grew up in Boyceville, Wisconsin. The small village did not have a baseball team. Pafko was signed as a 19-year-old by the Class D baseball team in nearby Eau Claire. Pafko learned about the interest from team manager Ivy 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."
In 1941, Pafko played on the Green Bay Blue Sox team in the Wisconsin State League. He had 12 home runs, 66 RBIs, while batting .349 on the team that won the league championship. He played another season in the minor league before debuting in the major league in 1943 with the Chicago Cubs.
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.
He played for the Chicago Cubs during their 1945 World Series appearance. After Cubs third baseman Stan Hack retired the following year, Pafko replaced him at third base long enough to be almost named an All-Star there. MLB cancelled the All-Star Game and selection that season due to the war and the Associated 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.
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