Andy Pafko

Andrew Pafko (February 25, 1921 – October 8, 2013) was an American professional baseball player who played center field in Major League Baseball. Born in Boyceville, Wisconsin, he grew up in a village without a baseball team and was signed as a 19-year-old by the Class D club in nearby Eau Claire, learning of the team's interest from manager Ivy Griffin while working on his father's farm. In 1941, he played for the Green Bay Blue Sox in the Wisconsin State League, where he batted .349 with 12 home runs and 66 RBIs.

Pafko reached the majors with the Chicago Cubs, for whom he played from 1943 to 1951. He was later traded to the Brooklyn Dodgers, appearing with the club in 1951 and 1952, before finishing his career with the Milwaukee Braves from 1953 to 1959. A right-handed batter and thrower, he compiled a 17-year career batting average of .285 with 213 home runs and 976 runs batted in across 1,852 games.

Pafko was named an All-Star in four seasons. In 1999, he was named to the Chicago Cubs All-Century Team.