Athletes - Andy Pafko

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	Athletes - Andy Pafko

Andrew (Andy) Pafko (born February 25, 1921 in Boyceville, Wisconsin) is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball. From 1943 through 1959, Pafko played for the Chicago Cubs (1943-51), Brooklyn Dodgers (1951-52) and Milwaukee Braves (1953-59). He batted and threw right-handed.

In a 17-season career, Pafko was a .285 hitter with 213 home runs and 976 RBI in 1852 games.

Nicknamed "Handy Andy", Pafko was a popular player well known for good hitting and fielding, and had the good fortune to be on championship-caliber teams in three different cities. A five-time All-Star, he played with the Chicago Cubs during their most recent World Series appearance, in 1945. He arrived at the Brooklyn Dodgers just in time to play with their pennant winner in 1952. And Pafko really hit paydirt when he was traded to the Milwaukee Braves the next year, participating in their strong contending teams including the 1957 World Series champions.

After his playing days, the native Wisconsinite settled in the Chicago area, and always provided good copy for the press, especially when the subject of the Cubs would come up. When they won their division in 1984, Pafko mused, "I never dreamed it would take them 39 years to win again. I thought they would have won by accident before then!"

Fact

Pafko is also remembered for a 1949 incident in which (according to him) he caught a blooper to the outfield that was strewn with paper cups, and umpire Al Barlick called St. Louis Cardinals hitter Rocky Nelson safe on a supposedly "trapped" catch. Pafko started arguing with Barlick, and forgot to call time. Nelson circled the bases, for perhaps the only "inside the glove" home run in baseball history.

- Career statistics and analysis

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Athletes - Andy Pafko

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