Andy Pafko played on the last Chicago Cubs team to appear in the World Series. He stood at the left-field wall as Bobby Thompson's "shot heard 'round the world" sent the Giants into the MLB championship series.
He appeared in five All-Star Games but lost his starting job to Hank Aaron. He appeared in four World Series for three teams.
One player remains alive from the Cubs' last World Series team. Lennie Merullo is 96.
Pafko lived more baseball history that most people see.
Pafko died Tuesday in Stevensville, Mich., at age 92.
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A Wisconsin native, he finished his career with his home-state team but began it in nearby Chicago. In the thick of World War II Pafko joined the Cubs in 1943.
Born Feb. 25, 1921, in Boyceville, Wis., Pafko was raised in a rural area, born to a family that emigrated from Slovakia.
He earned the nickname Handy Andy for his ability to play multiple positions. He hit .285 over his career with 213 home runs and 976 RBIs.
In addition to the '45 Cubs, he played in the World Series with the 1952 Brooklyn Dodgers and 1957 and '58 Milwaukee Braves. His only World Series title came in '57.
Pafko had a lifetime .285 average with 213 home runs and 976 RBIs playing for the Cubs, Brooklyn Dodgers and Milwaukee Braves.
"We were in a tough race with the Cardinals in '45. We won (the pennant) on the next-to-last game against Pittsburgh," Pafko told the Chicago Tribune in a 2004 interview. "We had a nice party that night. That was the first time I ever tasted champagne. It tasted mighty good.
"I played during a great era of baseball," he said. "There have been so many great Cubs ballplayers like Ernie Banks, Billy Williams and Ron Santo who never got the chance to play in a World Series."
MORE: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel | Chicago Tribune