Sports' Forgotten Heroes

Andy Pafko was a household name in Chicago for much of the 1940s. He made his debut with the Chicago Cubs in 1943 and became a fixture in their lineup until he was traded to the Brooklyn Dodgers midway through the 1951 season. Pafko represented the Cubs in the classiest of ways and helped Chicago win the National League Pennant in 1945. Unfortunately, the Cubs lost in seven games to the Detroit Tigers and would not return to the World Series until 2016. A return to trip the World Series was certainly not the fault of Pafko. He was an All Star for the team in 1947, 1948, 1949 and 1950. He enjoyed his two best years of his 17-year career while playing for the Cubs. In 1948, he hit .312 with 26 homeruns and 101 RBI; and in 1950 he hit .304 with 36 homeruns and 92 RBI. But, the Cubs couldn’t find a way back to the top of the standings with Pafko in the lineup, so they traded him to the Dodgers midway through 1951, and playing for the Dodgers, albeit just for 1 ½ years, might be where Pafko is best remembered. He