Though he was platooned for much of his career, the rugged, strong-armed McCullough was considered a top defensive catcher, and is reputed to have been the last catcher to play without a chest protector. Though he had only five home runs in 1942, he hit three in a row on July 26, all solo shots, as his Cubs lost to the Phillies 4-3. Following two years in the Navy, he returned to the Cubs just in time to pinch hit in the final game of the 1945 World Series, one of only two players ever to appear in a WS game without a regular-season appearance. After batting .209 in 1948, he was swapped to the Pirates, where he hit .297 in 1951 for a career high. Returned to the Cubs two years later, he caught Sam Jones’s no-hitter against the Pirates on May 12, 1955. It was the first no-hitter by a black pitcher, and the first in Wrigley Field in 38 years. McCullough coached one season each for the Senators, Twins, Mets, and Padres, and managed and instructed in the Mets’ farm system.
