Marv Throneberry

Marv Throneberry became one of the most celebrated .237 hitters in baseball history. A highly touted young Yankee with a Mickey Mantle look-alike batting stance, he had the power to be a home run hitter. But he struck out in almost one-half of his at-bats and was a part-timer with the Yankees. He played in obscurity with the A’s and Orioles before being acquired by the 1962 Mets. He soon became the living symbol of Met futility (in fact, his initials spelled M-E-T) with his untimely hitting, inept fielding, and atrocious baserunning. Against the Cubs on June 17, he hit a triple but was called out for not touching first base. When manager Casey Stengel went out to argue, the umpire told him that Throneberry had missed second as well. Facetiously dubbed Marvelous Marv, the good-natured first baseman capitalized on his comic ineptitude and became a media and fan favorite. But when he disagreed with Met management over his 1963 salary, he was quickly and unconditionally released. He resurfaced 20 years later as a deadpan comic in popular beer commercials. His brother, Faye, was an AL outfielder.