Cliff Melton

Friends dubbed the guitar-playing balladeer from the hills of North Carolina “Mountain Music.” Others taunted the gentle, 6’5″ giant because of his large, floppy ears. He blew a chance with the Yankees when he couldn’t ignore the Cubs Gabby Hartnett‘s needling during an exhibition game. After Melton was returned to Baltimore, GM Jack Ogden gave him a bonus every time he went after his tormentors. Twice, the huge lefthander charged into enemy dugouts.

He was 20-9 and had a league-high seven saves as a Giants rookie in 1937, but was beaten twice by the Yankees in the World Series. He was an under-.500 pitcher from 1939 on, and left the majors in 1944 after an arm injury and conflicts with management.