Denis Menke

Menke was a hard-nosed shortstop with some power who played every infield position. He was a key member of the 1969 Astros who challenged the Braves for the division flag, and played a minor role at the beginning of the Big Red Machine.

Menke arrived with the Braves in the early 1960s and showed early power, reaching 20 HRs in 1964. His production declined after the Braves moved to Atlanta and he was sent to Houston with Denny Lemaster for Sonny Jackson. Menke made the All-Star team two years with the Astros, and was part of the Joe Morgan-Lee May trade that created Cincinnati’s dynasty of the 1970s. A 1972 Series homer off Catfish Hunter in Game Five was a final career highlight.