Jim Hickman

This original New York Met was both the first member of the franchise to hit for the cycle (8/7/63) and the first to hit three home runs in a game (9/3/65). During his first seven ML seasons Hickman was considered a clumsy outfielder whose occasional power insufficiently compensated for frequent strikeouts. The Cubs acquired him from the Dodgers in 1968, and he batted a paltry .223. On August 1, 1969, he was down to .216 on the first-place Cubs. While his teammates faltered in the stretch, Hickman came off the bench to hit .301 for August, with 10 HR and 25 RBI. He kept hitting well the next year with a .315 average, 32 HR, 115 RBI, and 13 game-winning hits. In the 1970 All-Star Game, his 12th-inning single drove in Pete Rose for the game-winning run. He was slowed in the ensuing years by various ailments.