Joe Dobson

The youngest of 14 children, Dobson grew up in the heart of the Depression dustbowl in Durrant, Texas. At the age of nine, he lost his thumb and left forefinger playing with a dynamite cap. He began his ML career with the Indians and was traded in December 1940 to Boston, where he had his best years. In 1947, he won a career-high 18, with a 2.95 ERA. Over the period 1941-50, with time out in 1944-45 for the military, Dobson was 106-72 for Boston. Traded to the White Sox in December 1950, Dobson turned in his final winning season in 1952 with a 14-10 mark. He finished his steady, unspectacular career with the Red Sox in 1954.