Johnny Hopp

Hopp’s cotton-colored hair led to the nickname Cotney, used by friends and teammates; the press preferred the alliterative Hippity. He played with abandon typical of the Cardinals Gashouse Gang, diving into bases head first as Pepper Martin had before him. 1941 was Hopp’s first season as a regular, when he subbed at first base for an injured Johnny Mize. Hopp was so successful (.303) that St. Louis traded Mize to the Giants. Hopp hit .336 as the 1944 Cardinals centerfielder, leading NL outfielders with a .997 fielding percentage for the eventual World Champions. He batted a career-high .339 in 1950 with Pittsburgh and the Yankeees.