The slow-working southpaw and $10,000 Yankee bonus baby sometimes enjoyed informing batters what pitch was coming. Good thing, since he led the league in hit batsmen five times. He paced the AL in walks in 1949, ’50, and ’51, but triumphed despite his wildness, thrice winning 15 or more and leading the league with a .762 winning percentage (16-5) in 1955. A fine hitter who manager Joe McCarthy tried to talk into converting to first base, Byrne amassed 14 homers and pinch hit 80 times.
