| DATE SHOT: 1951 SUBJECT: Andy Pafko APPROXIMATE SIZE: 8"x10" MARKS / STAMPING: Hand-signed by Andy Pafko ORIGINAL or REPRINT: Signature is original, Photo is Type 2 Original - Printed from the original negative, but in a later period SIGNER: Andy Pafko COMMENTS / CONDITION: As with all of my signed items, the signature is guaranteed to pass further inspection by any major authenticator, or your money back. See scans for signature quality and photo condition. BIO: Andrew Pafko (Handy Andy or Pruschka) was born in 1921 in Boyceville, WI and died in 2013 in Stevensville, MI. He played major league baseball from 1943 to 1959 as outfielder for the Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Dodgers and the Milwaukee Braves, appeared in the 1945, 1952, 1957 and 1958 World Series, and was selected 5 times as an All-Star. Nicknamed "Handy Andy", Pafko was a popular player well known for good hitting and fielding, and contributed to championship-caliber teams in three different cities. Pafko returned home when he was traded to the Milwaukee Braves before the start of the 1953 season, becoming the only Wisconsin native on the Braves roster when they arrived in Milwaukee and participating in their strong contending teams there, including the 1957 World Series champions. A devout Slovak Lutheran, he was an instant favorite with Milwaukee's large Eastern European community. After his playing days, Pafko managed in the minor leagues including a two year stint as the skipper for the Kinston Eagles in the Carolina League. He eventually settled in the Chicago area, and always provided good copy for the press, especially when the subject of the Cubs would come up. When they won their division in 1984, Pafko mused, "I never dreamed it would take them 39 years to win again. I thought they would have won by accident before then!" Pafko was named to the Cubs All-Century team at the turn of the century. The book Carl Erskine's Tales from the Dodgers Dugout: Extra Innings (2004) includes short stories from former Dodger pitcher Carl Erskine. Pafko is prominent in many of these stories. He is also the title character in Pafko at the Wall and The Perfect Pafko. Pafko is perhaps best known for being card #1 in the 1952 Topps baseball card set. This card in near mint or better condition is often worth thousands of dollars because most collectors back in 1952 simply put the cards in numerical order and rubber banded the stack. This causes the top card (Pafko) to receive the most wear and tear and thus top grade copies are very rare and valuable. SKU: L14698
Item: L14698
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