Bob Hazle

Hazle debuted with the Redlegs late in the 1955 season, but made no impression. He then was traded with Corky Valentine to the Milwaukee Braves in return for George Crowe the following spring, but did not appear in the big leagues. Playing for the Triple-A Wichita Braves, he was hurt and reportedly considered quitting the sport.

Hazle is best remembered for his meteoric 1957 performance. He was promoted from Wichita only after outfielder Bill Bruton suffered a season-ending knee injury, and did not play until the Braves' 100th game.

In less than three weeks, from August 9 through August 25, Hazle batted .473 with 5 home runs and 19 runs batted in during 14 games, a sudden burst of unexpected offense that earned him the nickname "Hurricane." The original Hurricane Hazel had struck the coast of Hazle's home state, South Carolina, in 1954.

The first-place Braves swept the second-place Cardinals on August 9–11, which went a long way towards sealing the National League pennant for Milwaukee; the first two games of the series were blowouts, and Hazle had seven hits and five runs batted in. He batted .556 in his first dozen games. For the season, Hazle batted .403 in 41 games, with 7 home runs and 27 runs batted in. On the next-to-last day of the season, Hazle broke up a no-hit bid by Cincinnati's Johnny Klippstein with a two-out, eighth-inning single.

Hazle appeared in four of seven World Series games that year, hitting .154 for the champion Braves. However, both of his hits came in the seventh and deciding game; Hazle scored the first run in a 5–0 victory. Despite having had just 134 at-bats, Hazle finished fourth in the 1957 NL Rookie of the Year voting.

After a bad start in 1958, Hazle was traded to Detroit. After a stint in the minors, he retired in 1960.

Hazle died in Columbia, South Carolina at the age of 61.[1]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference