Lloyd Waner

"The Pirates took Lloyd to spring training in 1927, mostly just to look at him a little closer," Lloyd's brother, Paul Waner, said in 'The Glory of Their Times.' "They never thought he could possibly make the team 'cause Lloyd only weighed about 130 pounds then. He was only 20 years old, and was even smaller than me."

Waner was born in Harrah, Okla. in 1906 and started his professional career with the San Francisco Seals in 1925, where he was teammates with his brother. After six games with the Seals the following year, Lloyd asked for his release and joined the Pittsburgh Pirates. He reached the majors with the Pirates in 1927, joining his brother in the team's outfield, and hit .335. He led the National League with 133 runs scored. Paul Waner—nicknamed "Big Poison"—won the MVP that year and Lloyd—dubbed "Little Poison"—finished sixth in the voting.

Of his 1,993 major league games played, Waner spent 1,803 of them with the Pirates.

The nickname fit because Lloyd stood just 5-foot-9 and 150 pounds. He was known for his good eye at the plate. Only three times in the majors did he strike out more than 15 times in a season. Waner was an all-star just once, in 1938. He had four 200-hit seasons and led the National League in hits in 1931. He had very good speed and was an excellent defensive center fielder.

Waner was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1967 and passed away on July 22, 1982.

"He is a better player than me and can spot me 25 feet and then beat me in a sprint," Paul Waner said. "A batter's got to knock a fly over the fence to keep him from reaching it, and he doesn't miss 'em either."