Arky Vaughan was the premier shortstop of his era and one of the best at the plate in baseball history. He hit .300 or better in each of his first 10 major league seasons – all with the Pittsburgh Pirates – and led the National League in runs and triples three years apiece.
Vaughan was born March 9, 1912, in Clifty, Ark. And although his family moved to Fullerton, Calif., when he was an infant, he was nicknamed "Arky" when he was a child because he spoke with an Arkansas accent, picked up from his family.
