This Day In Baseball - The Daily Rewind

Born: Sunday, February 05, 1928 in Roulette, PA USAHe was the kind of player who’s worth doesn’t always show up in the box score, but yet his determination and aggressiveness to win made him one of the most valuable players on the world championship of 1960. Don Hoak, nicknamed Tiger by Dodger pitcher Clem Labine because he was always starting fights, was a solid fielder who twice led the circuit in fielding percentage at third base who also would contribute at the plate, hitting over .280 in three of his four seasons with the Bucs.Many players felt he was such an important cog to the club’s championship run. Cy Young Award winner Vern Law felt his fighting spirit rubbed off on everyone helped push the club over the hump to the title, while legendary reliever Roy Face thought he was the most underrated player on the team. What ever it was, Hoak definitely wanted to fit the tough boy persona. He was a Marine in World War II where he saw some action in the Pacific theater and also spent sometime as a boxer