Preston Ward
Died: June 2, 2013 (at age 85)
Preston Meyer Ward (July 24, 1927 - June 2, 2013) was a lefty-hitting, righty-throwing first baseman/outfielder/third baseman, who played 9 seasons in the major leagues, playing in both the National and American Leagues. In the National League, he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1948), Chicago Cubs (1950 and 1953) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1953-1956). In the American League, he played for the Cleveland Indians (1956-1958) and the Kansas City A's (1958-1959).
Ward got opportunities in the major leagues twice—in 1948 and 1950—before finally "sticking" in 1953. He became a utility player/platoon player, seeing most of his action as a first baseman (438 games at first base vs. 95 in the outfield vs. 74 at third base).
His batting numbers are low for a first baseman. His career batting average is .253, while the league average for the years he played is .269. His highest home run total was 12, and his highest RBI total was 48. He only twice made double-digits for home runs.
He was born in Columbia, Missouri, United States.