The man that replaced no-hit, no-field Lennie Merullo at shortstop was Roy Smalley (1948-1953). Smalley had good pop for a shortstop, hitting 21 home runs one year, but in every other way he was just like Merullo. His lifetime batting average was .227 (even lower than Merullo). In his first season, in over three hundred at bats, his on-base percentage was .265. That's a pretty stunning total.

As much as he swung and missed (he led the league in strikeouts one year), he was probably better known as the worst fielding shortstop in the history of the Cubs...and that's saying something. His wild throws were legendary. Imagine Shawon Dunston's arm with Steve Sax's accuracy. In his first three seasons, when he was still playing every day, he made 34, 39, and 51 errors. He played 643 games for the Cubs, and made 181 errors. (And he even had a good defensive first baseman in 1948—All Star Eddie Waitkus).

The running gag at Wrigley Field was that the double play combination of the Cubs was Miskus to Smalley to Addison Street.

His son, Roy Smalley Jr., had a fairly successful major league career in the 70s and 80s. Of course, the younger Smalley never played for the Cubs.