Wisconsin baseball legend Andy Pafko died this week, but his story of making it from farm field to the major leagues lives on.
Some call it the "American Dream": The idea that no matter where you come from, with enough hard work and determination, you can make it big.
Sports author Jerry Poling said this is the legacy that Pafko leaves behind for aspiring ball players.
"Andy was a farm kid from Boyceville. His dream was to play major league baseball, and when he got that chance in 1940-41 in Eau Claire at the end of the minor league season, he took it and ran with it," he said.
Pafko went on to play in the World Series for the Chicago Cubs, the Milwaukee Braves and was a four time All-Star.
But Poling said Pafko never let it go to his head. He once likened the teams he played on as menus, saying his teammates — including some of the best players of all time — were all steaks, but he was just a sandwich. He also never forgot his roots, often returning to Boyceville to visit family and sign autographs at the local high school.
Poling said Pafko's was a story of humble roots, humility and persistence.
"It’s a legacy I think any young kid could look at that and say, 'I can grow up anywhere in Wisconsin and I could make it to the major leagues if I work hard and have the right attitude,'" he said.
Pafko died Tuesday at a nursing home in Michigan. He was 92.
