Preston Ward

Preston Meyer Ward (July 24, 1927 – June 2, 2013) was an American professional baseball first baseman who appeared in 744 games over nine seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1948 and 1959 for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cleveland Indians, and Kansas City Athletics. Born in Columbia, Missouri, Ward attended Missouri State University. He threw right-handed, batted left-handed, and stood at 6 ft tall and 190 lb. Ward began his professional career in the Brooklyn farm system in 1944 at the age of 16. He served in the military during the Korean War, missing the 1951–1952 seasons. Throughout his MLB tenure, Ward played primarily as a first baseman, with some appearances in the outfield and at third base. He had a lifetime batting average of .253, slightly below the league average of his era.