George McQuinn

Once freed from organizational purgatory, McQuinn proved he belonged. Seven All-Star selections across 13 seasons speaks to sustained excellence, particularly impressive for someone who didn't establish himself until his late twenties. His .276 career average with 135 homers represents solid production during baseball's dead-ball revival of the late 1930s and war years.

McQuinn's career arc reads like a cautionary tale about organizational depth. The Yankees let him walk rather than disturb their Gehrig-centric plans, and he immediately became one of the American League's premier first basemen elsewhere. Sometimes the best move is simply getting out of your own way.