No hitter was eager to bat against Early Wynn (1920-1999). One of baseball's most feared pitchers, he pitched 23 seasons, refusing to quit until he had won 300 games.

Wynn learned how to pitch in an era when managers instructed their pitchers to knock batters down deliberately. That seemed to suit Wynn's temperament perfectly. Mickey Mantle said Wynn was so mean "he'd knock you down in the dugout." Ted Williams called him "the toughest pitcher I ever faced." Wynn made his feelings clear in one interview when he said: "That space between the white lines--that's my office, that's where I conduct my business. You take a look at the batter's box, and part of it belongs to the hitter. But when he crowds in just that hair, he's stepping into my office, and nobody comes into my office without an invitation when I'm going to work."

Established a Presence

Early...