Ken Williams was a late bloomer of sorts, some by his own play, some by circumstance.
In the first half of the 1900s, Hank Gowdy was one of the more popular players who arguably was not an offensive star.
When you look through the pages of New York Yankee lore, you don’t see enough on Gil McDougald, who played in the infield for the Bronx Bombers throughout the 1950s. It should, as the five-time All-Star, was a large part of their success of the decade.
Davey Lopes made his first appearance in the Majors with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1972, where the Second Baseman would quietly showcase himself as one of the better infielders of the decade.