Henry Melton had a nice six year career in the National Football League where the former Texas Longhorn would be named to the 2012 Pro Bowl.  Melton became a starter in his second year (2011) and that year and his third season he was arguably one of the better defensive players that the Chicago Bears had at the time.  A torn ACL in 2013 would render him a shell of what he was and he would finish his career with a season each for the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Bobby Lowe played for the Boston Beaneaters for twelve seasons, where he was known for his steady play at the plate and in the field.  Playing in the 1890’s, you wouldn’t expect much of a power game, and while Lowe was not one to break that mold, he did have a game for the ages in 1894 when he collected four Home Runs in a Game, making him the first baseball player to ever do so.  That was a year where he had a career high in Home Runs (17), Batting Average (.346), and On Base Percentage (.401), and had there been an MVP award that year, he would have received a handful of votes for certain. 

Lowe collected 1,608 Hits and ranked in the top ten in Defensive bWAR four times as a Beaneater, and is arguably one of the most consistent players in franchise history.

A former first-round pick, Jeff Blauser played 11 seasons with the Atlanta Braves, where he was considered one of the better-hitting shortstops in the National League.  Blauser did suffer numerous injuries that often kept him off the diamond, but he did have a pair of 160-hit seasons, both of which would see him named an All-Star.  He was not always considered among the better defensive infielders of his time, but his above-average bat for a National League Shortstop made him valuable.

We go back to the 1800’s for our next selection with John Morrill, who was a competent hitter who had 1,247 Hits for the Beaneaters, but it was his versatility on defense that made him exceptionally valuable.  Morrill played Second Base, Third Base, First Base, Shortstop, and Outfield over his career, and regardless of the position, he did it very well.  Morrill was not a star in his time, but he was one of the first players of note whose incredible value did not always show up on a stat sheet.