Van Mungo

Van Lingle Mungo (June 8, 1911 – February 12, 1985) was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher known for his career with the Brooklyn Robins/Dodgers. Mungo played for the Dodgers from 1931 to 1941 and finished his baseball career with the New York Giants.\n', '

Mungo began his career with the Charlotte Hornets when he was 18 years old. A succession of managers over the years, including Casey Stengel, was convinced that the hard-throwing right-hander would be a surefire star for years to come. These lofty expectations can be attributed in part to a phenomenal debut performance in which he shut out the Boston Braves over 9 innings, striking out 12; but he was never able to live up to his perceived potential. While he finished his career with two 18-win seasons, one of them also included 19 losses. Mungo\'s teammates contended that he could easily have won more games had he not tri…