Maurice Van Robays
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Maurice Rene Van Robays, nicknamed "Bomber", (Born November 15, 1914 in Detroit, Michigan - Died March 1, 1965 in Detroit, Michigan) was a Major League Baseball player. Primarily an outfielder, Van Robays spent six seasons in the majors, all with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was 6'0" tall and weighed 190 lbs, and he wore glasses, unusual for a ballplayer of the time.
Originally signed by his hometown Detroit Tigers, Van Robays replaced Hall of Famer Lloyd Waner as the Pirates' starting right fielder late in 1939. The next season, he finished third in the National League in RBI with 116, benefitting from the on-base efforts of teammates like Arky Vaughan and Dom DiMaggio. At the end of the year, Van Robays drew eight points in league MVP voting, finishing twenty-fourth despite a relatively low .316 OBP and .402 slugging percentage. He returned as a starter the next season, but subsequently moved into a bench role, and he never played in the majors again after a poor 1946 season, though he did help lead the Oakland Oaks to a Pacific Coast League championship in 1948.
Van Robays is credited by manager Frankie Frisch with naming the eephus pitch, developed by teammate Rip Sewell.
