They called him the antelope because of his speed, but by the time Verban played for the Cubs, he wasn't exactly tearing up the basepaths. In his three seasons with the Cubs he stole a total of seven bases.
To say that Verban wasn't exactly known for his power would be an understatement. The Antelope had 2911 career at-bats, and hit exactly one home run. He hit it against Johnny Vander Meer (the man who once threw consecutive no-hitters) on this day, September 6th, 1948.
Verban's name lives on thanks to the Emil Verban Society, formed in 1975 by a group of Washington based Cubs fans. Among the original six members: Chief of Staff for President Gerald Ford, Dick Cheney. Later members included President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Hillary Clinton.
The Antelope passed away during the Cubs playoff season of 1989. He was 72.
