Born and raised in Demorest, John Robert Mize was a keen-eyed slugger who hit 359 home runs and batted .312 in a 15-year career while batting above .300 for nine straight seasons. He set Major League records by hitting three home runs in a game six times and by doing so in consecutive games on four occasions. He won the N.L. batting title once, led or shared the lead in home runs and slugging percentage four times, and led in runs batted in and total bases three times. During his career from 1936 to 1953, he finished first, second, or third in offense 54 times. He also led the league twice in putouts and twice in assists, with a fielding percentage of .996.