Max Lanier

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Hubert Max Lanier (born August 18, 1915, in Denton, North Carolina) is a former left handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1938 through 1953, Lanier played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1938-46, 1949-51), New York Giants (1952-53) and St. Louis Browns (1953). He is the father of Hal Lanier, a former major league player and manager.

Lanier was one of just a handful of players who remained active during the World War II years. In fact, he had arguably his best season with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1943, compiling a 15-7 record with a 1.90 ERA, and In 1944 he won a career-high 17 games. He did however defect to the Mexican League in 1946 and did not pitch again with the Cardinals until 1949. He also pitched in part of two seasons with the New York Giants and St. Louis Browns.

In a 14-season career, Lanier posted a 108-82 record with 821 strikeouts and a 3.01 ERA in 1619-1/3 innings pitched, including 21 shutouts and 91 complete games