He led the league in stolen bases and had 722 steals on his career. Christy Mathewson, in his book "Pitching in a Pinch" wrote: "For some time after "Hans" Wagner's poor showing in the world's series of 1903 it was reported that he was "yellow" (poor in the clutch). Dreyfuss and Clarke were not impressed with the awkward-looking man, not surprising, as Wagner was oddly built: he was 5ft 11in (1.80m) tall, weighed 200 pounds (91kg), and had a barrel chest, massive shoulders, heavily muscled arms, huge hands, and incredibly bowed legs that deprived him of any grace and several inches of height. Both museums are housed within the historic Husler Building, which was built in 1896 according to the numbers in the stonework, and are free to visit (though donations are appreciated). Death 6 Dec 1955 (aged 81) Carnegie, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA. We adapted Google's Privacy Guidelines to keep your data safe at all times. Returning in June, he was spiked in July and played only sparingly for the remainder of the year, batting .265. Dice is a fast-paced and entertaining game available NBA Playoff Preview: Miami Heat vs New York Knicks series preview and prediction! For people with similar names, see. A sporting goods store bearing the name "Honus Wagner" operated in downtown Pittsburgh for 93 years before closing permanently in 2011. In 1900, Wagner won his first batting championship with a .381 mark and also led the league in doubles (45), triples (22), and slugging percentage (.573), all of which were career highs. By his second season, Wagner was already one of the best hitters in the National League although he came up short a percentage point from finishing the season at .300. Neither of us got our wish. Wagner, agile though massively built, excelled at fielding; he also led the National League five times in stolen bases. background-image:unset; Baseball can be as controversial a topic as politics, especially when it comes to ranking the great players of the past and present. PITTSBURGH, Tuesday, Dec. 8 (AP) - John (Honus) Wagner, one of baseball's greatest shortstops died today at his home in near-by Carnegie. About Honus Wagner. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Wagner and Cobb would go hunting that off-season in Georgia. Wagner would get redemption. His contributions to a winning team: The Pittsburgh Pirates from 1900 until 1909 had a record of 938-538, a .636 winning percentage. There are also many photos from his career, including some of him with other legendary baseball players. The Pirates faced Ty Cobb's Detroit Tigers. Wagner and the Pirates declined together. In 1908, Honus Wagner, one of the greatest players of all time, had one of his best years. Throughout his career one of the outstanding features about Mr. Wagner was his vitality. In 1901, the American League began to sign National League players, creating a bidding war, which depleted the league of many talented players. Try again later. Help spread the word. On June 9, 1914, at age 40, Wagner recorded his 3,000th hit, a double off Philadelphia's Erskine Mayer, the second player in baseball history to reach the figure, after Cap Anson, and Nap Lajoie joined them three months later. Ty Cobb: The truth about the greatest baseball player of all-time, MLB: Why We'll Never See a 300-Game Winner Again. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. He also ran a well-known sporting goods company. Honus Wagner Baseball Stats by Baseball Almanac Honus Wagner Stats Honus Wagner was born on Tuesday, February 24, 1874, in Chartiers, Pennsylvania. Primary salary data ( about) courtesy Doug Pappas, and the Society for American Baseball Research. Hours: Tues, Thurs, Fri: 10am-4pm His lifetime fielding mark was .945, and he was first among the National League shortstops in 1912, 1914 and 1915. Its worth noting right up front that you shouldnt come here expecting to see items that Wagner used during his playing career (unlike the Roberto Clemente Museum in Pittsburgh). Defensively his large hands came to his advantage as gloves were still in their early phases at the turn of the century. In 1999, 82 years after his last game and 44 years since his death, Wagner was voted Number 13 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Players, where he was again the highest-ranking shortstop. [46], In May 2021, one example sold for a new record $3.75 million. I was kind of surprised, but the guy sitting next to me on the bench poked me in the ribs and said, Watch this next one. Those kids figured they had the old mans weaknesses, you see, and served him up the same dish-as he knew they would. Starting from January 1909, the ATC sought authorization from baseball players for inclusion in the T206 series, which featured 524 major league players, 76 of whom were later inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. A bronze statue of Mr. Wagner was unveiled in Schenley Park in Pittsburgh on April 30 of this year. Please play responsibly. A Honus Wagner baseball card, the most famous and among the rarest sports trading cards in the world, sold at auction Monday morning for a record $6.6 million. Wagner would struggle through the Depression when his sporting good store, Wagner, went under. Year should not be greater than current year. In 1910, Wagner's average fell to .320, his lowest average since 1898. He would hit .252 in 1915 (still worthy of 7thin the League). He hit exactly .300 in 1913, the last time he would reach that level. Wagners total of 252 triples is the greatest ever attained by an NL player. His baseball card, the word's most valuable, was most likely pulled from production because he . [23], The Pirates hosted the 1944 Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Forbes Field. [35] The Wagner cards in particular advertised the Piedmont and Sweet Caporal brands of cigarettes and were produced at Factory 25 in Virginia, as indicated by the factory stamp imprinted on the back of the cards.[36]. He is generally considered the greatest shortstop in baseball history and is regarded by some as the finest all-around player in the history of the National League (NL). "Hans" was also an alternate nickname during his major league career. Owner Barney Dreyfuss, who had purchased half ownership in the Pirates, took Wagner and many of his other top players with him to the Pittsburgh team. The card came with Sister Virginia Muller's brother's handwritten note: "Although damaged, the value of this baseball card should increase exponentially throughout the 21st century! He was just head and shoulders above anyone else in that position. . I dont even know what it means to be sick. The great shortstop, weakened by age, saw the unveiling from an automobile parked near adjacent Forbes Field, where he had played for the Pirates half a century before. memorial page for Honus Wagner (24 Feb 1874-6 Dec 1955), Find a Grave Memorial ID 1065, citing Jefferson Memorial Park, Pleasant Hills, Allegheny County . The Flying Dutchman, Pittsburg's finest, Honus Wagner. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Honus Wagner (1065)? [47], In August 2021, another example sold for $6.6 million exceeding the previous high for most valuable sports card at the time. His baseball card was so rare that it became the highest priced baseball card of all-time. The Rooters, led by Boston bartender Michael "Nuf Ced" McGreevy, even traveled to Pittsburgh to continue their heckling. All Rights Reserved by Baseball Almanac, Inc.Hosted by Hosting 4 Less. The "Flying Dutchman" sobriquet, fastened on him by the fans, was indicative of the dash and speed he displayed on the field and on the baselines. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? What are boosted odds in sports betting strategies? Shortly before the 1908 season, Wagner retired. And the question of the greatest shortstop of all time is a clear example of that. Prior to 1904, Wagner had played several positions but settled into the shortstop role full-time that season, where he became a skilled fielder. But the Cobb-Wagner rivalry was one of the best all-time. Mr. Wagner was brought back to his old team in an official capacity in 1933, when he was appointed a coach. With the Colonels he would play first, second, third and hit .299 (it would be the last time he would hit under .300 for 16 years in the big leagues). In 1903, the Pirates played the Boston Americans in Major League Baseball's inaugural World Series. Top 14 Big Ten Quarterbacks of All-Time: Where does C.J. We kept the squawk going for a minute or so, making no headway of course, and then Cobb spoke up. Wagner would outplay Cobb, going .333 on the series to Cobbs .231. Bet with your head, not over it. He batted .354, with an OBP of .415 and a SLG of .542. Many of Wagner's descendants are also from the Pittsburgh suburb, including his nephew, Bill Gallagher, and niece, Marie. Mathewson felt that the only way to keep Wagner from hitting was not to pitch to him.[28]. Weve updated the security on the site. His biography on BaseballBiography.com describes his gritty style: Bowlegged, barrel-chested, long-limbed he was often likened to an octopus. But its expensive because it is rare and because he is that good. For the bowlegged man from coal country, he was pretty fast on his feet. Biography - A Short Wiki [20] Many of the greats who played or managed against Wagner, including Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby, and Walter Johnson, list him at shortstop on their All-Time teams.[21]. This time, Wagner could not be stifled as he outhit Cobb, .333 to .231, and stole six bases, establishing the new Series record. While you shouldnt come expecting a collection of game-used items from Wagner, the chance to see a few of his personal belongings, learn more about his life, and to uncover the history of an Allegheny County community make this a neat spot to check out if youre in the area. A very rare, recent photo sold on eBay further refutes the myth that Honus Wagner opposed tobacco. A right-handed batter and thrower, Wagner had a bulky physique for his erahe stood about 6 feet (1.83 metres) tall and weighed 200 pounds (91 kg)and had unusually long arms. He held the bat with his hands apart to be able to pull balls to the foul line. Good enough to be put in the Babe Ruth category. Add to your scrapbook. He retired as the NL's all-time hit leader, with 3,430. Wagner was a guy who out-thought his competition. Wagner was 5-for-5 in the game; after each hit, he reportedly held up another finger to Donlin, who went hitless, and who had just beaten runner-up Wagner by a wide margin in a "most popular player" poll. [30] The card was designed and issued by the American Tobacco Company (ATC) from 1909 to 1911 as part of its T206 series. For the rest of his life when asked about the incident Wagner would only wink and neither confirm nor deny the story. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. The mild-mannered Wagner had beat the feisty, upstart Cobb down. In 1969, on the 100th anniversary of professional baseball, a vote was taken to honor the greatest players ever, and Wagner was selected as the all-time shortstop. In 1916 he would marry his long-time girlfriend, Bessie Baine Smith. They had me by a foot. Burleigh Grimes, who as a youngster was a teammate of Wagner, recalled One day he was batting against a young pitcher who had just come into the league. Wagner dropped out of school at age 12 to help his father and brothers in the coal mines. That is way too low. He was 81 years old. He would immediately sign Wagner who had helped his club to the top of their league. This accomplishment, however, came during a down period for Wagner and Pirates. Quoting from The Baseball Biographical Encyclopedia: There probably has never been a more genuine, honest, decent, and beloved ballplayer than Honus Wagner. Raised just outside Pittsburgh, he became the face of the city for the first half of the 20thcentury. Good enough to make a mockery of any modern Short Stop. His league record of eight batting titles was finally tied by Tony Gywnn in 1997. Honus Wagner was the most beloved man in baseball before Babe Ruth. Leaders of the machine-led Republican Party were touting Wagner for sheriff of Allegheny County, which includes Pittsburgh. In 1936, the Baseball Hall of Fame inducted Wagner as one of the first five members. Caught Stealing is not shown comprehensively for Wagner's MLB.com totals because the stat was not regularly captured until 1920. That seems to be about as successful as Wagners Pirates 20 years earlier. He was the first winner of 'The World's Championship Batsman' 's Cup, in 1908, made by Welshman George "Honey Boy" Evans. And since he led the league in batting eight times between 1900 and 1911, you know that he was the best hitter, too. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. Wagner was invited to be an honorary coach for the National League squad, the first time this honor was bestowed in Major League Baseball's All-Star Game.[24]. The series was the only meeting of the two superior batsmen of the day, and the first time that the batting champions of each league faced one another (this later occurred thrice more, in 1931, 1954, and 2012 World Series). He returned to the Pirates early in the 1908 season, and finished two home runs short of the league's Triple Crown, leading the league in hitting (for the sixth time) hits total bases doubles triples RBI and stolen bases. Barrow proved to be a good talent scout, as Wagner could play wherever he was needed, including all three bases and the outfield. Honus came from a family of 5 boys and his older brother, Albert, was considered the most talented baseball player of the family. He would stand beside Cobb, Mathewson, Walter Johnson and Babe Ruth. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. The definitive question in my family of weeding out knowledge sports fans from yuppies is, Who is the greatest Shortstop of all time?. Copyright 2013-2023 Uncovering Media, LLC - All Rights Reserved, Find more things to do in the Pittsburgh region, Hiking Through the Todd Nature Reserve in Butler County, PA, How to Get to Buttermilk Falls in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, Market Square Pittsburghs Most Dynamic Square, How to get to Breakneck Falls in McConnells Mill State Park. Lets get to why Wulfs conclusion is foolish. "He was clearly among the better-fielding shortstops of his time, just not an all-time great." Bill James, though, in his New Historical Baseball Abstract, wrote, "Wagner was among the greatest defensive players in the history of baseball." James's . They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The bandy-legged, barrel-chested star of the early part of the century, had been in ill health for the last several years. Nicknamed "Hans" and "The Flying Dutchman," he began his Major League career on July 19, 1897 with the soon to be defunct Louisville Colonels. The 1930-1939 Yankees had eleven Hall of Famers; Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Tony Lazzeri, Earl Combs, Bill Dickey, Joe Sewell, Joe DiMaggio, Joe Gordon, and pitchers Red Ruffing, Herb Pennock, and Lefty Gomez. He retired in 1917, finishing his 21-year career with a lifetime batting average of .328 and 3,420 hits. Sorry! [44], On October 1, 2016, a T206 Wagner card graded PSA-5 sold for $3.12 million, setting yet again the record for the highest price paid for any baseball card. The T206 Honus Wagner baseball card is one of the rarest and most expensive baseball cards in the world, as only 57 copies are known to exist. Wagner was offered a $20,000 contract by the Chicago White Sox, but turned it down and continued to play with the Pirates. Here is all you want to know, and more! Unsurprisingly, the ATC asked for Wagner's permission to have his picture on a baseball card. ESPN in the late 1990s ran a series listing the 100 greatest baseball players of the 20thcentury. _____________________________ Ranked Among the Immortals He lead the NL in many hitting categories throughout his 21-year career. His play at Patterson attracted the attention of the Louisville club, then a member of the National League and operated by Mr. Dreyfuss, Louisville purchased Mr. Wagner's release for $2,200 and he began his major league career with the Colonels in 1897, winning a regular position at the start.