Recognizing that Wagner should be playing at the highest level, Barrow contacted the Louisville Colonels, who had finished last in the National League in 1896 with a record of 3893. "I name Wagner first on my list, not only because he was a great batting champion and base-runner, and also baseball's foremost shortstop - but because Honus could have been first at any other position, with the possible exception of pitcher. He batted .354, with an OBP of .415 and a SLG of .542. And, while this isnt a large space, there are a ton of things packed into it. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. And now neither do you. Finally, family history researcher, the seasons are changing. The numbers shown below are the figures officially recognized on MLB.com. This account has been disabled. The bronze statue of Honus Wagner swinging a bat mentioned in the final paragraph was forged by a sculptor named Frank Vittor, and placed outside the left field corner gate at Forbes Field. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. Wagner was born one of 9 children in the heart of American coal country in western Pennsylvania on February 24, 1874. Copyright 1999- Wagner would outplay Cobb, going .333 on the series to Cobbs .231. Brunauer Press, 2008. Top 12 Greatest Home Runs in MLB History! cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. It took 45 years for St. Louis' Stan Musial to surpass Wagner's hit total. Lets just say its not enough to get any other Shortstop close to Honus Wagner. "I was too bum last year", he wrote. (His entire playing career was in the days before uniform numbers were worn.) 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). He went hitless in a 10 win against the Cubs on May 30, but a successful league protest by the Cubs wiped out the result (and Wagner's at-bats). We adapted Google's Privacy Guidelines to keep your data safe at all times. A public campaign had provided the $30,000 needed for the statue. Gambling Problem? [18][19] Statisticians John Thorn and Pete Palmer rate Wagner as ninth all-time in their "Total Player Ranking". Wagner has been considered one of the very best all-around players to ever play baseball since the day he retired in 1917. While sources allege that Wagner, a nonsmoker, refused to allow the production of his baseball card to continue, the more likely reason was the sum ATC was willing to pay Wagner. 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. He retired on a Pirate pension in 1951 and two years later the locker he had used as a player and coach was shipped to the baseball shrine at Cooperstown, N.Y. At the turn of the century the bat-manufacturing concern of Hillerich & Bradsby conceived the idea of having major league ball players endorse their product with the players autographing their particular models, Mr. Wagner was the first to have his autograph appear on one of these bats. "Honus was only a solid-to-good, not great, fielder at shortstop," Humphreys wrote. In desperation, owner Barney Dreyfuss offered him $10,000 per year, making him the highest-paid Pirate for many years. He was christened John Peter, but during his baseball career he was familiarly known as Honus or Hans. The bandy-legged, barrel-chested star of the early part of the century, had been in ill health for the last several years. 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. Wagner was by this time 35 years old, Cobb just 22. And it also turned out that while Honus was the best third baseman in the league, he was also the best first baseman, the best second baseman, the best shortstop, and the best outfielder. Notwithstanding his stolid appearance, he is a sensitive player, and this has hurt him more than anything else in his life ever has. Wagner was nicknamed "the Flying Dutchman" due to his superb speed and German heritage. Top 10 Pound for Pound Boxers 4/25/23: Where does Gervonta Davis Rank? [27], Christy Mathewson asserted that Wagner was the only player he faced who did not have a weakness. Johannes Peter "Honus" Wagner (/ h n s w n r / HON-s WAG-nr; February 24, 1874 - December 6, 1955), sometimes referred to as Hans Wagner, was an American baseball shortstop who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1897 to 1917, almost entirely for the Pittsburgh Pirates.Wagner won his eighth (and final) batting title in 1911, a National League record that . . The catcher was a kid, too. He had three daughters with his wife Bessie Baine Smith. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. This accomplishment, however, came during a down period for Wagner and Pirates. Deposit required. Good enough to be put in the Babe Ruth category. List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders, List of Major League Baseball career triples leaders, List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders, List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders, List of Major League Baseball doubles records, List of Major League Baseball triples records, List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle, List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders, List of Major League Baseball batting champions, List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders, List of Major League Baseball annual runs scored leaders, List of Major League Baseball annual stolen base leaders, List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders, List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders, List of Major League Baseball player-managers, "Honus Wagner's memorabilia finds new home in Carnegie", "Canonsburg Friends: The Hoffman & Wagner Barber Shop". He would hit .252 in 1915 (still worthy of 7thin the League). James rates him a D+ on defense. Honus had his last big seasons in 1911 and 1912, winning his final batting title in 1911 and finishing second in the league in RBIs the next year. In 1900 he joined the Pittsburgh Pirates and helped lead them to National League [NL] titles from 1901 to 1903 and to a World Series victory over the Detroit Tigers in 1909. 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. Lets see, you have a Shortstop that plays the position like Ozzie Smith and hits like Barry Bonds. Mathewson, Christy. Bill James ranks Wagner as the best player in baseball every year between 1900 and 1908 except 1901 (Nap Lajoie, in an expansion league, Wagner was the best player in the National League). Help spread the word. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. April 3, 2004. Stories from the National Pastime: Historical Records and Baseball: What do we know about Honus Wagner? Nevertheless, he aged exceptionally well; the three highest OPS+ seasons by any shortstop aged 35 or older belong to Wagner, and even his age-41 season ranks eighth on the list. "[33] These discrepancies were taken advantage of by "card doctors" who trimmed corners and dirty edges to improve the appearance of the card. Best Online Sports Books Reviews: How To Find The Right One. Dice is a fast-paced and entertaining game available NBA Playoff Preview: Miami Heat vs New York Knicks series preview and prediction! He only stood 511 and weighed about 200 lbs. 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 1900 the National League circuit was reduced from twelve teams to eight and Mr. Dreyfuss bought the Pittsburgh franchise, taking Mr. Wagner with him. He certainly did not look to be a good athlete. [47], In August 2021, another example sold for $6.6 million exceeding the previous high for most valuable sports card at the time. 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! I never have been sick. He would play for the Colonels until they were dissolved in 1899. In 1916 he would marry his long-time girlfriend, Bessie Baine Smith. "[42], On April 20, 2012, a New Jersey resident purchased a VG-3 graded T206 Wagner card for more than $1.2 million. [22] 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. We have set your language to He scored 100 runs and drove in 109. In September 1905, Wagner signed a contract to produce the first bat with a player's signature, the Louisville Slugger, becoming the first sportsperson to endorse a commercial product;[13] the Honus Wagner was to become a best-seller for years. Wagner hit .313 for Paterson in 1896 and .375 in 74 games in 1897.[8]. 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. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. When the Baseball Hall of Fame held its first election in 1936, Wagner tied for second in the voting with Babe Ruth, trailing Cobb. The speed demon Cobb only managed two steals, one of which Cobb himself admitted was a botched call. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. Wagner won the 1911 batting title by the narrowest of margins. Acknowledging that there may have been one or two whose talents were greater, there is no one who has ever played the game that I would be more anxious to have on a baseball team., Top 20 Indiana High School Players of all Time, The 6 greatest Indiana Highschool pure Shooters, The 12 greatest IHSAA Championship Games in History. The most famous baseball card ever printed is the Honus Wagner T206. A T206 Wagner Honus Wagner baseball card sold for $6.606 million, which includes a 20% buyer's premium, early Monday morning, shattering the record for highest-selling sports card of all time. Saturdays: 10am-2pm, Website: Facebook.com/HistoricalSocietyofCarnegie. This is a carousel with slides. [6], In 1916, Wagner married Bessie Baine Smith, and the couple had three daughters: Elva Katrina (b. Are you sure that you want to delete this flower? Wagner lived in Carnegie until his death in 1955. Butts persuaded his manager to take a look at his younger brother. (Note that this home is privately owned, so please only view it respectfully and from a distance). Conclusion: If I was selecting the greatest player of all time, the list would be: Ill quote Bill James again from the original Historical Baseball Abstract. (Wagner) was the greatest athlete in baseball. Wagners total of 252 triples is the greatest ever attained by an NL player. Reader wrote that, "It is not at all uncommon to find T206 examples that have been altered at some point during their near-century of existence. 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. He would immediately sign Wagner who had helped his club to the top of their league. Since Wagner hit .354 with 109 RBI in an environment when half as many runs were scored as today, he asks, "if you had a Gold Glove shortstop, like Wagner, who drove in 218 runs, what would he be worth?"[14]. He retired from the sport in 1917 and is still recognized as one of the premier players of all time. Due to a below average arm, his range at Shortstop was very limited. 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). It was dedicated on April 30, 1955, and the then-frail Wagner was well enough to attend and wave to his many fans. They were doing better in 1897 when Barrow persuaded club president Barney Dreyfuss, club secretary Harry Pulliam, and outfielder-manager Fred Clarke to go to Paterson to see Wagner play. Here is all you want to know, and more! Outside of his circle of family and . _____________________________ Ranked Among the Immortals As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. 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. The current owner rents space to tenants, one of whom was home with his. Who is this man? 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). Albert suggested Honus in 1895 when his Inter-State League team was in need of help. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Especially playing in his hometown, Wagner represented what his city was. In 1908, Honus Wagner, one of the greatest players of all time, had one of his best years. Honus' brother Albert "Butts" Wagner was considered the ballplayer of the family. His league record of eight batting titles was finally tied by Tony Gywnn in 1997. 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. Mr. Wagner was born in Carnegie, Pa., on Feb. 24, 1874. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. Honus Wagner, but its very close between the two. [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]. As a child, he was called Hans by his mother, which later evolved into Honus. Fellows like Marion, Bancroft, Peck and Billy Jurges were all great fielders. Wagner played in the Dead Ball Era. The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, by Bill James, The Free Press, 2001, pp. In 1903, the Pirates played the Boston Americans in Major League Baseball's inaugural World Series. In various emergencies, he filled in at other spots, in fact, playing every position except catcher. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. Bill James is the most knowledgeable person on baseball I know. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. 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. 555 N. Central Ave. #416 I hear other players say they have a cold. You may request to transfer up to 250,000 memorials managed by Find a Grave. "I was a joke in that Boston-Pittsburgh Series. Wagner ended up edging the Boston Rustlers' Doc Miller, .334 to .333. For the next nine seasons, Wagner's average did not fall below .330.