Wagner helped the Pirates to the first World Series title in their franchise history in 1909. Wagner waited for the ball, swung his arm down and smacked Cobb across the face, taking out teeth some say. I told him I wanted to be a major league baseball player, a genuine professional like Honus Wagner. The move to the Pittsburgh Pirates signified Wagner's emergence as a premier hitter. He would stand beside Cobb, Mathewson, Walter Johnson and Babe Ruth. 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. And now neither do you. The baseball player Honus Wagner died at the age of 81. 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. [6], In 1916, Wagner married Bessie Baine Smith, and the couple had three daughters: Elva Katrina (b. "[42], On April 20, 2012, a New Jersey resident purchased a VG-3 graded T206 Wagner card for more than $1.2 million. Lets get to why Wulfs conclusion is foolish. Honus Wagner Baseball Stats by Baseball Almanac Honus Wagner Stats Honus Wagner was born on Tuesday, February 24, 1874, in Chartiers, Pennsylvania. Saturdays: 10am-2pm, Website: Facebook.com/HistoricalSocietyofCarnegie. to the tune of "Tessie", a popular song of the day. Notwithstanding his stolid appearance, he is a sensitive player, and this has hurt him more than anything else in his life ever has. Biography - A Short Wiki Wagner himself was not at full strength and hit only .222 for the series. [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]. Now lets look to see where Wagner should rate among all ballplayers. But its expensive because it is rare and because he is that good. 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. [5], Wagner's older brother, Albert "Butts" Wagner, who had a brief major league career himself, is often credited with getting Honus his first tryout. Ulysses S. Grant was President of the United States and the country was still trying to heal from the Civil War that had ended just 10 years prior. It was dedicated on April 30, 1955, and the then-frail Wagner was well enough to attend and wave to his many fans. 1916-07-01 Pittsburgh shortstop Honus Wagner, at 42 and 4 months, connects at Cincinnati to become the oldest to hit an inside-the-park HR; Pirates beat Reds, 2-1. [43], On April 6, 2013, a 190911 T206 baseball card featuring Honus Wagner sold at auction for $2.1 million. cemeteries found in Pleasant Hills, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. A life-size statue of Wagner swinging a bat, atop a marble pedestal featuring admiring children, was forged by a local sculptor named Frank Vittor, and placed outside the left-field corner gate at Forbes Field. Well, Honus hit a line drive so hard the fence in left field went back and forth for five minutes.. Wagner, the longtime Pirates star and Baseball Hall of Famer, lived in the house until his death in the mid 1950s. How to Win While Sports Betting? [45], On May 29, 2019, a Honus Wagner T-206 sold for $1.2 million by SCP Auctions in Southern California. Bonus Bet wager excluded from returns. In his work Inside T206: A Collector Guide to the Classic Baseball Card Set, Scot A. Mr. Wagner was born in Carnegie, Pa., on Feb. 24, 1874. We kept the squawk going for a minute or so, making no headway of course, and then Cobb spoke up. [fn]"Honus Wagner for Sheriff: Famous Pirate Is Logical Candidate of Pittsburg Republicans," New York Sun, March 25, 1917. Caught Stealing is not shown comprehensively for Wagner's MLB.com totals because the stat was not regularly captured until 1920. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Honus Wagner (1065)? The pitcher threw Honus a curveball, and he swung at it and missed and fell down on one knee. That is certainly what the club president and club secretary for the Louisville Colonels thought when they first saw him. Even if you can look past the legend of the Iron Horse, the games played streak, the martyrdom of his tragic death and the "luckiest man alive" speech, or the stable counterpoint he provided to . Add to your scrapbook. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. The following story is probably false. Please play responsibly. On four occasions Honus Wagner "stole for the cycle" meaning he stole second, third, then home all during the same inning a baserunning feat only matched by one other man in baseball history, Ty Cobb. When he fielded grounders, his huge hands also collected large scoops of infield dirt, which accompanied his throws to first like the tail of a comet.[11]. Over parts of 21 major-league seasons, all with Louisville and the Pirates, Wagner batted .328/.391/.467 (151 OPS+. copyright=new Date(); Wagner hit only .252 in 1914, the lowest average of his career. The stadium serves as the home field for Carlynton High School varsity sports. 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. You can also take a short drive to visit the grave of Honus Wagner in Jefferson Memorial Park in Pleasant Hills. Bessie would then have 2 daughters and their oldest Bessy would give them their only grandchild, a daughter. Check out the Civil War Room at the Carnegie Library, the waterfall in Settlers Cabin Park, tours of PNC Park, and the Heinz History Center. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. This free card is certainly easier and cheaper than paying upwards of $6 million for an authentic copy of the card. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. It took 45 years for St. Louis' Stan Musial to surpass Wagner's hit total. Now, this choice was not as outrageous as Wulfs, because this was a fan vote and Ripken was winding down on a brilliant career, but they also placed Ernie Banks second. But Honus could more than out-field all of them. A public campaign had provided the $30,000 needed for the statue. If they said Cal Ripken Jr., the correct reaction is to shake your head in sadness. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Good enough to make a mockery of any modern Short Stop. Wagner and the Pirates declined together. In 1936, the Baseball Hall of Fame inducted Wagner as one of the first five members. 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). Lets just say its not enough to get any other Shortstop close to Honus Wagner. Here is all you want to know, and more! There is a problem with your email/password. Outside of his circle of family and . I just dont know what it would feel like to have a cold I never had one. (Honus Wagner), I wont play for a penny less than fifteen hundred dollars. (Honus Wagner), There aint much to being a ballplayer, if youre a ballplayer. (Honus Wagner), Copyright 2023 /The Celebrity Deaths.com/All Rights Reserved. Well, this big Louisville third baseman jumped over after it like he was on steel springs, slapped it down with his bare hand, scrambled after it at least ten feet, and fired a bullet over to first base. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Wagner was selected as a member in the inaugural class of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937. Are you sure that you want to delete this flower? by Dave Studeman. Playing at the height of the dead-ball era, he never amassed large home run totals (his career high, which he reached twice, was 10), but he was a prodigious power hitter for the time, leading the league in slugging percentage on six occasions. (see) 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. Shortly before the 1908 season, Wagner retired. Nicknamed "Hans" and "The Flying Dutchman," he began his Major League career on July 19, 1897 with the soon to be defunct Louisville Colonels. This account has been disabled. His league record of eight batting titles was finally tied by Tony Gywnn in 1997. A 1942 Sporting News poll of 100 former players and managers confirmed this opinion, with Wagner finishing 43 votes behind Cobb and six ahead of Ruth. PITTSBURGH, Tuesday, Dec. 8 (AP) - John (Honus) Wagner, one of baseball's greatest shortstops died today at his home in near-by Carnegie. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Please reset your password. Following the 1899 season, the NL contracted from twelve to eight teams, with the Colonels one of four teams eliminated. Wagner played 21 seasons, primarily with his hometown team the Pittsburgh Pirates, and was the total package. The card is the 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner, which was once owned by Bruce McNall and Wayne Gretzky and most recently sold for $2.8 million to Arizona Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick. Corrections? The answer to that question is an article upon itself. 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 managed the Pirates briefly in 1917, was a coach on the team from 1933 to 1951, and remained a popular figure in Pittsburgh. Wagner, the aging star faced off against the rising star as the next pitch was thrown and Cobb headed to second. For comparisons; Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig were teammates for ten years (1925-1934), they won four pennants (1926, 1927, 1928, 1932) and three World Series (1927,1928,1932). Thats 80 years of history that they know very little about. On the occasion of his eightieth birthday in 1954, he was deluged with greetings, one of them from President Eisenhower. ESPN in the late 1990s ran a series listing the 100 greatest baseball players of the 20thcentury. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. 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. He was famous for being a Baseball Player. Thanks for your help! }, Cronkite School at ASU 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. That is way too low. The Pirates were in contention into August, but an ankle injury sidelined Wagner for 25 games and the team slid from the race. In 1992 Sports Illustrated did a piece written by Steve Wulf titled The All-Time Dream Teams. The Shortstop on his baseball team was Cal Ripken. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. His appearances at National League stadiums during his coaching years were always well received and Wagner remained a beloved ambassador of baseball. During his term as coach of Pittsburgh, Mr. Wagner also served for several years as commissioner for the National Semi-Pro Baseball Congress, in which capacity he had jurisdiction over 25,000 sandlot teams. Mathewson felt that the only way to keep Wagner from hitting was not to pitch to him.[28]. Verify and try again. Primary salary data ( about) courtesy Doug Pappas, and the Society for American Baseball Research. 1986 Boston Celtics - Were they the greatest Team? He hit .338 his rookie season with the Colonels. The 1930s Yankees tie them at .636. [3][4], Wagner was one of nine children. 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. Try again later. Failed to delete memorial. During this period he served as manager of a sporting goods store and in other ways kept in contact with baseball. His baseball card was so rare that it became the highest priced baseball card of all-time. He had remarkably long arms, hams for hands, and just drew the ball to him. Honus was awkward looking, he had a big nose, bowed legs, huge hands, and a barreled chest. However, it seems exactly who used it and when is lost to time, but there is at least a chance that it was used by Wagner himself. After browsing through the many items in the Honus Wagner Museum, makes sure to step into the Historical Museum of Carnegie next door. Wagners total of 252 triples is the greatest ever attained by an NL player. 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). For people with similar names, see. Baseball Almanac presents the actual word-for-word transcript from the obituary of Honus Wagner, taken from The New York Times. He hit for average and power and could change the dynamics of a game on .
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