Honus Wagner, byname of John Peter Wagner, also called the Flying Dutchman, (born Feb. 24, 1874, Mansfield [now Carnegie], Pa., U.S.died Dec. 6, 1955, Carnegie, Pa.), American professional baseball player, one of the first five men elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame (1936). The 1920-1929 Yankees had Hall of Famers; Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Tony Lazzeri, Earl Combs, pitchers Waite Hoyt and Herb Pennock. Wagner hit only .252 in 1914, the lowest average of his career. In 1936 he was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. 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. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. And, while this isnt a large space, there are a ton of things packed into it. 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. One of the original five Hall of Fame inductees who recorded 3,415 hits while batting .327 across his career with the Louisville Colonels and Pittsburgh Pirates from 1897 to 1917. 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. [27], Christy Mathewson asserted that Wagner was the only player he faced who did not have a weakness. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. The Cobb-Wagner rivalry has become something of folklore and the more time passes it becomes forgotten folklore. I dont even know what it means to be sick. 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. With the opening of the 1954 season at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, the Pirates as part of the inaugural day ceremonies presented a special plaque to Wagner as baseball's Mr. Shortstop. Learn more about merges. And the next decade of baseball would belong to him. The following spring, he refused to send his portrait to a "Hall of Fame" for batting champions, citing his play in the World Series. Wagner and the Pirates declined together. The Pirates have relocated twice since then, and the statue has come along with them. This was 1905. Leaders of the machine-led Republican Party were touting Wagner for sheriff of Allegheny County, which includes Pittsburgh. There was an error deleting this problem. His appearances at National League stadiums during his coaching years were always well received and Wagner remained a beloved ambassador of baseball. Wagner would struggle through the Depression when his sporting good store, Wagner, went under. 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. In 1932, the Pirates struck gold again at shortstop, bringing in rookie Arky Vaughan, who many consider the second best shortstop ever behind Honus Wagner. This time, Wagner could not be stifled as he outhit Cobb, .333 to .231, and stole six bases, establishing the new Series record. Now Clarke and Willis are legitimate Hall of Fame selections, but were they equal to Gehrig, Dickey, and DiMaggio? 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). James rates him a D+ on defense. He was just head and shoulders above anyone else in that position. This notebook contains stories of their memories of Wagner, and reading these stories is a great way to get a feel for his private life and his impact on the community. But they were talked into signing and starting the awkward 23-year-old in 1897. Many of Wagner's descendants are also from the Pittsburgh suburb, including his nephew, Bill Gallagher, and niece, Marie. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. 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. Omissions? Mr. Wagner was born in Carnegie, Pa., on Feb. 24, 1874. That seems to be about as successful as Wagners Pirates 20 years earlier. Cobb was a fierce and feisty on the baseball diamond and looked the part of star athlete, where Wagner did not. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. We are talking about the greatest teams ever. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. "[33] These discrepancies were taken advantage of by "card doctors" who trimmed corners and dirty edges to improve the appearance of the card. Honus Wagner AKA John Peter Wagner Born: 24-Feb - 1874 Birthplace: Carnegie, PA Died: 6-Dec - 1955 Location of death: Carnegie, PA Cause of death: unspecified Remains: Buried, Jefferson Memorial Cemetery, Pleasant Hills, PA Gender: Male Race or Ethnicity: White Sexual orientation: Straight Occupation: Baseball Nationality: United States Albert suggested Honus in 1895 when his Inter-State League team was in need of help. According to an October 12, 1912, issue of The Sporting News, Wagner did not give his consent to appear on the baseball card. #shorts. That was in fielding. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. We put up a squawk, but Silk O'Loughlin, the umpire, overruled it. 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. This is a carousel with slides. Please try again later. The speed demon Cobb only managed two steals, one of which Cobb himself admitted was a botched call. 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. Wagner debuted with Louisville on July 19 and hit .338 in 61 games.[10]. Pittsburgh lost in the best-of-nine series, five games to three, to a team led by pitchers Cy Young and Bill Dinneen and third basemanmanager Jimmy Collins. He would immediately sign Wagner who had helped his club to the top of their league. In mint condition or as close to mint condition as you can get for a card that appeared in cigarette packs more than 100 . During this time, he wore uniform number 14 but later changed it to his more famous 33, which was later the number retired for him. I just let my bat speak for me in the summertime. However, there are items here that were owned by Wagner, as well as many pieces that relate to his illustrious baseball career. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Honus-Wagner, Society for American Baseball Research - Honus Wagner, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum - Biography of Honus Wagner, Pennsylvania Center for the Book - Honus Wagner, Honus Wagner - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). We have set your language to He has also traveled to more than 30 different countries around the world. He would coach again for the Pirates in 1933 until his retirement in 1951. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Honus Wagner I found on Findagrave.com. Wagner went on to lead the NL in batting average seven more times, and he hit at least .330 in each season between 1899 and 1909. The museum spaces operate on the first floor of the building and offer great insight into the life and career of Pirates legend Honus Wagner and the entire community of Carnegie. He scored 100 runs and drove in 109. English 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. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Lets see, you have a Shortstop that plays the position like Ozzie Smith and hits like Barry Bonds. 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. He led in almost every significant category through those years. This account has been disabled. He certainly did not look to be a good athlete. He led the National League seven times at bat and he was always up with the leaders when he was in his forties. Carnegie, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA. This awkward walking, quiet talking Short Stop of the Pirates was a wonder to behold in the field. 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]. He threatened to seek legal action against ATC if they went ahead and created his baseball card. Try again. At shortstop there is only one candidate, the immortal Honus Wagner. Outside of his circle of family and . He lived out the remainder of his life at home in Carnegie and passed away on December 6, 1955. In the 1992 episode Homer at the Bat, the popular TV show The Simpsons made a reference to Wagner. 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. One month later, with one point separating him from Reds center fielder Cy Seymour for the batting title, Wagner fell short in a head-to-head matchup on the final day of the season, with Seymour collecting four hits to Wagner's two, as contemporary press reports stated that the fans were far more interested in the Seymour-Wagner battle than in the outcome of the games. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Updates? Thats about where the Flying Dutchman is generally rated, between ten and twenty. Wagner is the one who made the Pirates great. His league record of eight batting titles was finally tied by Tony Gywnn in 1997. 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. [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. Wagner, by this point, was an established star and much was expected of him, especially since the Pirates' starting rotation was decimated by injury. Mr. Wagner was brought back to his old team in an official capacity in 1933, when he was appointed a coach. The New Bill James Historical Baseball Almanac, by Bill James, The Free Press, 2001. He had a lifetime mark of .328, hit more than .300 in seventeen consecutive seasons. [2] Honus Wagner is also the featured player of one of the rarest and the most valuable baseball cards in existence. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Shortly before the 1908 season, Wagner retired. In 1901 he led the Pirates to the first of three consecutive NL pennants, the last of which gave the Pirates a berth in the first World Series, a loss to the Boston Red Sox. How to keep your Expected Value bets Positive? Wagner played for five teams in that first year, in three different leagues over the course of 80 games. Heres a story recounted by the Baseball Hall of Fame how the awkward, smart guy could out fox his competition. [31] The ATC ended production of the Wagner card and a total of only 57 to 200 cards were ever distributed to the public, as compared to the "tens or hundreds of thousands" of T206 cards, over three years in 16 brands of cigarettes, for any other player. Lets just say its not enough to get any other Shortstop close to Honus Wagner. How to Win While Sports Betting? Thats better than the 1920s Yankees, the 1940s Cardinals, the 1950s Yankees, the 1970s Reds, or the 1990s Yankees. Wagner was not finished playing baseball after his retirement from major league baseball. T&Cs, time limits and exclusions apply. After browsing through the many items in the Honus Wagner Museum, makes sure to step into the Historical Museum of Carnegie next door. Wagner was 23 years old when he broke into the big leagues on July 19, 1897, with the Louisville Colonels. - John McGraw in The Sporting News (December 6, 1955), Appeared in The New York Times on December 6, 1955 | Obituaries | Honus Wagner, HONUS WAGNER DIES AT AGE OF 81_____________________________, Shortstop, one of Baseball Immortals, Made Mark With Pittsburgh Club_____________________________, MANY RECORDS STAND_____________________________, Played Most Games, 2,785 and Led League 8 Times - Lifetime Average of .328_____________________________. update=copyright.getFullYear(); Wagner, agile though massively built, excelled at fielding; he also led the National League five times in stolen bases. Johannes Peter "Honus" Wagner (/hns wnr/ HON-s WAG-nr; February 24, 1874 December 6, 1955[1]), 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. 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. He had 201 hits, including 39 doubles, 19 triples and ten home runs. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Wagner, along with his famous baseball card, was one of the earliest athletes to make the crossover into pop culture film. Brunauer Press, 2008. He was appointed an assistant sergeant-at-arms in the Pennsylvania State Legislature in 1940 and once was nominated for the office of Sheriff in Pittsburgh. Saturdays: 10am-2pm, Website: Facebook.com/HistoricalSocietyofCarnegie. The Flying Dutchman, Pittsburgs finest, Honus Wagner. PITTSBURGH, Tuesday, Dec. 8 (AP) - John (Honus) Wagner, one of baseball's greatest shortstops died today at his home in near-by Carnegie. The statue roughly faces the site of the Pirates' original home, Exposition Park, so in a sense, Wagner has come full circle. Baseball has definitely improved in the last 100 years (integration being one of the biggest factors), but how much? He lead the NL in many hitting categories throughout his 21-year career. Part of the Baseball Almanac Family. When the National Baseball Hall of Fame inducted its inaugural class in 1936, he received more votes than any other player, including Babe Ruth, Walter Johnson, Christy Matthewson and Honus Wagner . Wagner was a resident of Carnegie (his house sits less than half a mile away from the museum) so the town is a logical spot to have a small museum in his honor. 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). Honus Wagner Quotes. Wagner was born to German immigrants Peter and Katheryn Wagner in the borough of Chartiers, in what is now Carnegie, Pennsylvania. 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. For about two decades, J. Ross Greene kept a deep, delightful secret. Wagner himself was not at full strength and hit only .222 for the series. Wagner lived in Carnegie until his death in 1955. It took all 7 games to decide the winner. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. Baseball historian and statistician Bill James named Honus Wagner as the second-best player of all time after Babe Ruth, rating him as the best major league player in 1900 and each year from 1902 to 1908. In 1910, Wagner's average fell to .320, his lowest average since 1898. Note that mlb.com's Total Bases do not correspond to the number of hits, 2B, 3B, and HR listed. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. [32] In 1933, the card was first listed at a price value of US $50 in Jefferson Burdick's The American Card Catalog, making it the most expensive baseball card at the time. Gambling Problem? He played for the love of playing and his interest in baseball survived his playing days and he retained his active connections until the very end. During this period he served as manager of a sporting goods store and in other ways kept in contact with baseball. He also led the Majors in on-base percentage four times, slugging 6 times, runs scored, hits, doubles, triples, and RBIs. Wagner was born just . Wagner and the Pirates were given a chance to prove that they were not "yellow" in 1909. In 1898, Wagner won a distance contest in Louisville by throwing a baseball more than 403 feet (123m). Wagner was offered a $20,000 contract by the Chicago White Sox, but turned it down and continued to play with the Pirates. But Honus could more than out-field all of them. Failed to delete memorial. Family members linked to this person will appear here. After gaining prominence on the sandlots while earning his livelihood as a barber, Mr. Wagner broke into professional baseball in 1895 with the Steubenville (Ohio) club. This browser does not support getting your location. Honus Wagner, but its very close between the two. Honus Wagner Birth Name: John Peter Wagner Occupation: Baseball Player Place Of Birth: Chartiers, PA Date Of Birth: February 24, 1874 Date Of Death: December 6, 1955 Cause Of Death: N/A Ethnicity: White Nationality: American Honus Wagner was born on the 24th of February, 1874. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. [30] The card was designed and issued by the American Tobacco Company (ATC) from 1909 to 1911 as part of its T206 series. As well as the best base runner. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. [45], On May 29, 2019, a Honus Wagner T-206 sold for $1.2 million by SCP Auctions in Southern California. "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. Dice is a fast-paced and entertaining game available NBA Playoff Preview: Miami Heat vs New York Knicks series preview and prediction! 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. Was Mike Tyson really that great. Successful Sports Betting Tips, Arky Vaughan (39) 1935 & Robin Yount (39) 1982. We kept the squawk going for a minute or so, making no headway of course, and then Cobb spoke up. Wagner played in the Dead Ball Era. He turned to O'Loughlin, an American League umpire, by the way, and said, 'Of course I was out. The reason for this is that of all the positions on a baseball field this has the clearest answer, but you really have to know the history of baseball to get the correct answer. Stroud rank? In the 5thinning of the First Game of the World Series Cobb reached First Base. Barrow proved to be a good talent scout, as Wagner could play wherever he was needed, including all three bases and the outfield. The backs of the cards featured the monochromatic colors of the 16 tobacco brands for which the cards were printed. About 25,000 were on hand to witness the pair of contests.3 In the opener, Wagner had two singles, a double, and a stolen base, and he scored two of his . These include just about every imaginable type of item that features Wagners image, ranging from coffee cups to bobbleheads. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. 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. Top 10 Pound for Pound Boxers 4/25/23: Where does Gervonta Davis Rank? 555 N. Central Ave. #416 Following his brother, Wagner trained to be a barber before becoming successful in baseball. He had three daughters with his wife Bessie Baine Smith. Best Online Sports Books Reviews: How To Find The Right One. His contributions to a winning team: The Pittsburgh Pirates from 1900 until 1909 had a record of 938-538, a .636 winning percentage. The card featured in the plot of the Nickelodeon film Swindle. Stories from the National Pastime: Historical Records and Baseball: What do we know about Honus Wagner? There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. He was well-known to people in the community, including many that still have memories of their interactions with him as children. A bronze statue of Mr. Wagner was unveiled in Schenley Park in Pittsburgh on April 30 of this year. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. Wagner was by this time 35 years old, Cobb just 22. In 1896, Edward Barrow, from the Wheeling Nailers team that Wagner was playing on, decided to take Honus with him to his next team, the Paterson Silk Sox (Atlantic League). He would retire the following season after an unsuccessful attempt at Managing his beloved Pirates. The 1909 World Series that pitted the two giants against each other would not disappoint. This was the real tragedy in Wagner's career. Are you sure that you want to delete this flower? His assistant has to point out that they are not only retired but long-dead Anson having played in the late 19th century. The baseball player Honus Wagner died at the age of 81. Honus Wagner was the most beloved man in baseball before Babe Ruth. "I was too bum last year", he wrote. "Honus Wagner | Society for American Baseball Research", "Honus Wagner Society for American Baseball Research", "The Tiger Woods scandal and celebrity endorsements", "Downtown Honus Wagner store has finally struck out", "National League Managers Pick 6 Cardinals for All-Star Squad; Munger and Lanier Lead Hurlers, With Walters of Reds Musial, Walker of Brooks and Nicholson Top Hitters", The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, "Holy Grail: The T206 Honus Wagner (ESPN Films' 30 For 30 Shorts)", "Wagner A Wonder: One Player In Game Who Is Not Money Mad", Nuns cash in big on sale of Honus Wagner T-206 card Big League Stew MLB Blog Yahoo! His lifetime fielding mark was .945, and he was first among the National League shortstops in 1912, 1914 and 1915. Why the Movie Hoosiers was Nowhere Near as Good as the True Story of Milan 1954, Memphis Grizzlies provide injury update on Ja Morant, Top 10 Greatest Shooters in Indiana Hoosier Basketball History, Top 10 Most Disappointing Losses in Indiana Hoosiers Basketball History, Top 10 Indiana Hoosier Basketball Wins of all time, MLB All-Time Steroid Team: Position by position, with a Few Backups. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. In a 10-year period they won four League Titles. The Pirates faced Ty Cobb's Detroit Tigers. But it needs to be shared here or we would be leaving out part of the aura of the two players. 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 . The 1930s Yankees tie them at .636. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. In 1928, Wagner ran for the office of Sheriff of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, but lost. They participated in the first modern World Series in 1903 (they lost), came back to play Ty Cobbs Detroit Tigers in 1909 (they won). Not only was Honus Wagner a significantly better offensive player than these fine Shortstops, but he was the best defensive Shortstops of this group. Wagner helped the Pirates to the first World Series title in their franchise history in 1909. It was at this position that Mr. Wagner performed for the greater part of his twenty-one consecutive years of major league service, from 1897 through 1917. The Honus Wagner Museum is part of the Historical Society of Carnegie and these two museum spaces are housed within the same building in downtown Carnegie, a suburb of Pittsburgh in Allegheny County. - IMDb Mini Biography By: jefferson-3 Family (1) Spouse They won the National League Pennant in 1901, 1902, 1903, and 1909. April 3, 2004. He hit for average and power and could change the dynamics of a game on . The Flying Dutchman, Pittsburg's finest, Honus Wagner. 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. Honus was awkward looking, he had a big nose, bowed legs, huge hands, and a barreled chest. Where what happened yesterday is being preserved today. Due to a below average arm, his range at Shortstop was very limited. This 1936 card designated as the R312 . What are boosted odds in sports betting strategies? A sporting goods store bearing the name "Honus Wagner" operated in downtown Pittsburgh for 93 years before closing permanently in 2011. There was a problem getting your location. The Greatest Short Stop of All-Time is now mainly remembered for his baseball card, which is the most expensive. That is way too low. The Honus Wagner Museum is part of the Historical Society of Carnegie and these two museum spaces are housed within the same building in downtown Carnegie, . An outgrowth of baseball greatness is of course baseball card greatness, and in . The team fell to seventh in 1914 as Wagner hit .252. Mathewson felt that the only way to keep Wagner from hitting was not to pitch to him.[28]. Good enough to be put in the Babe Ruth category. He retired in 1917, finishing his 21-year career with a lifetime batting average of .328 and 3,420 hits. His baseball card, the word's most valuable, was most likely pulled from production because he . We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. You can even pick up a replica of Wagners famous T206 baseball card to take home with you as a souvenir. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. In 1917 he retired from baseball, but returned to the Pirates as coach (1933-52). Well compare him to Wagner, Vaughn and Rodriquez as an offensive player: Jeter was not a match for any of the three as an offensive or defensive player. The Top 15 Biggest Hits in NFL History (With Video), Beckham signs with Ravens without assurance of Jackson as QB, 2023 NFL Mock Draft 3.0 - The Trades Mock, Top 10 Indiana Hoosier Football Players of all-time. Here is all you want to know, and more! Failed to report flower. It was dedicated on April 30, 1955, and the then-frail Wagner was well enough to attend and wave to his many fans. That same year, he was selected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team by the oversight committee, after losing out in the popular vote to Cal Ripken Jr. and Ernie Banks.
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