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. 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. Deposit required. You can even pick up a replica of Wagners famous T206 baseball card to take home with you as a souvenir. - 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_____________________________. 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]. copyright=new Date(); ESPN in the late 1990s ran a series listing the 100 greatest baseball players of the 20thcentury. This awkward walking, quiet talking Short Stop of the Pirates was a wonder to behold in the field. He was 81 years old. 17 Reasons why Jordan is greater than Lebron, 16 Reasons why Lebron is greater than Jordan, The 18 greates Coaches in College Football History, The Top 21 Offensive Linemen in NFL History, 19 undeniable Lies in Disney's Remember the Titans. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. 548549. Top 10 Pound for Pound Boxers 4/25/23: Where does Gervonta Davis Rank? 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). This article is about the American baseball player. April 3, 2004. 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. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. In 1916 he would marry his long-time girlfriend, Bessie Baine Smith. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. 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]. On the occasion of his eightieth birthday in 1954, he was deluged with greetings, one of them from President Eisenhower. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Wagner is honored in the form of a small stadium residing behind Carnegie Elementary School on Washington Avenue in Carnegie, Pennsylvania. [48], On August 3, 2022, a T206 Honus Wagner was sold in a private sale for a sports card record high of $7.25 million, eclipsing the previous high of $6.6 million.[49]. This free card is certainly easier and cheaper than paying upwards of $6 million for an authentic copy of the card. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. 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). (Subsequent research has since revised this total to 3,418.) A very rare, recent photo sold on eBay further refutes the myth that Honus Wagner opposed tobacco. Wagner was a guy who out-thought his competition. Ty Cobb: The truth about the greatest baseball player of all-time, MLB: Why We'll Never See a 300-Game Winner Again. [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. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. A sporting goods store bearing the name "Honus Wagner" operated in downtown Pittsburgh for 93 years before closing permanently in 2011. There ain't much to being a ballplayer, if you're a ballplayer. Wagner, the longtime Pirates star and Baseball Hall of Famer, lived in the house until his death in the mid 1950s. The Cobb-Wagner rivalry has become something of folklore and the more time passes it becomes forgotten folklore. Wagner was not finished playing baseball after his retirement from major league baseball. 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. In 1928, Wagner ran for the office of Sheriff of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, but lost. I dont even know what it means to be sick. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. [40] He had appeared on advertisements for a number of other products such as chewing gum, gunpowder, and soft drinks. Probably my favorite thing in the room, however, was a notebook with written memories about Honus Wagner. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Most baseball historians consider Wagner to be the greatest shortstop ever and one of the greatest players ever. Wagner would continue to be a great player until 1915. "Honus was only a solid-to-good, not great, fielder at shortstop," Humphreys wrote. based on information from your browser. Bill James cites Wagner's 1908 season as the greatest single season for any player in baseball history. His baseball card, the word's most valuable, was most likely pulled from production because he . You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Biography - A Short Wiki Remembering Honus Wagner. After browsing through the many items in the Honus Wagner Museum, makes sure to step into the Historical Museum of Carnegie next door. Saturdays: 10am-2pm, Website: Facebook.com/HistoricalSocietyofCarnegie. Best Online Sports Books Reviews: How To Find The Right One. Wagner hit .313 for Paterson in 1896 and .375 in 74 games in 1897.[8]. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Top 16 Centers in College Basketball History: Alcindor, Russell, or Walton at Number one? Another highlight of the visit is the chance to hold a 1910s era Honus Wagner brand bat that is said to be game-used. But the Cobb-Wagner rivalry was one of the best all-time. Resend Activation Email. 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). Wagner, the aging star faced off against the rising star as the next pitch was thrown and Cobb headed to second. Now Clarke and Willis are legitimate Hall of Fame selections, but were they equal to Gehrig, Dickey, and DiMaggio? (His entire playing career was in the days before uniform numbers were worn.) He managed and played for a semi-pro team. 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. 2023 Mock Draft 2.0: Four QB'S to go in the Top 10? [23], The Pirates hosted the 1944 Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Forbes Field. For the rest of his life when asked about the incident Wagner would only wink and neither confirm nor deny the story. 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. Try again later. Top 11 Hottest Teams Starts in MLB History: Where do the Rays rank? We adapted Google's Privacy Guidelines to keep your data safe at all times. His league record of eight batting titles was finally tied by Tony Gywnn in 1997. [6], In 1916, Wagner married Bessie Baine Smith, and the couple had three daughters: Elva Katrina (b. Wagner was born to German immigrants Peter and Katheryn Wagner in the borough of Chartiers, in what is now Carnegie, Pennsylvania. The following spring, he refused to send his portrait to a "Hall of Fame" for batting champions, citing his play in the World Series. 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). He ended the series when he watched Strike 3 go by, humiliation complete. He was well-known to people in the community, including many that still have memories of their interactions with him as children. 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. by Dave Studeman. Wagner was nicknamed "the Flying Dutchman" due to his superb speed and German heritage. We kept the squawk going for a minute or so, making no headway of course, and then Cobb spoke up. 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. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? Good enough to make a mockery of any modern Short Stop. 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. An outgrowth of baseball greatness is of course baseball card greatness, and in . Wagner played for the short-lived Louisville Colonels franchise from 1897 through 1899, when he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was appointed as a deputy of the Allegheny County Sheriff's Office in 1942. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. For people with similar names, see. At shortstop there is only one candidate, the immortal Honus Wagner. Try again later. Bessie would then have 2 daughters and their oldest Bessy would give them their only grandchild, a daughter. In fact, there are many who will argue that the "Flying Dutchman" should be placed at the top of the list. 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. Wagner was rated 10th. 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.