Honus Wagner
Johannes Peter ” Honus ” Wagner, also known as Hans Wagner, played shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates for 21 seasons from 1897 to 1917. In 1911, Wagner won his eighth (and final) batting title, setting a record in the National League that still stands today and has only been matched once, in 1997, by Tony Gwynn. He also led the league in slugging six times and stolen bases five times. Due to his exceptional speed and German heritage, Wagner earned the nickname ” the Flying Dutchman “, a reference to the famous folk-tale that was adapted into a popular opera by German composer Richard Wagner. In 1936, Wagner was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as one of the first five members. He received the second-highest number of votes, following Ty Cobb with 222 votes, and tied with Babe Ruth at 215.
According to most baseball historians, Wagner is widely considered to be the best shortstop in history and one of the top players of all time. Even Ty Cobb, a renowned player himself, dubbed Wagner as “possibly the greatest star to ever grace the baseball field.” Wagner holds the distinction of being the main player featured on one of the rarest and most highly valued baseball cards in existence, the T206 Honus Wagner card.
Wagner’s Childhood
Born to German immigrants Peter and Katheryn Wagner in the borough of Chartiers, Wagner grew up in Carnegie, Pennsylvania.
Wagner was one of nine children, growing up he was known as Hans by his mother but this nickname eventually turned into Honus. During his time in the major leagues, he was also referred to as “Hans”. At the age of 12, Wagner left school to assist his father and siblings in the coal mines. In their spare time, he and his brothers would play sandlot baseball and honed their abilities to the point where three of his brothers also pursued professional careers.
Honus Wagner’s elder sibling, known as Albert “Butts” Wagner, had a short stint in the major leagues and is often acknowledged for playing a role in securing Honus’ initial tryout. Butts convinced his coach to give his younger brother a chance. Following his brother’s footsteps, Honus initially trained to become a barber before finding success in the world of baseball.
Honus Wagner tied the knot with Bessie Baine Smith in 1916, and they were blessed with three daughters: Elva Katrina (born in 1918, but unfortunately stillborn), Betty Baine (1919-1992), and Virginia Mae (1922-1985).
Honus Wagner’s Career
Pre-Major League Baseball Career
In 1895, Honus’ sibling Albert, also known as “Butts,” was known as the standout baseball player in their family. When Honus’ Inter-State League team needed assistance, Albert recommended him. Honus then went on to play for five different teams and in three separate leagues, totaling 80 games in his first year.
Edward Barrow, a member of the Wheeling Nailers baseball team, which Honus Wagner was also a part of, made the decision to bring Wagner onto his next team, the Paterson Silk Sox of the Atlantic League in 1896. Barrow’s ability to spot talent was evident as Wagner was versatile and could play multiple positions, including all three bases and the outfield. Wagner had a batting average of .313 in 1896 and .375 in 74 games in 1897 for Paterson.
When it comes to shortstops, Wagner was a natural, surpassing greats such as Marion, Bancroft, Peck, and Billy Jurges. Honus’ abilities extended far beyond simply fielding, as he was also one of the best right-handed hitters in history. His long arms and large hands made him a natural at drawing the ball towards him. According to Ed Barrow, Honus could have excelled in any position, but it was at shortstop where he truly cemented his legacy. He was a seven-time leader in batting for the National League, and even in his forties, he remained among the top players in the league.
The Louisville Cardinals
Barrow recognized that Wagner’s talent deserved to be showcased at the highest level. As a result, he reached out to the Louisville Colonels, a team that had performed poorly in the National League in 1896, with a record of 38-93. By 1897, they had improved, and Barrow convinced the club’s president, Barney Dreyfuss, secretary, Harry Pulliam, and outfielder-manager, Fred Clarke, to visit Paterson and watch Wagner play. Despite Dreyfuss and Clarke’s initial lack of impression towards the unconventional-looking player, standing at 5 ft 11 in tall, weighing 200 pounds, with a barrel chest, massive shoulders, heavily muscled arms, large hands, and bowed legs, Pulliam managed to persuade them to take a chance on him. Wagner made his debut for Louisville on July 19 and had an impressive batting average of .338 in 61 games.
In just his second year, Wagner established himself as one of the top hitters in the National League, although he narrowly missed finishing the season with a .300 batting average. After the 1899 season, the NL reduced its number of teams from twelve to eight, resulting in the removal of four teams, including the Colonels. Owner Barney Dreyfuss, who had acquired half of the Pirates, brought Wagner and several other key players with him to Pittsburgh.
As it turned out, Honus was not only the best third baseman, but also the best first baseman, second baseman, shortstop, and outfielder. This was in terms of fielding. And with eight batting titles between 1900 and 1911, it was clear that he was also the best hitter and base runner.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Wagner’s transition to the Pittsburgh Pirates marked his rise as a top-notch hitter. In 1900, he claimed his first batting title with an impressive .381 average, while also leading the league in doubles (45), triples (22), and slugging percentage (.573), all of which were personal bests. Throughout the following nine years, Wagner maintained an average of at least .330.
In 1901, the American League started to acquire players from the National League, resulting in a fierce competition that resulted in the loss of numerous skilled players. Despite being offered a contract worth $20,000 by the Chicago White Sox, Wagner declined and remained a member of the Pirates.
Before 1904, Wagner had experience playing various positions, but ultimately committed to shortstop. It was in this role that he honed his abilities as a fielder. According to his profile on BaseballBiography.com, his playing style was characterized as tenacious.
Described as bowlegged, barrel-chested, and long-limbed, he was frequently compared to an octopus on the field. As he fielded grounders, his massive hands would gather clumps of infield dirt, which followed his throws to first base like the tail of a comet.
In 1898, Wagner achieved victory in a long-distance competition held in Louisville by throwing a baseball a distance of over 403 feet. In of August 1899, he made history by being the first player to successfully steal second base, third base, and home consecutively, following the new rule that distinguished between advanced bases and stolen bases. He repeated this remarkable feat in 1902, 1907, and 1909. Wagner eventually retired, holding the National League record for the most home steals (27), a record that was later surpassed by Greasy Neale in 1922.
September of 1905 saw Wagner enter into an agreement to create the first baseball bat featuring a player’s signature, known as the Louisville Slugger. This made him the first athlete to endorse a commercial product. This bat, named after Wagner himself, became a top seller for many years. However, in the following month, Wagner was in a close race with Reds center fielder Cy Seymour for the batting title. Unfortunately, Wagner fell short in a face-off on the last day of the season as Seymour collected four hits to Wagner’s two. Contemporary reports from the press noted that the fans were more invested in the Seymour-Wagner competition than the outcome of the games.
Prior to the start of the 1908 baseball season, Wagner decided to retire. In a state of desperation, team owner Barney Dreyfuss offered him a salary of $10,000 per year, making him the highest-paid player on the Pirates for several years. Wagner returned to the team early in the season and fell just two home runs short of achieving the Triple Crown title, leading the league in numerous categories, including hitting, hits, total bases, doubles, triples, RBI, and stolen bases for the sixth time. In a game against the New York Giants and their star pitcher Christy Mathewson on July 25, Wagner surpassed Giants’ outfielder Mike Donlin for the batting lead. After each of his five hits in the game, Wagner reportedly taunted Donlin by holding up another finger, while Donlin remained hitless and had previously won a “most popular player” poll by a large margin over runner-up Wagner.
According to Bill James, the 1908 season of Wagner stands out as the greatest individual season in the history of baseball. James points out that the league’s earned run average (ERA) was only 2.35 during the dead-ball era, which was about half of what it is in modern-day baseball. In comparison, Wagner managed to hit .354 and drive in 109 runs in a time when scoring was much lower.
The Pirates played the Boston Americans in the first ever World Series in 1903. Honus Wagner was expected to perform well, especially since the Pirates’ pitching staff was dealing with injuries. However, Wagner was not in top form and only had a .222 batting average for the series. The Boston Americans had a group of fans known as the “Royal Rooters” who would sing a song mocking Wagner whenever he was up to bat. Led by barkeeper Michael “Nuf Ced” McGreevy, the Rooters even traveled to Pittsburgh to continue their taunting. The Pirates ultimately lost the series to the Boston team, led by pitchers Cy Young and Bill Dinneen, and third baseman-manager Jimmy Collins.
Upset about his performance, Wagner declined to have his portrait displayed in a “Hall of Fame” exhibit for top hitters the following spring. He explained that his play during the World Series was the reason for his decision, stating, “Last year I was not at my best. I was a laughingstock during the Boston-Pittsburgh Series. What good does it do a man to excel and make hits when they are not needed, only to falter when it really matters? I would be embarrassed to have my picture showcased now.”
In 1909, the Pirates were pitted against the Detroit Tigers, led by Ty Cobb. This was the first time that the top hitters from both leagues had ever competed against each other, and it was the only time during the day that these two exceptional batters would meet. This event would later take place three more times during the World Series, in 1931, 1954, and 2012. At the time, Wagner was 35 years old while Cobb was only 22.
Wagner outperformed Cobb batting .333 compared to Cobb’s .231. He also stole six bases, a record. Although the speedy Cobb only managed to steal two bases, he himself admitted that one of them was a mistake. According to Wagner, they had successfully tagged Cobb out at second base but the umpire, Silk O’Loughlin, overruled the call. They argued for a short while but made no progress. Then, Cobb acknowledged the mistake and urged O’Loughlin, who was an umpire in the American League, to just continue the game.
According to legeng, there was a moment when Cobb was on first base and boasted to Wagner about his plan to steal second. He even threatened to physically attack Wagner while doing so. In response, Wagner defiantly challenged him to try it and applied a harsh tag to Cobb’s mouth. This led to a heated exchange of words between the two players. However, Cobb refuted this story in his autobiography and the play-by-play of the 1909 World Series disproves it as well. The records show that Wagner never tagged Cobb out while attempting to steal. The Pirates ultimately won the series in seven games thanks to the impressive pitching of rookie Babe Adams.
Wagner’s Later Years
During the year 1910, Wagner’s batting average dropped to .320, which was his lowest average since 1898. In spite of his age, Wagner remained exceptional. He holds the record for the top three OPS+ seasons among shortstops aged 35 or older, and even in his 41st year, he ranks eighth on the list.
In 1911, Wagner narrowly won the batting title. Despite going hitless in a 1-0 victory against the Cubs on May 30, a successful protest by the Cubs nullified the outcome and Wagner’s at-bats. He ultimately surpassed Doc Miller of the Boston Rustlers with a batting average of .334 to .333. The Pirates were competitive until August, when an ankle injury forced Wagner to miss 25 games and the team’s performance declined.
At the age of 40 on June 9, 1914, Wagner achieved his 3,000th hit by hitting a double off Philadelphia’s Erskine Mayer. He became the second player in baseball history to reach this milestone, following Cap Anson, and three months later, Nap Lajoie also joined the club. This feat, however, occurred during a period of decline for both Wagner and the Pirates. Wagner’s batting average in 1914 was only .252, the lowest of his career. In July 1915, he made history by becoming the oldest player to hit a grand slam, a record that stood for 70 years until it was surpassed by 43-year-old Tony Perez. In 1916, Wagner once again made history by becoming the oldest player to hit an inside-the-park home run.
In 1917, Wagner made a comeback for his final season after previously retiring. However, his season was cut short when he was spiked in July and he only played sparingly, finishing with a batting average of .265. He briefly acted as interim manager, but after a 1-4 record, Wagner informed owner Dreyfuss that the job was not suited for him. At the time of his retirement, Wagner held the record for most hits in the NL with 3,430. The actual total has since been reduced this total to 3,418. It would take 45 years for Stan Musial of St. Louis to surpass Wagner’s hit record.
Since his retirement in 1917, Wagner has been widely regarded as one of the top all-around players in baseball history. According to renowned baseball historian and statistician Bill James, Wagner ranks second only to Babe Ruth as the greatest player of all time. James also considers Wagner as the best major league player in the early 1900s and for seven consecutive years from 1902 to 1908. In the “Total Player Ranking” by statisticians John Thorn and Pete Palmer, Wagner is placed ninth among all players. Many of Wagner’s peers, including Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby, and Walter Johnson, have included him as their shortstop in their All-Time teams.
Wagner’s Retirement
Even after his retirement from the major leagues, Wagner continued to be involved in baseball. He played and managed for a semi-professional team. He also served as a coach for the Pirates for 39 years, notably as a hitting instructor from 1933 to 1952. Some notable players he coached include Arky Vaughan, Ralph Kiner, Pie Traynor (who was a player-manager from 1934-1939), and Hank Greenberg (who played for the Pirates in 1947, his final major league season). Wagner’s coaching was welcomed at National League stadiums and he was beloved as a representative of baseball. He also coached baseball and basketball at what is now Carnegie Mellon University.
Honus Wagner ran for Sheriff in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania in 1928, but was unsuccessful. In 1942, he was selected as a deputy for the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office. In addition to this, he also managed a popular sports equipment company.
Forbes Field was the site of the 1944 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, hosted by the Pirates. Honus Wagner was asked to serve as a coach for the National League team.
Wagner spent the rest of his days in Pittsburgh, where he was recognized as an amiable presence in the community. He passed away on December 6, 1955, at 81 years old, and his final resting place is at Jefferson Memorial Cemetery in the South Hills.
Wagner in Film
Honus Wagner, known for his famous baseball card, was one of the first athletes to successfully transition into the world of popular culture through film. In 1919, he played the role of a sports hero in the movie “Spring Fever” alongside Moe Howard and Shemp Howard of The Three Stooges. He has also been featured in the film “The Winning Season” (2004) and briefly appeared in “Cobb” (1994).
Honus Wagner’s Impact on Baseball’s History
In the first election held by the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936, Wagner tied for second place with Babe Ruth, coming in behind Cobb. A survey in 1942 by the Sporting News of 100 former players and managers confirmed this viewpoint, as Wagner received 43 fewer votes than Cobb and six more than Ruth. On the 100th anniversary of professional baseball in 1969, a poll was conducted to honor the greatest players of all time, and Wagner was chosen as the best shortstop. In 1999, 82 years after his last game and 44 years after his death, Wagner was ranked as the 13th top player by The Sporting News out of their list of the 100 Greatest Players, once again being the highest-rated shortstop. In the same year, he was picked for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team by the oversight committee after losing the popular vote to Cal Ripken Jr. and Ernie Banks.
According to Christy Mathewson, Honus Wagner was the only opponent he encountered who lacked a weakness. Mathewson believed that the only strategy to prevent Wagner from scoring was to not pitch to him.
In 1904, William J. Hartz composed a patriotic march and two-step called “Husky Hans” as a tribute to Hans Wagner, the three-time champion batter of The National League.
According to Bill James, Wagner is undoubtedly the best shortstop in history. He also mentions that the gap between Wagner and the second best shortstop, Arky Vaughan, is similar to the gap between Vaughan and the 20th best shortstop.
The Honus Wagner Statue Outside PNC Park
A marble pedestal adorned with admiring children supports a life-size statue of Wagner, swinging a bat. The statue was created by a local sculptor, Frank Vittor, and was placed outside the left-field corner gate at Forbes Field. It was unveiled on April 30, 1955, and Wagner, who was frail at the time, was able to attend and greet his numerous fans. The Pirates have changed locations twice since then, but the statue has remained with them. It now resides outside the primary entrance of PNC Park, facing the area where the Pirates’ original home, Exposition Park, once stood. Thus, Wagner has returned to where he began, completing a full circle.
Carnegie pays tribute to Wagner by dedicating a modest stadium located behind Carnegie Elementary School on Washington Avenue. This stadium serves as the primary venue for Carlynton High School’s varsity sports teams. Additionally, the Honus Wagner Sports Museum can be found at the Historical Society of Carnegie History Center, featuring a collection of Wagner-themed items and artifacts. Guests of the museum are gifted with replicas of the iconic Wagner trading card.
The famous TV series, The Simpsons, made a mention of Wagner in their 1992 episode called “Homer at the Bat”. During this episode, the character Mr. Burns mentions three players he wants for his company’s baseball team: Honus Wagner, Cap Anson, and “Mordecai ‘Three Fingers’ Brown”. However, his assistant has to inform him that these players are not only retired, but also deceased. It is worth noting that Anson played in the late 19th century.
In the year 2000, Wagner received recognition in the form of a postage stamp from the United States Postal Service. This stamp was included in the “Legends of Baseball” collection, which celebrated 20 legendary players alongside MLB’s All-Century team.
The Most Expensive Baseball Card in History
The T206 Honus Wagner baseball card is an extremely rare and valuable baseball card with only 57 known copies in existence. Produced by the American Tobacco Company (ATC) as part of their T206 series from 1909 to 1911, the card’s scarcity can be attributed to either Wagner’s refusal to allow its production due to him being a non-smoker, or the significant amount of money offered by ATC to Wagner. Under 200 of these cards were ever released to the public, a stark contrast to the “tens or hundreds of thousands” of T206 cards featuring other players that were distributed over three years in 16 different cigarette brands. In 1933, the card was first listed with a value of $50 in Jefferson Burdick’s The American Card Catalog , making it the most expensive baseball card of its time.
Some cards had unusual shapes or sizes, leading to speculation that they had been altered at some point. In his book Inside T206: A Collector Guide to the Classic Baseball Card Set, Scot A. Reader noted that it was not uncommon to find altered T206 cards due to their nearly 100 years of existence. These variations were exploited by “card doctors” who would trim corners and edges to improve the appearance of the cards. The front of all T206 cards, including the Wagner card, featured a lithograph of the player created through a multi-stage printing process that used multiple colors to achieve the desired design. The backs of the cards displayed the monochromatic colors of the 16 tobacco brands for which they were printed. The Wagner cards specifically advertised the Piedmont and Sweet Caporal cigarette brands and were produced at Factory 25 in Virginia, as indicated by the factory stamp on the back of the cards.
In January 1909, the ATC requested permission from baseball players to be included in the T206 series, which consisted of 524 major league players, 76 of whom were eventually inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.At the time, Wagner was considered the best player in the game and had been performing at a high level throughout the decade. He had also been featured in advertisements for various products, including chewing gum, gunpowder, and soft drinks. Naturally, the ATC approached Wagner for permission to use his image on a baseball card. However, according to an October 12, 1912 issue of The Sporting News, Wagner declined to have his picture on the baseball card. In response to the request from John Gruber, a Pittsburgh sportswriter hired by the ATC, Wagner wrote that he did not want his image to be associated with cigarettes. He even threatened to take legal action if the ATC went ahead with creating his baseball card.
In 2007, a T206 Wagner card was sold for $2.8 million due to its near mint-mint condition, setting a record for the highest price ever paid for a baseball card. However, in 2010, a previously unknown version of the card was discovered and donated to the School Sisters of Notre Dame in Baltimore. Despite being in poor condition, the card was sold in November 2010 for $262,000 to a collector, surpassing the expected auction price of $150,000.
The highest price ever paid for a baseball card at the time was set on October 1, 2016, when a T206 Wagner card, graded as PSA-5, was sold for $3.12 million. This surpassed the previous record and was noted as the most expensive baseball card ever sold.
A Honus Wagner T-206 was recently sold by SCP Auctions in Southern California for $1.2 million on May 29, 2019. This particular card had previously been auctioned off for $657,250 in 2014 and $776,750 in 2016. Despite its low rating of only 2 out of 10, the encapsulated card still fetched a high price.
During May 2021, a single example was purchased for a historic sum of $3.75 million, setting a new record. This sale also marked the second highest price ever paid for a baseball card at auction, at the time.
During August 2021, a different instance was purchased for $6.6 million, surpassing the previous record for the most valuable sports card at that time. [49]
A T206 Honus Wagner was purchased in a private transaction on August 3, 2022 for a record-breaking sum of $7.25 million, surpassing the previous highest sale of $6.6 million.
Honus Wagner’s legacy continues to this day, and is a pivotal piece of the history of Pittsburgh, and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
