February 24, 1874: The Flying Dutchman

February 24, 1874, 150 years ago: John Peter Wagner is born outside Pittsburgh in Carnegie, Pennsylvania. The public knew him as Honus Wagner, the Flying Dutchman. ("Honus" was a variation of "Hans," the German form of "John.") With his big nose, sticking-out ears, and bowed legs, he did not look like a great athlete.

But those legs were fast, and his mighty forearms allowed him to hit, and he became the greatest player that baseball had yet seen. In the American Magazine, Chicago-based sportswriter Hugh Fullerton wrote, "If a man with a voice loud enough to make himself heard all over the United States should stand on top of Pike's Peak and ask 'Who is the greatest ballplayer?' 27,806,009 persons would shout 'Wagner!'"

He helped his hometown Pittsburgh Pirates win Pennants in 1901, 1902, 1903 and 1909, losing the 1st World Series to Cy Young's Boston Americans (Red Sox) in 1903, but winning the Series over Ty Cobb's Detroit Tigers in 1909. He won more NL batting titles than anyone, 8, a record since tied by Tony Gwynn; and led the NL in RBIs and stolen bases 5 times each.

His lifetime batting average was .328, his OPS+ 151, his career RBIs 1,732 (a record at the time), and he collected 3,420 hits. Remember the fuss made when Pete Rose broke Cobb's career record for hits? Well, somebody had to have the record before Cobb, and it was Wagner. He was a great defensive player, too, and could play every position except catcher: He played 1,887 games at shortstop, 248 at 1st base, 210 at 3rd base, 96 in right field, 57 at 2nd base, 32 in left field, 15 in center field, and 2 as a pitcher, pitching 8 1/3rd innings, allowing no runs.

He later coached with the Pirates, wearing Number 33 in this role, and it was retired for him. The team also dedicated a statue of Wagner outside Forbes Field in 1954, moving it to Three Rivers Stadium in 1970 and to PNC Park in 2001.

With Cobb, Ruth, Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson, he was 1 of the 1st 5 players elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936. In 1999, 82 years after his last game and 44 years after his death, The Sporting News placed him 13th on its 100 Greatest Baseball Players list, 1st among shortstops, and fans voted him onto the MLB All-Century Team. In 2022, ESPN did a 100 Greatest Baseball Players list, and, despite an entire new generation of players having arisen, Wagner rose to 12th.