Honus Wagner - The Legend of The Flying Dutchman

American baseball, which has also been nicknamed America's Pastime, has produced many heroes and legendary icons. Sports experts and the general public can argue until they are blue in the face about who is, or was, the greatest player in our most popular sport. What makes the argument difficult is that baseball is multi-faceted with several skill categories involved. It is easy enough to name the best pitcher, the best hitter, the best fielder, etc., but if you combine all aspects of the game, many believe that Honus Wagner is at the top of the greatest player list.

Honus Wagner was born on February 24, 1874. His major league debut with the Louisville Colonials happened in July of 1897. Wagner played in the infield as a shortstop for the Colonials but eventually ended up with the Pittsburgh Pirates. His all around game skills were indeed remarkable and have signified him as a sports legend. When it came to fielding, he was flawless and his hitting statistics prove his amazing abilities with a bat in his hands. Wagner actually maintained an average hitting percentage over .300 for a total of 17 consecutive seasons and his overall lifetime average at the end of his career was a very respectable .329.

The career of Honus Wagner spanned 21 full seasons as a player. When his playing days were over, he moved up to manage his beloved Pirates ballclub which at the time was a very common thing for the elite players to do. One of Wagner's nicknames was The Flying Dutchman which no doubt referred to his speed as a runner on the base paths. Not only was he an excellent batter and fielder, Honus ended his career with an astounding 722 stolen bases. All of these accomplishments led to Wagner being one of the first five players to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Wagner entered the Hall with more runs, hits, stolen bases, doubles and triples than any other National League player.

Honus Wagner died December 6, 1955. An interesting fact describes the legend in a nutshell. The Honus Wagner official baseball card is very rare today. Back in those days, baseball cards were distributed with tobacco products. Honus, who did not use or condone tobacco, had his card removed from circulation in 1909 because he did not want his name associated with tobacco. Is Wagner the greatest player of all time? That argument will surely continue but a multitude of facts and statistics point directly toward him.