Honus Wagner

Born: 1874 | Died: 1955

Baseball Player

Johannes Peter Wagner was born to Bavarian immigrants in Pittsburgh as one of nine children. His mother always called him Hans, which he later changed to Honus. Wagner and three of his brothers would go on to play professional baseball.

Wagner had a career that spanned 21 seasons, he led the National League in batting average eight times and in RBI and stolen bases five times each. Wagner was capable of playing almost any position, but finally settled into the position of shortstop. Despite his size and build, he was fast, earning him the nickname “The Flying Dutchman,” the term „Dutch“ being equated with „German.“ Wagner won the World Series title with the Pirates in 1909. In 1936 he was among the first five individuals ever inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The Honus Wagner baseball card, one of the most valuable in existence today, was recalled in 1909. At the time, the cards were distributed along with tobacco; Wagner, a nonsmoker, objected to be included in the promotion. Known as the "Holy Grail" and "The King of Cards," it was the first baseball card to be sold for over a million dollars and is today worth $2.35 million..

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