History of Honus Wagner in Timeline
Honus Wagner, nicknamed "The Flying Dutchman", was a dominant American professional baseball shortstop who played from 1897 to 1917, primarily for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Known for his exceptional speed, fielding versatility, strong arm, and hitting prowess (average and power), Wagner is considered one of the greatest shortstops ever. He was among the first five inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936. Wagner's all-around skill set defined the five-tool player archetype, making him a legendary figure in baseball history.
2 hours ago : Honus Wagner T206 baseball card fetches millions at auction, breaking records again.
A rare Honus Wagner T206 baseball card, one of the most coveted collectibles, was auctioned for $5 million. This sale highlights the card's legendary status and enduring value.
1900: Wagner as Best Major League Player
In 1900, Honus Wagner was rated as the best major league player by Bill James.
1900: Wagner's Dominance
In 1900, Honus Wagner was recognized as the best third baseman, first baseman, second baseman, shortstop, and outfielder in the league, as well as the best hitter and base runner.
1900: First Batting Championship
In 1900, Honus Wagner won his first batting championship with a .381 mark and also led the league in doubles (45), triples (22), and slugging percentage (.573), all career highs.
1901: Contract Offer from Chicago White Sox
In 1901, Honus Wagner was offered a $20,000 contract by the Chicago White Sox, but he turned it down and continued to play with the Pirates.
1902: Wagner as Best Major League Player
From 1902, Honus Wagner was rated as the best major league player each year by Bill James.
1902: Stealing Bases Record
In 1902, Honus Wagner was one of the few players to steal second, third, and home in succession. He was also the first to accomplish this feat under the new rule differentiating between advanced bases and stolen bases.
1903: Wagner becomes a Regular Shortstop
By 1903, Honus Wagner had become a regular shortstop after excelling at playing several positions.
1903: Inaugural World Series
In 1903, Honus Wagner and the Pittsburgh Pirates played in Major League Baseball's inaugural World Series, where Wagner struggled, and the team lost to the Boston Americans.
1904: "Husky Hans" March
In 1904, William J. Hartz wrote "Husky Hans", a march and two-step, dedicated to Honus Wagner.
1904: Settling into Shortstop
Prior to 1904, Wagner had played several positions but settled into the shortstop role full-time that season, where he became a skilled fielder.
September 1905: Endorsement Deal with Louisville Slugger
In September 1905, Honus Wagner signed a contract to produce the first bat with a player's signature, the Louisville Slugger, becoming the first sportsperson to endorse a commercial product.
1907: Stealing Bases Record
In 1907, Honus Wagner was one of the few players to steal second, third, and home in succession. He was also the first to accomplish this feat under the new rule differentiating between advanced bases and stolen bases.
1908: Wagner's Exceptional Season
Bill James cites Honus Wagner's 1908 season as the greatest single season for any player in baseball history, highlighting his high batting average and RBI count in a low-scoring environment.
1908: Awarded The World's Championship Batsman's Cup
In 1908, Honus Wagner was the first winner of The World's Championship Batsman's Cup.
1908: Return to the Pirates
In 1908, after a brief retirement, Honus Wagner returned to the Pirates, becoming the highest-paid player. He led the league in multiple categories and came close to winning the Triple Crown.
1908: Wagner as Best Major League Player
Until 1908, Honus Wagner was rated as the best major league player each year by Bill James.
January 1909: ATC Seeks Authorization
Starting in January 1909, the American Tobacco Company (ATC) sought authorization from baseball players, including Honus Wagner, for inclusion in the T206 series.
1909: T206 Series
From 1909 to 1911, The T206 Honus Wagner baseball card was designed and issued by the American Tobacco Company (ATC) as part of its T206 series.
1909: Pirates' First World Series Title
In 1909, Honus Wagner and the Pittsburgh Pirates won their first World Series title.
1909: Stealing Bases Record
In 1909, Honus Wagner was one of the few players to steal second, third, and home in succession. He was also the first to accomplish this feat under the new rule differentiating between advanced bases and stolen bases.
1909: World Series Against Ty Cobb
In 1909, Honus Wagner's Pittsburgh Pirates faced Ty Cobb's Detroit Tigers in the World Series.
1909: T206 Honus Wagner baseball card Production Began
In 1909, production began on the T206 Honus Wagner baseball card, a card which became one of the rarest baseball cards in existence.
1910: Batting Average Drop
In 1910, Honus Wagner's batting average fell to .320, his lowest average since 1898.
1910: Strikeout Data
Starting in 1910, strikeouts began being regularly captured affecting Honus Wagner's mlb.com totals.
1911: Honus Wagner's Dominance
By 1911, Honus Wagner had lead the league in batting eight times between 1900 and 1911.
1911: End of T206 series
From 1909 to 1911, The T206 Honus Wagner baseball card was designed and issued by the American Tobacco Company (ATC) as part of its T206 series.
1911: Winning the Batting Title
In 1911, Honus Wagner won the batting title by the narrowest of margins, edging Doc Miller.
1911: T206 Honus Wagner baseball card Production Ended
In 1911, production ended on the T206 Honus Wagner baseball card, leaving only about 50 known copies in circulation.
October 12, 1912: Wagner Denies Consent
On October 12, 1912, Honus Wagner denied the American Tobacco Company (ATC) consent to use his picture on a baseball card.
June 28, 1914: 3,000th Hit
On June 28, 1914, at age 40, Honus Wagner recorded his 3,000th hit, becoming the second player in baseball history to reach the figure after Cap Anson.
July 1915: Oldest Player to Hit a Grand Slam
In July 1915, Honus Wagner became the oldest player to hit a grand slam, a record which stood for 70 years.
1916: Oldest Player to Hit an Inside-the-Park Home Run
In 1916, Honus Wagner became the oldest player to hit an inside-the-park home run.
1916: Marriage to Bessie Baine Smith
In 1916, Honus Wagner married Bessie Baine Smith.
1917: Retirement from MLB
In 1917, Honus Wagner retired from MLB, setting numerous MLB career records, later broken by Ty Cobb.
1917: Wagner's MLB Career End
In 1917, Honus Wagner retired from Major League Baseball after 21 seasons, setting numerous MLB career records at the time.
1917: Final Season
In 1917, Honus Wagner returned for his final season in MLB. After returning in June, he was spiked in July and played only sparingly for the remainder of the year, batting .265. He also briefly held the role of interim manager, but retired from the role after going 1-4.
1918: Birth of Daughter Elva Katrina
In 1918, Honus Wagner's daughter, Elva Katrina, was born stillborn.
1919: Spring Fever
In 1919, Honus Wagner starred in the film "Spring Fever" with Moe Howard and Shemp Howard of the Three Stooges, marking his entry into pop culture film.
1919: Birth of Daughter Betty Baine
In 1919, Honus Wagner's daughter, Betty Baine, was born.
1920: Caught Stealing Data
Starting in 1920, the "caught stealing" stat began being regularly captured, affecting comprehensive totals on Baseball-Reference.com.
1922: National League Record Broken
In 1922, Greasy Neale broke Wagner's National League record for most steals of home (27).
1922: Birth of Daughter Virginia Mae
In 1922, Honus Wagner's daughter, Virginia Mae, was born.
1927: Stolen Bases Record Broken
In 1927, Honus Wagner's modern-era record of 703 stolen bases was broken.
1928: Ran for Sheriff
In 1928, Honus Wagner ran for the office of Sheriff of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, but was not elected.
1931: Future Batter Champion World Series Matchup
In 1931, a World Series matchup, the first since 1909, between the batting champions of each league occurred.
1933: Pirates Coach
In 1933, Honus Wagner began serving as a coach for the Pirates, notably as a hitting instructor.
1934: Pie Traynor as player-manager
In 1934, Pie Traynor began his role as player-manager for the Pittsburg Pirates, under the tutelage of Honus Wagner.
1936: Induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame
In 1936, Honus Wagner was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as one of its first five members, solidifying his legacy as one of baseball's greatest players.
1936: Hall of Fame
In 1936, during the Baseball Hall of Fame's first election, Honus Wagner tied for second place in the voting with Babe Ruth.
1939: End of Pie Traynor's time as player-manager
In 1939, Pie Traynor finished his role as player-manager for the Pittsburg Pirates, having served in that role since 1934 under the tutelage of Honus Wagner.
1942: Appointed Deputy Sheriff
In 1942, Honus Wagner was appointed as a deputy of the Allegheny County Sheriff's Office.
1942: Sporting News Poll
In 1942, a Sporting News poll of 100 former players and managers placed Honus Wagner second behind Ty Cobb.
1944: Honorary Coach
In 1944, Honus Wagner was invited to be an honorary coach for the National League squad at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, hosted at Forbes Field.
1944: Runs Scored Record Broken
In 1944, Honus Wagner's record for most runs scored was broken.
1947: Hank Greenberg's only season with the Pirates
In 1947, Hank Greenberg, a future Hall of Famer, played his final major league season with the Pirates under Honus Wagner's tutelage.
1952: End of coaching career as hitting instructor
In 1952, Honus Wagner ended his time coaching as a hitting instructor for the Pittsburg Pirates, after having served in that role since 1933.
1954: Future Batter Champion World Series Matchup
In 1954, a World Series matchup, another since 1909 and 1931, between the batting champions of each league occurred.
April 30, 1955: Statue Dedication
On April 30, 1955, a life-size statue of Honus Wagner was dedicated outside Forbes Field.
December 6, 1955: Honus Wagner's Death
On December 6, 1955, Honus Wagner, the legendary shortstop, passed away.
1958: Doubles Record Broken
In 1958, Honus Wagner's record for most doubles (640) was broken.
1962: Hits Record Broken
In 1962, Honus Wagner's record for most hits was broken.
1969: All-time Shortstop
In 1969, on the 100th anniversary of professional baseball, Honus Wagner was selected as the all-time shortstop.
1985: Death of Daughter Virginia Mae
In 1985, Virginia Mae, Honus Wagner's daughter, passed away.
1992: Death of Daughter Betty Baine
In 1992, Betty Baine, Honus Wagner's daughter, passed away.
1992: Simpsons Reference
In 1992, the TV show "The Simpsons" referenced Honus Wagner in the episode "Homer at the Bat".
1994: Cobb
In 1994, Honus Wagner was depicted in a brief scene in the film "Cobb".
1999: The Sporting News' 100 Greatest Players
In 1999, Honus Wagner was voted Number 13 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Players.
2000: U.S. Postage Stamp
In 2000, Honus Wagner was honored with a U.S. postage stamp as part of a "Legends of Baseball" series.
2004: The Winning Season
In 2004, Honus Wagner was the subject of the film "The Winning Season".
2007: Record Baseball Card Sale
In 2007, a near mint-mint condition T206 Honus Wagner card sold for $2.8 million, setting a record for the highest price ever for a baseball card at the time.
2011: Sporting Goods Store Closure
In 2011, the Honus Wagner sporting goods store in downtown Pittsburgh closed permanently after 93 years of operation.
April 20, 2012: Wagner card sells for over $1.2 million
On April 20, 2012, a T206 Wagner card graded VG-3 was purchased for more than $1.2 million by a New Jersey resident.
2012: Future Batter Champion World Series Matchup
In 2012, a World Series matchup, another since 1909, 1931, and 1954, between the batting champions of each league occurred.
April 6, 2013: $2.1 million sale
On April 6, 2013, a 1909-11 T206 baseball card featuring Honus Wagner sold at auction for $2.1 million.
October 1, 2016: Record Price
On October 1, 2016, a T206 Honus Wagner card graded PSA-5 sold for $3.12 million, setting a record for the highest price paid for any baseball card.
May 29, 2019: T-206 card sold for $1.2 million
On May 29, 2019, a Honus Wagner T-206 sold for $1.2 million by SCP Auctions in Southern California.
May 2021: Record Price
In May 2021, one example of the Honus Wagner T206 card sold for a new record of $3.75 million.
August 2021: Record Price
In August 2021, another example of the Honus Wagner T206 card sold for $6.6 million, exceeding the previous high for most valuable sports card at the time.
2021: Record Sale of T206 Honus Wagner Card
In 2021, a T206 Honus Wagner baseball card sold for $6.6 million, becoming the second-most expensive sports card in history.
August 3, 2022: Sports Card Record High
On August 3, 2022, a T206 Honus Wagner was sold in a private sale for a sports card record high of $7.25 million.
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