Rogers Hornsby
One of the greatest second basemen and right-handed hitters of all time.
Rogers Hornsby (April 27, 1896 – January 5, 1963), nicknamed "the Rajah", was an American professional baseball player, manager, and coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1915–1926, 1933), New York Giants (1927), Boston Braves (1928), Chicago Cubs (1929–1932), and St. Louis Browns (1933–1937). He was named the National League (NL)'s Most Valuable Player (MVP) twice, and was a member of one World Series championship team. Hornsby is widely regarded as one of the greatest second basemen and right-handed hitters of all time.
- Role
- Second Baseman
- Affiliation
- Chicago Cubs (1929–1932)
- Career Batting Average
- .358
- Triple Crown
- National League, 1922
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Hornsby was born in Winters, Texas, and began his major league career with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1915. He played with the Cardinals for 12 seasons, winning his first MVP Award and the 1926 World Series. After one season with the New York Giants and one with the Boston Braves, he was traded to the Chicago Cubs. He played with the Cubs for four years and won his second MVP Award before the team released him in 1932. He re-signed with the Cardinals in 1933 but was released partway through the season, effectively ending his career as a full-time player. He then played for the St. Louis Browns until 1937, though he made only 67 appearances for them as a player.
In Their Own Story
The source details that Hornsby played four years for the Chicago Cubs before being released in 1932. This period was sandwiched between his time with the Boston Braves and a brief return to the St. Louis Cardinals later that same year. During these four seasons, he achieved the rare feat of winning his second MVP Award. The text does not describe specific game-by-game narratives or quotes from his Cubs years, focusing instead on the timeline: 1929 start, 1932 release, and the accumulation of a second MVP title during this span.
Reader's Guide
Hornsby is regarded as one of the best hitters of all time. He had 2,930 hits and 301 home runs in his career; his career batting average of .358 is third only to Ty Cobb (.366) and Oscar Charleston (.364) in MLB history. He also won two Triple Crowns and batted .400 or more three times during his career. He is the only player to hit 40 home runs and bat .400 in the same year (1922). His batting average for the 1924 season was .424, a mark that no player has matched since. In 1942, Hornsby was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Did You Know?
- Hornsby won his only NL MVP with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1925, not a second MVP while with the Cubs.
- He was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in August 1932, not released by the Cubs.
- He is 'one of the greatest second basemen' of all time, not 'the greatest'.
More in Legendary Players & Managers
Related in Chicago Cubs
Links follow this subject's own source article.
Elsewhere in the Chicago Cubs universe
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record