Paul Waner

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Lore & Background

Waner was born in Harrah in the Oklahoma Territory, four years before the region became a state. He was the third child of five of Ora and Etta Waner. His younger brother Lloyd Waner is also a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame; Ora had once been offered a contract by the Chicago White Stockings but declined it, instead settling on a 400-acre farm. Waner was born with the middle name of John but his middle name was changed from John to Glee after an uncle named Glee gave him a shotgun at the age of 6. He stated that he learned batting from hitting corncobs on his father's farm, learning the way to follow the ball by seeing the movement of the cobs. Waner had astigmatism; he did not like wearing glasses on the field as it made the ball appear smaller and in focus, but without glasses, the ball looked grapefruit-sized. With the larger apparent size of the baseball, he was able to hit the center more often.

In Their Own Story

The air inside Forbes Field smelled of cut grass and old tobacco as Paul stepped into the batter's box. It was a humid July afternoon in 1927, and the crowd hummed with anticipation. He tapped his cleats against the dirt, adjusting the grip on his hickory bat. The pitcher wound up, the ball spinning through the light, and Waner swung with effortless grace, sending the leather sphere screaming toward right-center field.

Reader's Guide

Waner played baseball at East Central State Teachers College (now known as East Central University) in Ada, Oklahoma; he pitched to a 23–4 record with a 1.70 earned run average in 1922. Waner's father had wanted him to be a teacher, but Waner wanted to play pro baseball and dropped out of college as a result. He signed with the team in Joplin, Missouri in the Class A Western League. Then, Waner was sent to the Southwestern League (equivalent to Rookie League) in Muskogee before being sold again to the Class AA San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League in 1923, the manager of which was former Pirate, John "Dots" Miller. He only pitched one game for the Seals, in 1924 before he was moved to the outfield. With the Seals, Waner hit .378 over his three seasons, including .401 in their 1925 championship season. In October 1925, the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League purchased Waner and teammate Hal Rhyne from the Seals for $100,000. On April 17, 1926, against the Cincinnati Reds, he collected his first major league hit. On August 26, Waner collected six hits in six at-bats during a game against the Giants, and he accomplished this feat using six different bats from six different players. He ended his first season with a .336 batting average and led the NL in triples with 22. He also finished 12th in MVP voting as the Pirates finished in third place, 4.5 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals. By Waner's second season with the Pirates he and his younger brother Lloyd had become stars; combined, they accumulated 460 hits in the 1927 season. The 1927 season was a standout year for Paul. He played in a career-high 155 games (which led the league), and led the NL in hits (237), a team record, triples (18), batting average (.380) and RBIs (131). He set the major league record for consecutive games with an extra-base hit, with 14 (June 3–19, 1927); Since then this feat has also been accomplished by Chipper Jones in 2006. Aided by the contributions of the Waner brothers, Pittsburgh advanced to the 1927 World Series. In the only postseason appearance of his career, Paul went 5-for-15 with 3 RBIs and a .333 batting average, but the Pirates were swept by the New York Yankees. In recognition for his performance during the 1927 season, the National League awarded him the NL Most Valuable Player Award. Waner hit .370 and led the NL in runs scored (142, a career high)

Did You Know?

• Waner set the major league record for consecutive games with an extra-base hit, with 14 (June 3–19, 1927).
• He became the seventh member of the 3,000 hit club on June 19, 1942, with a single off Rip Sewell.
• Waner's 191 triples are 10th all-time and the most among players whose entire careers were in the live-ball era.
• Paul and his brother Lloyd hold the record for the most hits recorded by brothers (5,611).

The Rise of Big Poison

Paul Glee Waner, affectionately known as "Big Poison," emerged from humble beginnings in Harrah, Oklahoma Territory, to become one of baseball's most formidable hitters. Born before Oklahoma achieved statehood, he was the third of five children raised on a farm where his father, Ora, had once declined a professional contract to tend crops. Waner's unique batting style reportedly stemmed from childhood practice hitting corncobs, which taught him to track movement effectively. Interestingly, he suffered from astigmatism; while glasses made the ball appear smaller and clearer, he preferred playing without them because the blurred vision made the baseball look like a grapefruit, allowing him to make more consistent contact with the center of the sphere. After dropping out of East Central State Teachers College to pursue professional baseball against his father's wishes for a teaching career, Waner honed his skills in minor leagues across Missouri and Oklahoma before dominating the Pacific Coast League with San Francisco Seals. His exceptional .378 average over three seasons there caught the eye of Major League scouts, setting the stage for his historic transition to Pittsburgh.

Dominance with the Pirates

After being purchased by the Pittsburgh Pirates in late 1925 for a substantial $100,000 alongside teammate Hal Rhyne, Waner immediately established himself as an offensive force. His rookie year saw him hit .336 and lead the league in triples, but his second season in 1927 was nothing short of legendary. That year, he captured the National League Most Valuable Player Award after recording a then-team-record 237 hits, leading the circuit in batting average with .380, runs scored, and RBIs. He also set a major league record by hitting an extra-base hit in 14 consecutive games. Alongside his younger brother Lloyd, who was also starring on the roster, Paul helped propel Pittsburgh to the World Series, where he batted .333 despite the team's eventual sweep by the New York Yankees. Waner maintained this elite production for years, collecting over 200 hits in eight different seasons and securing three National League batting titles. His consistency was remarkable; from 1927 through 1930, he posted four consecutive 200-hit campaigns, solidifying his reputation as the greatest outfielder in Pirates history up to that point.

Historic Milestones and Records

Waner's career includes extraordinary statistical achievements that rank him among baseball's all-time greats. On June 19, 1942, he became the seventh player in history to reach 3,000 hits, getting a single off pitcher Rip Sewell. His ability to hit for extra bases was exceptional; he holds the National League record for doubles in a single season with 62, set in 1932, and his career total of 605 doubles ranks 14th all-time. Additionally, his 191 triples are the most by any player whose entire career occurred during the live-ball era. Defensively, Waner dominated, leading the National League in putouts four times and holding the career record for most putouts by a right fielder. His .333 batting average earned him election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1952. In 2007, the Pittsburgh Pirates formally honored his legacy by retiring his number 11 jersey.

The Waner Brothers Legacy

Few sibling duos have impacted professional sports like Paul and Lloyd Waner. Both brothers were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, becoming only the second pair of brothers to do so after Harry and George Wright. Their combined offensive output was staggering; together, they amassed 5,611 hits, a record for any set of brothers in baseball history. During their peak years with the Pittsburgh Pirates, especially in 1927, they formed an inseparable duo that terrorized opposing pitchers, combining for 460 hits in that single season alone. Paul's path opened the door for Lloyd, who joined him in the majors and eventually followed his brother to Cooperstown. The Waner name became a standard for hitting excellence, as both brothers led their respective leagues in various offensive categories throughout their careers. Their journey from an Oklahoma farm to the highest levels of baseball created a unique family legacy still celebrated by historians and fans.

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