Pie Traynor

Hall of Fame third baseman who spent his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Harold Joseph "Pie" Traynor (November 11, 1898 – March 16, 1972) was an American third baseman, manager, scout and radio broadcaster in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played his entire career between 1920 and 1937 for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Quick Facts

Position: Third baseman
Bats: Right
Born: 11 November 1898
Birthplace: Framingham, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died: 16 March 1972
Place of death: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Debut league: MLB
Debut date: September 15

Lore & Background

Traynor had a .320 career batting average, batting over .300 ten times with seven seasons with over 100 runs batted in (RBI). With home runs limited by playing in Forbes Field, the most difficult park for power hitting in the National League (NL), he compensated by reaching double digits in triples eleven times, leading the league in 1923. He batted .346 in the 1925 World Series to help the Pirates take their first championship in 16 years. In the 1925 World Series, he hit a home run off future Hall of Fame pitcher Walter Johnson as the Pirates defeated the Washington Senators in a seven-game series.

Reader's Guide

Traynor led NL third basemen in putouts seven times, in double plays four times, and in assists three times; his 41 double plays in 1925 were an NL record until 1950, and his 226 putouts that year remain the highest NL total since 1905. He set major league records for career double plays (303) and games (1,863) at third base which were broken in 1945 and 1960 respectively, and which remained NL records until Eddie Mathews broke them in 1964 and 1965; his 2,289 putouts remain the NL record, and his 3,521 assists were the league record until Mathews passed him in 1964. Traynor was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1948, becoming the initial third baseman elected by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Did You Know?

Traynor received his nickname as a child in Somerville, Massachusetts, because he frequented a grocery store and often asked for pie.
In 1919, he played in what is now the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL). Playing for both the Falmouth and Oak Bluffs town teams, he batted .447 for Falmouth and had a combined batting average of .322 for the two teams.
Traynor is the only MLB player to steal home plate in an All-Star Game.

Frequently Asked Questions

What were Pie Traynor's key achievements?

Traynor excelled at hitting for extra bases in Forbes Field, leading the league in triples in 1923 and recording double-digit triples eleven different seasons. His offensive prowess included driving in over 100 runs seven times while helping the Pirates secure their first World Series title in 16 years during 1925.

How did Pie Traynor's career end?

Traynor concluded his playing days after the 1937 season, having spent nearly two decades as a cornerstone of the Pirates lineup. Following his retirement from active play, he remained connected to the franchise by serving as the team's manager.