Pittsburgh Pirates History: Honus Wagner Joins 3000 Hit Club
One of the greatest players in MLB history, Honus Wagner is considered to be the best shortstop to ever play the game. On this day in 1914, the Pittsburgh Pirates legend became the second player in MLB history to record his 3000th career hit.
These days, Honus Wagner is typically remembered for having the most expensive baseball card in history, as his T-206 is highly sought after due to its limited quantity. However, as rare as the card may be, Wagner’s stature as one of the greatest players in MLB history, and arguably the best shortstop the game had ever seen, makes this card such a treasure.
When it comes to the history of the game, Wagner certainly made his mark. Perhaps his greatest accomplishment statistically came on this day in 1914, when Wagner became the second player in MLB history to reach the 3000 hit plateau. With his base knock against the Phillies, Wagner joined Cap Anson as the only players to reach that milestone to that point in MLB history.
However, as with Anson, Wagner’s accomplishment is a matter of some debate. While there may be questions about whether or not Anson should be considered a part of the 3000 hit club due to his time in the National Association, the precursor to the National League. He was also credited with 60 hits that were actually walks, making his all time total a matter of debate.
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Neither of those problems plague Wagner, as there is no question that he is a member of the 3000 hit club. Instead, the question surrounding Wagner is when he actually reached the milestone. This day was initially celebrated as the point that he became the second player with 3000 hits, but it was later discovered that there were discrepancies in the box scores from his playing days. Depending on which account one believes, Wagner may have actually joined the club on either June 30th or July 4th.
Nonetheless, this is the day that Wagner was initially celebrated for reaching that lofty milestone. While he would play through 1917, Wagner was unable to reach Anson’s career hit total, retiring just 15 hits away from the all time record. Had he played just a bit longer, it would have been his record that Ty Cobb would have broken in 1923.
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One of the greatest players of all time, Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Honus Wagner became the second person to reach the 3000 hit mark. While he was celebrated on this day in 1914, that date has become questionable over time.