This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/27/2017
Before the days of Babe Ruth, the title of “Best Player in Baseball” was contested between Ty Cobb of the American League Detroit Tigers and Honus Wagner of the Senior Circuit Pittsburgh Pirates. In 1909, Wagner and Cobb faced off in one of the most thrilling World Series of the deadball era, a seven game series in which no team won two consecutive games. Wagner, who hit .333 with six RBI in the series, led the Pirates to their first World Series championship. Cobb hit a paltry .231 in the Fall Classic, proving, at least temporarily, who was the superior player.
Wagner, a native son of the Steel City, was a peculiarly built fellow at nearly six feet tall and 200 pounds. His hands, the size of his era’s gloves, made him one of the most sure handed shortstops of his time, while his powerfully muscled upper body made him a feared slugger. Honus ruled the National League as its resident hit machine for 21 seasons, winning eight batting titles while cultivating a career batting average of .328. At the time of his retirement, in 1917, Wagner led the National League in career games, extra base hits, and stolen bases, while trailing only the legendary Cap Anson in hits and RBI. His legacy assured, Wagner was a part of the maiden class of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936. Inducted alongside Babe Ruth, Walter Johnson, Ty Cobb, and Christy Mathewson, Wagner took his place in the pantheon of baseball’s greatest players.
Wagner’s association with the Pirates did not end after his playing days concluded. In the early 1930s, he joined the coaching staff as a hitting coach, instructing players like Arky Vaughan, the Waner Bros., and Ralph Kiner in the finer points of Major League batting. Wagner remained with the Pirates until 1952 as one of the most beloved employees in the organization and a titanic figure in the baseball-crazy city of Pittsburgh. In 1955, a massive statue of the Hall of Famer was erected at Forbes Field, the first concrete and steel ballpark ever built and Wagner’s home field for many seasons. After the Pirates subsequent relocations, the statue today is located on the North Shore of Pittsburgh outside of PNC Park, a site of pilgrimage for Pittsburgh fans of all ages.
This two page contract is Wagner’s agreement to renew his position as a coach for the 1950 MLB season. The “Pittsburgh Athletic Company, Inc.” offered “John H. Wagner” of Carnegie, Pennsylvania, $5,000 for his services, a sum equal to his salary from 1903 to 1907. While the Pirates finished eighth in the National League in 1950, it was not for a lack of hitting. Star man Ralph Kiner clubbed 47 home runs and 118 RBI, while no pitcher on the Pirates staff recorded an ERA under the 4.30 mark. Wagner signed the second page of this deal in bold black pen, writing his name as “John H. Wagner”. Above his signature, General Manager Roy Hamey penned his signature in black pen as “H Roy Hamey”. The contract was signed on January 18th, 1950, while the facsimile signature of Ford C. Frick was stamped on the back of the page on January 25th. This item comes with a full LOA from JSA (Z56892).