- Series: Diamond Heads '15
- City: Philadelphia
- Team: Phillies
- League: National League
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
Grover Cleveland Alexander (1887-1950) earned his plaque in the Hall of Fame on the strength of his strong right arm & an indomitable spirit. The battered WWI vet fought German mustard gas, epilepsy-inducing artillery, PTSD-induced alcoholism and opposing hitters, all with honor and distinction. It is impossible to know the record he would have achieved but for the interruption of war.
- Led the NL in ERA 1915, ‘16, ‘17, ‘19, and ‘20. Led GIs into battle in ‘18
- Said of his induction into the HOF: “the greatest treat and one of the biggest thrills” of his life
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 1938
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: Chicago
- Team: Cubs
- League: National League
Henry Zimmerman (1887-1969) found it tough to break into the Tinker/Evers/Chance infield in Chicago, but once Johnny Evers went out with an injury in 1910, Zimmerman’s bat proved too valuable to deny. Another loss at third in 1912 opened further opportunities for the talented New Yorker. Recent research supports the restoration of Heinie’s career-year Triple Crown, long withheld due to the era’s dodgy stats for RBI, coupled with an even dodgier reputation for a player eventually banned from the game on testimony of John McGraw. Always a lightning rod, The Great Zimbasked in celebrity and lived large. Parlaying the “strongest pair of hands and arms…ever seen on a human being” he swung with blithe disregard for the strike zone. Leaving the Cubs for his hometown Giants in 1916 proved fateful. Branded the goat of the ‘17 Series, Zim never overcame suspicions of shady dealings, resulting in a 1921 banishment by Judge Landis.
- Career .295 average, with 58 HRs and 796 RBI
- Played for the last Cub championship in 1908 and three other pennant-winners
- For decades Honus Wagner’s 102 RBI had been deemed to exceed Heinie’s 99 until SABR’s exhaustive study validated 104
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T201 Mecca Canvas: Nap Rucker
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: New York
- Team: Giants
- League: National League
George Leroy Wiltse (1879-1959) played for McGraw’s Giants for 11 years (1904-14.) His tandem with Mathewson produced 435 wins, one of the best left/right duos in history. His nickname may not have come from his wicked curve but from his tenacity with the glove. Set a rookie record winning his 1st 12 starts.
- Wiltse was McGraw’s only lefty until Rube Marquard joined the rotation in 1909
- To his lasting chagrin, Wiltse was the 1st base coach when Fred Merkle missed 2nd base
- On May 15, 1906 struck out 7 batters in two innings after Bresnahan dropped strike 3
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T201 Mecca Canvas: Wiltse Hooks
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: Brooklyn
- Team: Superbas
- League: National League
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
Zachariah Davis Wheat (1888-1972) starred in left field for the Brooklyn Superbas/Robins/Dodgers and still holds team bests in hits, doubles, triples, RBI and total bases. Wheat defied the Deadball trend of choking up on the bat, swinging away with a “smashing swipe” according to one reporter. Yet, his stylish fielding drew the most praise (“the finest craftsman of them all.”)
- 5 of his 9 HRs in 1914 were over the fence, rare in that era
- Again defying tradition, used a light (40oz) bat and a wrist-snap unheard of then
- Survived long enough to see the lively ball, hitting .357 at age 37
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 1959
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T201 Mecca Canvas: Zack Wheat
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: Pittsburgh
- Team: Pirates
- League: National League
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
Johannes Peter Wagner (1874-1955) was, simply, the greatest shortstop who ever played the game. The Pittsburgh icon was among the first five selections to Cooperstown in 1936 in recognition of overall prowess afield, at bat and on base unparalleled in baseball. Even his closest rival for “All-Time Best” honors, Ty Cobb, said Honus was “maybe the greatest star ever to take the diamond.” Badgered mercilessly by ‘Nuf Ced’ McGreevy’s Royal Rooters in the ’07 Series with Boston, Wagner was deeply wounded by his mediocre performance. He achieved some vindication 2 years later, leading the Pirates over Cobb’s Tigers.
- Space doesn’t allow a fair summary of Wagner’s hitting records. A marvel at the plate.
- Was a Pirates’ coach for 39 years, mentoring several future Hall of Famers
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 1936
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T201 Mecca Canvas: Charles Starr
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