- Series: Pilgrims
- City: St. Louis
- Team: Browns (AL)
- League: American League
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
Rhoderick John Wallace (1873-1960) had a Hall of Fame career as a premier shortstop for 24 years before going on to one of the longest tenures in MLB as coach, manager, scout & even a short stint as an umpire. Playing primarily in St. Louis for the Cardinals & Browns, Wallace set records, including a mournful one: longest career by a player to never make the World Series.
- Too good a fielder to stay on the mound, became the premier defensive SS of his era
- In 1911, Pirates’ owner declared Wallace the one player in the AL he desired above all others
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 1953
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T201 Mecca Canvas: Bobby Wallace
- 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
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: Cleveland
- Team: Naps
- League: American League
Terrance Lamont Turner (1881-1960) holds the record for games played for the Cleveland Indian franchise. He played short and 3rd for the Naps/Indians for 15 of his 17 yr career. He was an intrepid base-stealer, pioneering the head-first slide to protect painful ankles. His team record for SBs stood until 1996.
- Also holds Cleveland team record for most put-outs with 4,603
- Broke up 3 no-hitters and Chief Bender’s near perfect game with a 4th inning walk
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T201 Mecca Canvas: Terry Turner
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: Chicago
- Team: Cubs
- League: National League
- Hall: National Baseball Hall of Fame
Joseph Bert Tinker (1880-1948) sparkled at short, helping the Cubs to 4 pennants and 2 Series wins. He and fellow rookie Johnny Evers turned their first double-play to Frank Chance on Sep 13, 1902. A fight over a cab ride left Tinker and Evers estranged for years, but didn’t prevent them from playing 2nd “like one man, not two.” Tinker was widely held to be second only to Honus Wagner at SS, leading the league in many fielding categories. As skilled as he was afield, Tinker was also one of the great clutch hitters. Christy Mathewson deemed him the NL player he least wanted to see.
- On June 28, 1910 Tinker became one of a handful to steal home twice in a game
- Asked to leave the Cubs when Evers was made manager in 1913 but filled that role himself after a hiatus with the Federal League
- Elected to Hall of Fame: 1946
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T201 Mecca Canvas: Frederick Payne
- Series: Pilgrims
- City: Washington, D.C.
- Team: Senators
- League: American League
George Florian McBride (1880-1973) became a regular SS for the Senators in 1908. A modest hitter but a wonder with the glove, McBride led the AL in fielding % 4 straight years. Nicknamed “Pinch” for his ability to hit in the clutch. Among long-time players, McBride ranks last in BA at .218 for those with more than 5000 ABs.
- Succeeded Clark Griffith as mgr in ’21, but an injury forced him to retire the next year
- Returned for 2 yrs with Cobb’s Tigers in 1925-6, serving as his “first lieutenant”
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T201 Mecca Canvas: George McBride
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