Wagner, John

Wagner, (John Peter) “Honus”

(1874–1955) baseball player; born in Carnegie, Pa. During his 21-year career as an infielder (1897–1917), mostly with the Pittsburgh Pirates, he was widely considered the greatest all-around player to have ever played the game and he is still regarded as one of the greatest shortstops. An outstanding right-handed hitter with exceptional speed, he holds the National League record for most consecutive seasons batting .300 or more (17). After his retirement, he served as coach for the Pirates for 19 years (1933–51). Nicknamed "the Flying Dutchman," he was elected to baseball's Hall of Fame in 1936.