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NO STAT IS SAFE. NO ERA IS FORGOTTEN.
VOL. 1, NO. 3 · MARCH 16, 2026 · EVERY MONDAY
ISSUE #003 · DEAD BALL
Honus Wagner — Greatest
Shortstop Who Ever Lived
On September 2, 1906, Honus Wagner stole his 35th base of the season — one of 723 he'd steal in his
📅 THIS DATE IN
BASEBALL career.
THE STAT THAT SHOULDN'T EXIST 01
HE PLAYED SHORTSTOP LIKE NOBODY ELSE — AND HIT LIKE NOBODY SINCE.
8 Batting Titles. .328 Career BA. The Greatest
Shortstop Argument Isn't Close.
.328 .310 .276
HONUS WAGNER DEREK JETER CAL RIPKEN JR.
.262 .295 .271
OZZIE SMITH A-ROD LINDOR
Wagner won 8 NL batting titles between 1900 and 1911. His .328 career BA is the highest ever by a
shortstop. He hit .300+ in 17 consecutive seasons. Bowlegged, thick, and looked nothing like an athlete —
and he's the consensus GOAT shortstop.
THE GAME YOU FORGOT 02
VS Detroit Tigers OCTOBER 16, 1909
8
.333 6 7 W (Series 4-3)
HITS BA SB RBI RESULT
1909 World Series
WAGNER VS TY COBB — THE FIRST GREAT WORLD SERIES MATCHUP
The 1909 World Series pitted Wagner against Ty Cobb — the two greatest hitters of the dead ball era.
Wagner outhit Cobb (.333 to .231), stole 6 bases to Cobb's 2, and Pittsburgh won in 7 games. Wagner was
35 years old and played the series of his life. Cobb was 22 and was outplayed by a man 13 years older.
ERA VS ERA 03
Greatest Shortstop — Wagner vs Jeter?
HONUS WAGNER · 1897–1917 DEREK JETER · 1995–2014
CAREER WAR CAREER WAR
BATTING TITLES VS BATTING TITLES
OPS+ OPS+
Wagner's WAR of 130.8 is nearly double Jeter's. He was a better hitter, baserunner, and arguably better
defender. The only reason it's debated is that Wagner played 120 years ago.
Greatest shortstop ever?
HONUS WAGNER DEREK JETER CAL RIPKEN JR. A-ROD
THE COLDEST MOMENT 04
THE T206 CARD
His Baseball Card Is Worth $7.25 Million. He Made
Them Pull It.
The T206 Honus Wagner is the most valuable baseball card in history — $7.25M in 2022.
Wagner demanded the American Tobacco Company stop production because he wasn't
compensated. Most copies were destroyed. The scarcity created the legend. Wagner never saw
a dollar.
I won't play for any team that uses my picture to sell cigarettes.
— HONUS WAGNER, REPORTEDLY
THE STAT VAULT 05
CAREER WAR CONSECUTIVE .300+ SEASONS
Top 10 all-time. Jeter's is 72.4 — Wagner 1897–1913. Only went below .300 twice in
was nearly twice as valuable. his career.
NL BATTING TITLES CAREER STOLEN BASES
Won across 11 years — sustained Bowlegged, barrel-chested, stole 722
dominance, not a flash. bases.
1936 HOF INDUCTION
One of the original five: Ruth, Cobb, Johnson, Mathewson, Wagner.
THE FORGOTTEN MAN 06
OVERLOOKED · UNDERRATED · DESERVES MORE
Fred Clarke
PITTSBURGH PIRATES · 1894–1915
HOF · .312 CAREER BA · PLAYER-MANAGER
Managed Wagner For 15 Years. Won A World Series. Nobody Knows His Name.
Fred Clarke managed and played alongside Wagner for 15 years. He hit .312 lifetime while managing from the
dugout and field simultaneously. He won the 1909 World Series with Wagner. He's in the Hall of Fame and
discussed approximately never.
THE CONNECTION:
Clarke built the teams that made Wagner famous. Wagner hit .328. Clarke hit .312 while also
managing. The manager got none of the credit.
COMING NEXT MONDAY
Next Monday: Shoeless Joe Jackson hit .356 for his career — third all-time — and was banned at 31.
Who's Your Forgotten Man?
Reply with a player from any era who deserves more credit. Best answer gets featured next Monday.
All Eras. All Stats. No Debate.
Every Monday. No exceptions.