Lloyd Waner
Encyclopedia
Lloyd James Waner nicknamed "Little Poison", was a Major League Baseball
center fielder
. His small stature at 5'9" and 132 lb (68 kg) made him one of the smallest players of his era. Along with his brother, Paul Waner
, he anchored the Pittsburgh Pirates
outfield throughout the 1920s and 1930s. He was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame
in 1967.
and grew up on a farm with his older brother, Paul. The two worked from dawn to dusk every day, and baseball was their only form of entertainment. Influenced by their father, who was a minor league player in Oklahoma City, Paul and Lloyd's love and natural talent for the game developed over the years. The Waners learned to hit against corncobs and cut down saplings in the woods to use as bats.
Lloyd graduated from McLoud High School
and attended three semesters at East Central State University in Ada before going into professional baseball.
, but he hit poorly. The next season, however, he batted .345 in the Class B South Atlantic League
. He also won the league's most valuable player
award. He was offered a tryout for the Pirates at the urging of his brother, who by then was already a star player.
Waner broke into the majors with the Pirates in 1927 and quickly built his reputation as a slap hitter with an astute sense of plate discipline. In his rookie campaign, he batted .355 with 223 hits while only striking out 23 times (the highest strikeout total of his career). As the leadoff hitter of the powerful Pittsburgh offense, he led the National League
with 133 runs scored. The runs scored mark set an MLB rookie record.
The Pirates won the 1927 NL pennant; Lloyd then batted .400 in his first and only World Series
, but the New York Yankees
won in four games. He continued to bat well early in his career. Coming off a .353 season, he missed most of 1930 due to appendicitis
but returned with a vengeance in 1931, leading the NL with 214 hits and 681 at-bats while hitting .314.
Waner was also an accomplished center fielder. He led the league in putouts four times, using his excellent speed to cover the spacious Forbes Field
outfield.
Waner played for the Pirates until the beginning of the 1941 season. In the preceding years, he batted .300 or higher ten times, finished in the top ten in MVP voting
twice (1927 and 1929), and was an All-Star once (1938).
After splitting time in the early 1940s with the Boston Braves
, Cincinnati Reds
, Philadelphia Phillies
, and Brooklyn Dodgers, Waner returned to Pittsburgh, where he finished his career in 1945. He compiled a career .316 batting average.
He (2,459) and his older brother Paul (3,152) hold the career record for hits by brothers (5,611), outpacing the three Alou brothers and the three DiMaggio brothers, among others. For most of the period from 1927 to 1940, Paul patrolled right field at Forbes Field while Lloyd covered the ground next to him in center. Paul was known as "Big Poison" and Lloyd as "Little Poison." They got their nicknames from a Brooklyn Dodgers
fan's pronunciation of "Big Person" and "Little Person," which was then picked up by a sportswriter in the stands. In 1927, the season the brothers accumulated 460 hits, the fan is said to have remarked, "Them Waners! It's always the little poison on thoid (third) and the big poison on foist (first)!"
.
He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame
in 1967. Sabermetrician
Bill James
has listed Waner as one of ten examples of Hall of Fame inductees who do not deserve the honor. Possible reasons for his selection include his brother being a fellow inductee and the inflated batting averages of his era, which also helped many other 1920s and 30s players in the eyes of the Hall of Fame Veterans Committee
.
In 1982, Waner died of complications related to emphysema
. He was survived by his wife Frances and his two children.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
center fielder
Center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...
. His small stature at 5'9" and 132 lb (68 kg) made him one of the smallest players of his era. Along with his brother, Paul Waner
Paul Waner
Paul Glee Waner , nicknamed "Big Poison", was a German-American Major League Baseball right fielder.-Pittsburgh Pirates:...
, he anchored the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
outfield throughout the 1920s and 1930s. He was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
in 1967.
Early life
Lloyd Waner was born on March 16, 1906 in Harrah, OklahomaHarrah, Oklahoma
Harrah is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. Located east of downtown Oklahoma City, Harrah had a population of 5,148 people as of 2009.-Geography:...
and grew up on a farm with his older brother, Paul. The two worked from dawn to dusk every day, and baseball was their only form of entertainment. Influenced by their father, who was a minor league player in Oklahoma City, Paul and Lloyd's love and natural talent for the game developed over the years. The Waners learned to hit against corncobs and cut down saplings in the woods to use as bats.
Lloyd graduated from McLoud High School
McLoud High School
McLoud High School is a public secondary school located in Pottawatomie County in the town of McLoud, Oklahoma. It instructs grades 9-12. It is a part of the McLoud Public School District, which also includes McLoud Elementary School and McLoud Junior High....
and attended three semesters at East Central State University in Ada before going into professional baseball.
Professional career
Waner started his professional baseball career in 1925 with the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast LeaguePacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
, but he hit poorly. The next season, however, he batted .345 in the Class B South Atlantic League
Southern League (baseball)
The Southern League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the Southern United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The original league was formed in , and shut down in . A new league, the Southern Association, was formed in , consisting of twelve teams...
. He also won the league's most valuable player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
award. He was offered a tryout for the Pirates at the urging of his brother, who by then was already a star player.
Waner broke into the majors with the Pirates in 1927 and quickly built his reputation as a slap hitter with an astute sense of plate discipline. In his rookie campaign, he batted .355 with 223 hits while only striking out 23 times (the highest strikeout total of his career). As the leadoff hitter of the powerful Pittsburgh offense, he led the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
with 133 runs scored. The runs scored mark set an MLB rookie record.
The Pirates won the 1927 NL pennant; Lloyd then batted .400 in his first and only World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
, but the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
won in four games. He continued to bat well early in his career. Coming off a .353 season, he missed most of 1930 due to appendicitis
Appendicitis
Appendicitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the appendix. It is classified as a medical emergency and many cases require removal of the inflamed appendix, either by laparotomy or laparoscopy. Untreated, mortality is high, mainly because of the risk of rupture leading to...
but returned with a vengeance in 1931, leading the NL with 214 hits and 681 at-bats while hitting .314.
Waner was also an accomplished center fielder. He led the league in putouts four times, using his excellent speed to cover the spacious Forbes Field
Forbes Field
Forbes Field was a baseball park in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1909 to 1971. It was the third home of the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball team, and the first home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's National Football League franchise...
outfield.
Waner played for the Pirates until the beginning of the 1941 season. In the preceding years, he batted .300 or higher ten times, finished in the top ten in MVP voting
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
twice (1927 and 1929), and was an All-Star once (1938).
After splitting time in the early 1940s with the Boston Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
, Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
, Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, and Brooklyn Dodgers, Waner returned to Pittsburgh, where he finished his career in 1945. He compiled a career .316 batting average.
He (2,459) and his older brother Paul (3,152) hold the career record for hits by brothers (5,611), outpacing the three Alou brothers and the three DiMaggio brothers, among others. For most of the period from 1927 to 1940, Paul patrolled right field at Forbes Field while Lloyd covered the ground next to him in center. Paul was known as "Big Poison" and Lloyd as "Little Poison." They got their nicknames from a Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
fan's pronunciation of "Big Person" and "Little Person," which was then picked up by a sportswriter in the stands. In 1927, the season the brothers accumulated 460 hits, the fan is said to have remarked, "Them Waners! It's always the little poison on thoid (third) and the big poison on foist (first)!"
Later life
After retiring as a player, Waner was a scout for Pittsburgh and for the Baltimore OriolesBaltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
.
He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
in 1967. Sabermetrician
Sabermetrics
Sabermetrics is the specialized analysis of baseball through objective, empirical evidence, specifically baseball statistics that measure in-game activity. The term is derived from the acronym SABR, which stands for the Society for American Baseball Research...
Bill James
Bill James
George William “Bill” James is a baseball writer, historian, and statistician whose work has been widely influential. Since 1977, James has written more than two dozen books devoted to baseball history and statistics...
has listed Waner as one of ten examples of Hall of Fame inductees who do not deserve the honor. Possible reasons for his selection include his brother being a fellow inductee and the inflated batting averages of his era, which also helped many other 1920s and 30s players in the eyes of the Hall of Fame Veterans Committee
Veterans Committee
The Veterans Committee is the popular name of the National Baseball Hall of Fame Committee to Consider Managers, Umpires, Executives and Long-Retired Players, a committee of the U.S...
.
In 1982, Waner died of complications related to emphysema
Emphysema
Emphysema is a long-term, progressive disease of the lungs that primarily causes shortness of breath. In people with emphysema, the tissues necessary to support the physical shape and function of the lungs are destroyed. It is included in a group of diseases called chronic obstructive pulmonary...
. He was survived by his wife Frances and his two children.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball players with 2000 hits
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
- List of Major League Baseball players with 100 triples
- List of Major League Baseball players with 20 triples
- List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions
- List of Major League Baseball triples champions
External links
- Obituary at The Deadball Era