Chicago Cubs Great Hack Wilson

The video is of the seven greatest offensive seasons in baseball history. Hack Wilson is the first of the seven.

Hack Wilson was a hard drinking, hard hitting outfielder, quick with his fists,  that made for one the most colorful players of his day. At only 5-6, he would display power not seen in the National League at that time.  Wilson broke in the major leagues in 1923 with the New York Giants. In his official rookie season of 1924, the Giants would win the pennant, but Wilson struggled in the World Series hitting only .233. In May of 1925, Wilson was slumping so badly he lost his job in left field. His slump continued most of the season, and was sent to the minor league Toledo Mud Hens of the American Association.

The Chicago Cubs wallowing in last place would claim Hack Wilson that winter on waivers when the Giants failed to protect him. The Giants right-fielder Ross Youngs at the time offered the prophetic words "They let go the best outfielder I ever played beside, and they're going to regret."

Getting claimed on waivers by the Cubs Wilson would win the center field job, and is his first season on the north side of Chicago, he hit a league leading 21 home runs with 109 RBI. The Cubs went from last to fourth place finishing 10 games over .500.  Over the next three seasons he would hit 30 or more home runs including leading the league in 1927-1928.  The 39 home runs he hit in 1929 would help lead the Cubs to the National League pennant.  In 1930, Wilson would have an offensive season for the ages. He would hit 56 home runs, a first in the National League with a major league baseball record of 191 RBI. The RBI record is believed by many to be a record that will never be broken. He finished the season with a slash line  of .356/.454/.723. 

After the great season of 1930, Wilson's drinking became very heavy. He reported for spring training in 1931 twenty pounds overweight.  He went into a long slump during the season, and the last straw for the Cubs came when he got into a fight with reports on a train in Cincinnati. He was suspended by the Cubs for the rest of the season. He had hit only .261 with 13 home runs. In December the Cubs shipped the troubled outfielder to the St. Louis Cardinals. They in turn traded him the Brooklyn Dodgers. 

He bounced back in Brooklyn during the 1932 season hitting 23 home runs with 123 RBI. His career like his drinking was spiraling out of control. He would retire from baseball in 1935. Wilson died broke in 1948, National League President Ford Frick paid for the funeral when Wilson's wouldn't claim the body.  Wilson would be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979 by the veterans committee. 

In his final interview with CBS Radio Wilson left us with these words of advice: "Talent isn't enough. You need common sense and good advice. If anyone tries to tell you different, tell them the story of Hack Wilson. ... Kids in and out of baseball who think because they have talent they have the world by the tail. It isn't so. Kids, don't be too big to accept advice. Don't let what happened to me happen to you."

Remembering Gil Hodges

It is a mystery to many why Gil Hodges isn't in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Hodges was key member of the great Brooklyn Dodger teams of the late 1940's and 1950's. He hit 20 or more home runs in 11 consecutive seasons for the Dodgers, including six seasons of 30 or more home runs.

Hodges made his Major League debut at 19 in 1943, but he would miss the 1944-1945 due to military service in World War II, and didn't make it back to Brooklyn until 1947. 1949 was his break out season, when Hodges hit 23 home runs and knocked in 115 runs.  His slash line was .285/.360/.453.  He would drive in over 100 runs in seven consecutive seasons.  He wasn't just a slugger, but also considered to be one of the best defensive first basemen in the game during his career. 1957-1959, he was award the Gold Glove. On August 31, 1950, he would hit four home runs in one game against the Boston Braves. He would play his last two seasons with the hapless New York Mets. After his playing career was over he managed the Washington Senators and New York Mets. He died while playing golf at the age of 47 on April 2, 1972.

Hodges was an eight-time all-star, he part of two World Series champions. The 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers, and the 1959 Los Angeles Dodgers. In 1969, he would manage the Amazing Mets to the World Series championship. During his career he hit 370 home runs with 1,274 RBI. His #14 has been retired by the New York Mets, and he is a member of the New York Mets Hall of Fame.

Joe Glasgow is a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com, and is the author of the book Play Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h

Bobby Thomson's Shot Heard Round The World

Bobby Thomson will be remembered forever by baseball for this pennant winning three-run home run of Ralph Branca of the Brooklyn Dodgers to give the New York Giants the National League pennant.  The Giants would go on to lose the World Series to the New York Yankees four games to two. The Giants had trailed the Dodgers by 13 1/2 games in mid-August before they made a miracle run to the pennant. The home run would vault the outfielder into a stardom, but would cast a shadow over the rest of his accomplishments in an outstanding Major League career.

Thomson was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and was raised in Staten Island, NY after his family immigrated to the United States. He was signed by the Giants out of high school for only $100.  He served in the Army Air Corps during World War II but spent no time overseas. At the age of 22, he made a brief appearance with the Giants in 1946. In his official rookie season he would hit 23 home runs with 85 RBI. He would be a starter in the Giants outfield for the next seven seasons.  In six of those seven seasons he would hit 20 or more home runs, and in four of the seasons he would drive in more than 100 runs. 

After the end of the 1953 season the Giants traded their 3-times all-star outfielder to the Milwaukee Braves.  In his first season with the Braves, he broke his ankle in spring training. It paved the way for another historically famous outfielder to break into the Braves line up. A kid named "Hank Aaron." Thomson's season never really got going , and he slumped to .232 batting average. His time in Milwaukee was marginal by his career standards. He hitting a modest .257 in 1955, and .235 in 1956. He was shipped by the Braves back to the Giants for the finish of the 57' season.  

After the 1957 season, Thomason was traded by the Giants to the Chicago Cubs. Thomson looked more like his old self with the Cubs in 1958. He his 21 home runs with 82 RBI, and a slash line of .283/.351.466. His numbers would fall dramatically the next season. Thomson would go on to play for the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles in the American League to close out his career.

He hit 264 career home runs in his career, and knocked in 1, 026 runs, but he will always be remembered for the three-run homer off Ralph Branca that gave the New York Giants the 1951 National League title.

Joe Glasgow is a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com, and is the author of the book Play Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h

Cherokee Nation's Ben Tincup

Image courtesy of http://www.baseball-birthdays.com/

May 22, 1914. Right-hander Ben Tincup made his debut for the Philadelphia Phillies becoming the first member of the Cherokee Nation to Major League Baseball. Tincup would have his career interrupted by his service in World War I. He pitched briefly for the Chicago Cubs in 1928. He had a won-loss record of 8-11 with an ERA of 3.10 during his career.

After his active career was over Tincup was a minor league umpire, and manager.  He would serve in the major leagues as a coach with the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Yankees, he also scouted for the Boston Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, and Pittsburgh Pirates. Tincup died July 5, 1980 at 87 years of age.

Joe Glasgow is a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com, and is the author of the book Play Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h

Duke Snider Hits Three-Run Walk off Home Run

At 36, Duke Snider played his lone season for the New York Mets, where he hit this three-run home run that was a walk off shot against the St. Louis Cardinals. Snider was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1980, played the majority of his career with the Dodgers in Brooklyn. He hit 407 career home runs with 1333 RBI, with a career slash line of .295/.380/.540 (batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage). Snider known also as the Duke of Flatbush was an eight time all-star.