Lloyd Waner
From BR Bullpen
Lloyd James Waner (Little Poison)
- Bats Left, Throws Right
- Height 5' 9", Weight 150 lb.
- School East Central University
- Debut April 12, 1927
- Final Game September 16, 1945
- Born March 16, 1906 in Harrah, OK USA
- Died July 22, 1982 in Oklahoma City, OK USA
Inducted into Hall of Fame in 1967
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[edit] Biographical Information
"He is a better player than me and can spot me 25 feet and then beat me in a sprint. A batter's got to knock a fly over the fence to keep him from reaching it, and he doesn't miss 'em either." — Paul Waner
Outfielder Lloyd Waner got 2,459 hits in eighteen seasons in the majors and, along with his brother Paul Waner, is a member of the Hall of Fame.
Waner began his pro career as a teammate of his brother's on the San Francisco Seals in 1925, hitting .250 in 31 games. After 6 games with the Seals the next year, he asked for his release and was subsequently signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates. He reached the majors with the Pirates in 1927, joining his brother in the club's outfield, and hit .355. He led the National League with 133 runs scored and was sixth in MVP voting (as Paul won the award). In that year's World Series, he hit .400 against the immortal 1927 New York Yankees.
In 1928, Waner hit .335 and finished fifth in MVP voting. He paced the NL with 20 triples in 1929 and led the circuit with 214 hits two years later. During his career, he also was the league leader in singles four times (although that is not a traditional hitting category).
During his career, Waner was known for his good eye at the plate. He led the league five times in most at-bats per strikeout. Only twice in the majors did he strike out more than 15 times in a season, and in 1933, he fanned just 8 times in 500 at bats. He was also considered an excellent defensive centerfielder.
Waner was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1967. His highest vote count in BBWAA voting had been in 1962, when he got 23% of the vote, less than Mel Harder, Johnny Vander Meer, or Marty Marion, but more than Phil Rizzuto, George Kell, or several other players who eventually got into the Hall. His election has not been a popular one among sabermetricians, since he has few of the typical indicia of a typical Hall of Famer except for his .316 batting average which was, however, earned in a lively ball era. His selection probably rests on the fact that he and his brother Paul, whose election has not been controversial, were linked in the minds of many fans. They played in the same outfield for 14 years, and had the nicknames "Big Poison" (for Paul) and "Little Poison" (for Lloyd).
[edit] Notable Achievements
- NL All-Star (1938)
- 3-time NL At Bats Leader (1928, 1929 & 1931)
- NL Runs Scored Leader (1927)
- NL Hits Leader (1931)
- 4-time NL Singles Leader (1927-1929 & 1931)
- NL Triples Leader (1929)
- 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 3 (1927-1929)
- 200 Hits Seasons: 4 (1927-1929 & 1931)
- Baseball Hall of Fame: Class of 1967
[edit] Records Held
- Runs Scored, rookie, season (since 1900), 133, 1927
- Singles, rookie, season, 198, 1927
