Pie Traynor
From BR Bullpen
Harold Joseph Traynor
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 0", Weight 170 lb.
- Debut September 15, 1920
- Final Game August 14, 1937
- Born November 11, 1899 in Framingham, MA USA
- Died March 16, 1972 in Pittsburgh, PA USA
Inducted into Hall of Fame in 1948
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[edit] Biographical Information
"Among those who saw him play, McGraw, Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby and Paul Waner all stated that Traynor was the best third baseman of all time." - from The Pittsburgh Pirates Encyclopedia
Pie Traynor was widely considered the top third baseman in the history of baseball prior to the time when Eddie Mathews became a star. When he was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1948, he beat out Al Simmons, Charlie Gehringer, Jimmie Foxx, and over 25 other candidates who were later elected to the Hall.
There is a tendency among baseball fans to discount Traynor's accomplishments, because he had been over-rated for so long, but it is without doubt that he was one of the few top hitters and fielders as a third baseman in the majors from 1876-1950.
He was apparently called "Pie" due to his love of pies as a kid. He had a variety of jobs as a child, since the family had seven children and could use the money. His most interesting job was as a railroad car checker - he checked cars that were loaded with explosives. He tried to enlist in the US Army in 1917, but was turned down. He also tried to enlist in 1942, but was again turned down.
Prior to reaching the majors, he played in the Cape League in 1919 and the Virginia League in 1920. In the majors, he had a lifetime batting average of .320, achieved entirely in the National League, which was considered a tougher league to hit in than the American League of the time. Although only a two-time All-Star, he was in the top ten in MVP voting six times. While he rarely led the league in any offensive category (he won the triples title in 1923), his .320 career batting average is # 55 of all time, his 164 triples are # 30 of all time and his 1273 RBI are # 100 of all time (as of 2005). He played all of his career in Forbes Field, where homers were tough to hit but doubles and triples were easier.
All this was accomplished as a good-fielding third baseman - it was practically unheard of at the time for a third baseman to be a hitting star. Third base was the defensive position prior to the 1930s while second base was the hitting position. The emergence of the double play and the relative decline of bunting as a strategy caused the two to switch later on. What stars there were, such as Stan Hack, and Willie Kamm, typically got little respect for their efforts.
Traynor's 1923 season was the last 200-hit season by a Pirates infielder until Freddy Sanchez in 2006.
Traynor managed the Pirates for six years, finishing as high as second in the league in 1938, when Lee Handley played third base for his team. He then was a scout for the Pirates from 1940 until his death. He was an announcer for much of the 1950s and 1960s - first for baseball, but then for pro wrestling. He never learned to drive, and loved to walk everywhere. Once in New York City to do some reporting about the World Series, he walked 127 blocks from his hotel to the stadium.
He died of emphysema due to smoking, but after being diagnosed continued to live his life normally.
Traynor will be the subject of a biography to be published by McFarland & Company in the spring/summer of 2010
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 2-time NL All-Star (1933 & 1934)
- NL Triples Leader (1923)
- 100 RBI Seasons: 7 (1923, 1925 & 1927-1931)
- 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 2 (1923 & 1925)
- 200 Hits Seasons: 1 (1923)
- Won a World Series with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1925
- Baseball Hall of Fame: Class of 1948
| Preceded by George Gibson | Pittsburgh Pirates Manager 1934-1939 | Succeeded by Frankie Frisch |
[edit] Year-By-Year Managerial Record
| Year | Team | League | Record | Finish | Organization | Playoffs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 | Pittsburgh Pirates | National League | 47-52 | 5th | Pittsburgh Pirates | replaced George Gibson (27-24) on June 19 | |
| 1935 | Pittsburgh Pirates | National League | 86-67 | 4th | Pittsburgh Pirates | ||
| 1936 | Pittsburgh Pirates | National League | 84-70 | 4th | Pittsburgh Pirates | ||
| 1937 | Pittsburgh Pirates | National League | 86-68 | 3rd | Pittsburgh Pirates | ||
| 1938 | Pittsburgh Pirates | National League | 86-64 | 2nd | Pittsburgh Pirates | ||
| 1939 | Pittsburgh Pirates | National League | 68-85 | 6th | Pittsburgh Pirates |
