MVP Profile: Paul Waner, 1927

Outfielder, Pittsburgh Pirates

Age:  24 (April 16)

2^nd season with Pirates

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 5’8”    Weight: 153

Prior to 1927:

An Oklahoma native, Waner graduated from Central High School in Oklahoma City and moved on to East Central State Teachers College (now East Central University) where he pitched for the baseball team. He produced a 23-4 record with a 1.70 ERA in 1922, after which he signed a contract with Joplin of the Class A Western League. Choosing to finish his college studies, he never played for Joplin, and his contract was sold to the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League in 1923. Still a pitching prospect, Waner developed a sore arm and was shifted to the outfield. A fine line-drive hitter, he batted .369 in 112 games. Still with the Seals in 1924 he hit .356 with 46 doubles, 5 triples, and 8 home runs. Joined on the Seals by his younger brother Lloyd in 1925, Waner batted .401 with 280 hits that included 75 doubles, 7 triples, and 11 home runs. Purchased by the Pirates, the physically unimposing Waner had an excellent rookie season in 1926 in which he batted .336 with 35 doubles, a NL-leading 22 triples, 8 home runs, and 79 RBIs. He was joined on the Pirates by brother Lloyd in 1927. 

1927 Season Summary

Appeared in 155 games

RF – 143, 1B – 14

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 709 [1]

At Bats – 623 [3]

Runs – 114 [4]

Hits – 237 [1]

Doubles – 42 [2]

Triples – 18 [1]

Home Runs – 9 [15, tied with four others]

RBI – 131 [1]

Bases on Balls – 60 [10]

Int. BB – N/A

Strikeouts – 14

Stolen Bases – 5

Caught Stealing – N/A

Average - .380 [1]

OBP - .437 [2]

Slugging Pct. - .549 [3]

Total Bases – 342 [1]

GDP – N/A

Hit by Pitches – 3 [20, tied with nine others]

Sac Hits – 23 [11, tied with George Grantham, Joe Harris & Woody English]

Sac Flies – N/A

League-leading plate appearances were +4 ahead of runner-up Sparky Adams

League-leading hits were +14 ahead of runner-up Lloyd Waner

League-leading triples were +3 ahead of runner-up Jim Bottomley

League-leading RBIs were +2 ahead of runner-up Hack Wilson

League-leading batting average was +.019 ahead of runner-up Rogers Hornsby

League-leading total bases were +9 ahead of runner-up Rogers Hornsby

Midseason snapshot: 3B – 14, HR – 5, RBI - 79, AVG - .385, SLG – .612

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Most hits, game – 4 on five occasions

Longest hitting streak – 23 games

HR at home – 6

HR on road – 3

Most home runs, game – 1 on nine occasions

Multi-HR games – 0

Most RBIs, game – 6 vs. Phila. Phillies 8/3

Pinch-hitting – No appearances

Fielding (OF)

Chances – 353

Put Outs – 326

Assists – 20

Errors – 7

DP – 4

Pct. - .980

Postseason Batting: 4 G (World Series vs. NY Yankees)

PA – 17, AB – 15, R – 0, H – 5, 2B – 1, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 3, BB – 0, IBB – 0, SO – 1, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .333, OBP - .333, SLG - .400, TB – 6, GDP – N/A, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – N/A

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: League Award

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Paul Waner, Pitt.: 72 pts. - 90% share

Frankie Frisch, StLC.: 66 pts. – 83% share

Rogers Hornsby, NYG: 54 pts. – 68% share

Charlie Root, ChiC.: 46 pts. – 58% share

Travis Jackson, NYG: 42 pts. – 53% share

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Pirates went 94-60 to win NL pennant by 1.5 games over the St. Louis Cardinals, while leading the NL in runs scored (817, tied with the New York Giants), hits (1648), doubles (236), batting (.305), and OBP (.361). The Pirates went 22-9 in September to edge the Cardinals for the pennant. Lost World Series to the New York Yankees, 4 games to 0.

Aftermath of ‘27:

Waner followed up with another solid season in 1928 in which he led the NL with 142 runs scored and 50 doubles in addition to batting .370 with 223 hits, 19 triples, 6 home runs, and 86 RBIs. By this point the Waner brothers were called “Big Poison” (Paul) and “Little Poison” (Lloyd) for their combined effect on opponents. The brothers staged a joint holdout for more money during spring training in 1929. They eventually came to terms although Paul got off to a slow start. He still batted .336 for the year with 200 hits, 131 runs scored, 43 doubles, 15 triples, 15 home runs, and 100 RBIs. His production remained strong in 1930 as he hit .368 with 58 extra base hits. Vacationing in Florida in the offseason, Waner suffered an ankle injury that resulted in a comparative off-year in 1931 in which he batted .322 with 180 hits including 51 for extra bases and 70 RBIs, although he had a fine year in right field with 28 assists and 8 double plays. Waner rebounded in 1932 with a .341 batting average and 215 hits that included a league-leading 62 doubles. After some down years, the Pirates rose to second place and Waner finished fourth in NL MVP voting. He was named to the first All-Star Game in 1933 on his way to batting .309 with 38 doubles, 16 triples, 7 home runs, and 70 RBIs. He won a second league batting title in 1934 by hitting .362 and also topping the circuit with 122 runs and 217 hits. The hard-partying and hard-drinking Waner was a .321 hitter in 1935 and won his third batting title in 1936 with a .373 average and 218 hits that included 53 doubles. He had one last big year at age 34 in 1937 as he batted .354 and placed eighth in NL MVP balloting. The Pirates narrowly missed the NL pennant in 1938 while Waner’s average dropped to .280 and he scored 77 runs. He hit better in 1939 with a .328 average. After suffering a knee injury in 1940, Waner became a part-time player and was limited to 89 games. Released in the offseason, he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers and Boston Braves in 1941 and hit a combined .267. With the Braves in 1942 he achieved his 3000^th career hit in a year in which he batted .258 in 114 games. Let go by the Braves in the offseason, Waner returned to Brooklyn in 1943 and batted .311 in 82 games. He spent 1944 with the Dodgers and New York Yankees, who wanted him as a bat off the bench in the final month of the season. He came to bat once for the Yankees in 1945 and retired. For his major league career, Waner batted .333 with 3152 hits that included 605 doubles, 191 triples, and 113 home runs. He reached 200 hits eight times. His excellence at hitting in the gaps and down the lines to maximize his hits resulted in his high totals of doubles and triples. He topped the NL twice apiece in doubles and triples and reached double figures in triples ten times. He further compiled 1309 RBIs and scored 1627 runs while drawing 1091 walks. With the Pirates he batted .340 with 2868 hits, 558 doubles, 187 triples, 109 home runs, 1177 RBIs, with 1493 runs. 1927 marked his only World Series appearance. Waner was a four-time All-Star who finished in the top 15 in NL MVP voting seven times. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1952 and his brother Lloyd joined him in 1967, two years after “Big Poison” died at age 62. The Pirates belatedly retired his #11 in 2007.

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MVP Profiles feature players in the National or American leagues who were winners of the Chalmers Award (1911-14), League Award (1922-29), or Baseball Writers’ Association of America Award (1931 to present) as Most Valuable Player.

MVP Profile: Lou Gehrig, 1927

First Baseman, New York Yankees

Age:  24 (June 19)

3^rd season with Yankees

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 200

Prior to 1927:

A New York City native, Gehrig played sandlot baseball as a youth, and starred at Commerce High School before receiving a scholarship to attend Columbia University. His college baseball career was interrupted by being suspended for a year due to playing under an assumed name for the Hartford Senators of the Class A Eastern League in 1921 following a failed tryout with the major league Giants. Despite that setback he performed brilliantly when he took the field for Columbia, both as a hitter and as a pitcher. Gehrig signed with the Yankees in 1923 but following a brief trial with the Yankees he was sent to the minors, where he was once again with Hartford, minus any subterfuge. In 59 games with Hartford, the 20-year-old Gehrig batted .304 with 24 home runs. Returning to the Yankees late in the season, he hit impressively in six games. With no spot available for him in the lineup in 1924, Gehrig was again sent to Hartford and batted .369 with 40 doubles, 13 triples, and 37 home runs. He had another brief September appearance with the Yankees and he stuck with the Yanks in 1925 as a reserve first baseman. With the club mired in seventh place and regular first baseman Wally Pipp hitting poorly (the reality as opposed to mythology that later developed as to how Gehrig came to replace Pipp), manager Miller Huggins inserted Gehrig in the lineup and he went on to hit .295 for the year with 23 doubles, 10 triples, 20 home runs, and 68 RBIs. Gehrig continued to develop in 1926 as the Yankees returned to the top in the American League, batting .313 with a league-leading 20 triples, along with 47 doubles, 16 home runs, and 109 RBIs. He also hit .348 in the seven-game World Series loss to the Cardinals. He finished tenth in AL MVP voting, tied with teammate Tony Lazzeri. Lou Gehrig was very much a young player on the rise entering the 1927 season.

1927 Season Summary

Appeared in 155 games

1B – 155

[Bracketed numbers indicate AL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 717 [2]

At Bats – 584 [5]

Runs – 149 [2]

Hits – 218 [2]

Doubles – 52 [1]

Triples – 18 [2, tied with Heinie Manush]

Home Runs – 47 [2]

RBI – 173 [1]

Bases on Balls – 109 [2]

Int. BB – N/A

Strikeouts – 84 [2]

Stolen Bases – 10

Caught Stealing – 8 [13, tied with eight others]

Average - .373 [2]

OBP - .474 [3]

Slugging Pct. - .765 [2]

Total Bases – 447 [1]

GDP – N/A

Hit by Pitches – 3

Sac Hits – 21 [19, tied with Buddy Myer, Bob Meusel & Tony Lazzeri]

Sac Flies – N/A

League-leading doubles were +1 ahead of runner-up George Burns

League-leading RBIs were +8 ahead of runner-up Babe Ruth

League-leading total bases were +30 ahead of runner-up Babe Ruth

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 28, 3B – 11, HR – 29, RBI – 102, AVG - .397, SLG PCT - .830

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Most hits, game – 4 on five occasions

Longest hitting streak – 18 games

HR at home – 24

HR on road – 23

/Most home runs, game – 3 (in 5 AB) at Boston Red Sox 6/23

Multi-HR games – 5

Most RBIs, game – 6 vs. Bos. Red Sox 4/17

Fielding

Chances – 1765

Put Outs – 1662

Assists – 88

Errors – 15

DP – 108

Pct. - .992

Postseason Batting: 4 G (World Series vs. Pittsburgh)

PA – 18, AB – 13, R – 2, H – 4, 2B – 2, 3B – 2, HR – 0, RBI – 4, BB – 3, IBB – N/A, SO – 3, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .308, OBP - .438, SLG - .769, TB – 10, GDP – N/A, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – N/A

Awards & Honors:

AL MVP: League Award

Top 5 in AL MVP Voting:

Lou Gehrig, NYY: 56 pts. - 88% share

Harry Heilmann, Det.: 35 pts. – 55% share

Ted Lyons, ChiWS.: 34 pts. – 53% share

Mickey Cochrane, PhilaA.: 18 pts. – 28% share

Al Simmons, PhilaA.: 18 pts. – 28% share

(ineligible for consideration as prior AL League Award winners: George Sisler, StLB; Babe Ruth, NYY; Walter Johnson, Wash.; Roger Peckinpaugh, ChiWS., George Burns, Clev.)

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Yankees went 110-44 to win the AL pennant by 19 games over the Philadelphia Athletics while leading the league in runs scored (976), hits (1644), triples (103), home runs (158), RBIs (907), batting (.307), OBP(.384), slugging (.488), and total bases (2615). With their “Murderers’ Row” lineup of potent hitters anchored by Babe Ruth, who hit a record 60 home runs, and Gehrig, the league runner-up and RBI champ, the Yankees were never seriously challenged for supremacy in the American League. Won World Series over the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4 games to 0. 

Aftermath of ‘27:

In the offseason, Gehrig and Babe Ruth partnered in a barnstorming tour in which they captained teams of local all-stars named the “Bustin’ Babes” and the “Larrupin’ Lous” that proved lucrative for both players. Gehrig also signed a three-year contract extension with the Yankees for $25,000 per year. New York again won the AL pennant and Gehrig contributed a .374 batting average along with a league-leading 47 doubles (tied with Heinie Manush of the Browns) and 147 RBIs, along with 13 triples and 27 home runs. In the ensuing four-game World Series sweep of the Cardinals, he batted .545 with 4 home runs and 9 RBIs. Another strong season for Gehrig followed in 1929, this despite playing with a broken finger and bone chips in his left elbow, both of which required off-season surgery, as well as the death of manager Miller Huggins. He once more appeared in every game and hit .300 with 35 home runs and 125 RBIs. Gehrig led the league in RBIs in both 1930 (173) and ‘31 (185). His 46 home runs also topped the AL in 1931. Despite his league-leading numbers in 1931, he took a $2000 pay cut due to effects of the Great Depression on Yankee finances. Gehrig hit 34 home runs in 1932, including a record-tying four in one game against the Athletics, and drove in 151 RBIs while batting .349. The Yankees returned to the top of the AL standings for the first time since 1928, and Gehrig had another outstanding performance in the sweep of the Cubs. He finished second in league MVP voting. Gehrig reached a milestone in 1933 as he appeared in a record 1308^th consecutive game, setting a major league record at the time. He also appeared in the first All-Star Game, where he started at first base for the American League. He finished the season with 41 doubles, 12 triples, 32 home runs, 140 RBIs, and a .334 batting average, and placed fourth in MVP balloting. 1934 marked the last season in which Gehrig and Babe Ruth were teammates, and while Ruth was fading, Gehrig won the AL Triple Crown with 49 home runs, 166 RBIs, and a .363 average. He was an All-Star once again and placed fifth in league MVP voting. With the second-place Yankees in 1935 Gehrig led the league in runs scored (125), walks drawn (132), and on base percentage (.466) while batting .329 with 30 home runs and 120 RBIs. He finished fifth in MVP voting again. In 1936 the Yankees returned to the top of the American League with a lineup bolstered by the arrival of rookie center fielder Joe DiMaggio. Gehrig was league MVP on the basis of hitting a circuit-topping 49 home runs and scoring 167 runs as well as compiling 152 RBIs and hitting .354. The classy, dignified, and highly-respected team captain batted .292 with two home runs and 7 more RBIs in the six-game World Series victory over the Giants. The Yankees repeated as champs in 1937 and Gehrig contributed 37 home runs, 158 RBIs, and a .351 average and ranked fourth in league MVP balloting. “The Iron Horse” dealt with nagging injuries and a prolongued slump in 1938 and ended up hitting .295 with 29 home runs and 114 RBIs. By spring training of 1939 it was apparent that Gehrig was seriously off his game, both at the plate and in the field. After getting off to a poor start during the season, he opted to sit out and end his consecutive game streak at 2130 games. He did not return to the lineup and announced his retirement in June, after he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) an incurable neuromuscular disease. The Yankees honored him with a sendoff between games of a July 4 doubleheader in which he delivered a memorable address to the crowd. He died two years later at age 37 from the malady that would forever after be referred to as “Lou Gehrig disease”. For his major league career, spent entirely with the Yankees, he batted .340 with 2721 hits that included 534 doubles, 163 triples, and 493 home runs. He further scored 1888 runs and compiled 1995 RBIs. In addition to the 2130-game streak, which remained the major league record until surpassed by Cal Ripken Jr. in 1995, Gehrig also retired as the career leader in grand slams with 23, a record which lasted until 2013. He finished with 150 or more RBIs in seven seasons. Gehrig was a seven-time All-Star, including 1939 when he was a non-playing reserve and AL team captain. Appearing in 34 World Series games, he hit .361 with 10 home runs and 35 RBIs. He was a two-time league MVP who finished in the top ten on nine occasions. The Yankees retired his #4 and he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by special election in 1939. The team further honored him with a monument in center field at Yankee Stadium. A biographical movie, The Pride of the Yankees in which Gehrig was portrayed by actor Gary Cooper, was released in 1942.