Wally Pipp
Encyclopedia
Walter Clement Pipp was an American
first baseman
in Major League Baseball
, now best remembered as the man who lost his starting role to Lou Gehrig
at the beginning of Gehrig's streak of 2,130 consecutive games.
in 1913
, Pipp graduated from The Catholic University of America
in 1914. The Chicago
-born Pipp then joined the New York Yankees
for the 1915
season, and would play 136 or more games for them every season until 1925
(except 1918
, when his playing was curtailed by injury), hitting
.282 with a little power, even after the end of the "dead ball" era
. Pipp did lead the American League
with 12 home run
s in 1916
, and again with 9 in 1917
. Pipp was the first Yankee to win a home run title. Pipp scouted and asked Miller Huggins
to sign young Lou Gehrig from Columbia University
, whom Pipp personally helped develop as a young first baseman.
, others suggest Yankee manager Miller Huggins
may have actually benched Pipp and other veterans in order to "shake up" the slumping lineup. A month later, Pipp received a skull fracture when he was hit by a practice pitch from Charlie Caldwell
, an event that had also been mistakenly linked to his initial benching. Pipp was later traded to the Cincinnati Reds
before the 1926 season.
. He played 372 games for the Reds over the next three seasons before retiring. Pipp played in Old Timers games as a Yankee. He was later hired by Sports Illustrated
as one of the magazine's first writers. His 226 sacrifices as a Yankee remain a team record.
Pipp died at age 71 in Grand Rapids, Michigan
. He is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Grand Rapids.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
in Major League Baseball
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...
, now best remembered as the man who lost his starting role to Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig
Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig , nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability, was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 17-year baseball career for the New York Yankees . Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams...
at the beginning of Gehrig's streak of 2,130 consecutive games.
Major League career
After playing 12 games with the Detroit TigersDetroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
in 1913
1913 Detroit Tigers season
The Detroit Tigers season was a season in American baseball. The team finished sixth in the American League with a record of 66-87, 30 games behind the Philadelphia Athletics.- Roster :- Starters by position :...
, Pipp graduated from The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops...
in 1914. The Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
-born Pipp then joined 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...
for the 1915
1915 New York Yankees season
The 1915 New York Yankees season was the 13th season for the Yankees and their 15th overall. The team finished with a record of 69-83, 32½ games behind the American League champion Boston Red Sox. New York was managed by Bill Donovan...
season, and would play 136 or more games for them every season until 1925
1925 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the team's 23rd season in New York and its 25th overall. The team finished with a record of 69-85, in 7th place, 30 games behind the Washington Senators. New York was managed by Miller Huggins. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium.This season was marred by Babe...
(except 1918
1918 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the 17th season for the Yankees. The team finished with a record of 60-63, finishing 13.5 behind the American League champion Boston Red Sox. New York was managed by Miller Huggins. Their home games were played at the Polo Grounds.- Roster :- Starters by position...
, when his playing was curtailed by injury), hitting
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.282 with a little power, even after the end of the "dead ball" era
Dead-ball era
The dead-ball era is a baseball term used to describe the period between 1900 and the emergence of Babe Ruth as a power hitter in 1919. In 1919, Ruth hit a then league record 29 home runs, a spectacular feat at that time.This era was characterized by low-scoring games and a lack of home runs...
. Pipp did lead the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
with 12 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s in 1916
1916 New York Yankees season
The 1916 New York Yankees season was the 14th season for the Yankees in New York, and the 16th overall for the franchise. The team finished with a record of 80-74, finishing 11 games behind the American League champion Boston Red Sox. New York was managed by Bill Donovan...
, and again with 9 in 1917
1917 New York Yankees season
The 1917 New York Yankees season was the 15th season for the Yankees in New York, and the 17th season overall for the franchise. The team finished with a record of 71-82, finishing 28½ games behind the American League champion Chicago White Sox. New York was managed by Bill Donovan...
. Pipp was the first Yankee to win a home run title. Pipp scouted and asked Miller Huggins
Miller Huggins
Miller James Huggins , nicknamed "Mighty Mite", was a baseball player and manager. He managed the powerhouse New York Yankee teams of the 1920s and won six American League pennants and three World Series championships....
to sign young Lou Gehrig from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, whom Pipp personally helped develop as a young first baseman.
Pipp's removal from the Yankees' starting lineup
On June 2, 1925, Pipp was removed from the Yankees' starting lineup and replaced with Gehrig. While many stories over the years have said Pipp sat out the game due to a headacheHeadache
A headache or cephalalgia is pain anywhere in the region of the head or neck. It can be a symptom of a number of different conditions of the head and neck. The brain tissue itself is not sensitive to pain because it lacks pain receptors. Rather, the pain is caused by disturbance of the...
, others suggest Yankee manager Miller Huggins
Miller Huggins
Miller James Huggins , nicknamed "Mighty Mite", was a baseball player and manager. He managed the powerhouse New York Yankee teams of the 1920s and won six American League pennants and three World Series championships....
may have actually benched Pipp and other veterans in order to "shake up" the slumping lineup. A month later, Pipp received a skull fracture when he was hit by a practice pitch from Charlie Caldwell
Charlie Caldwell
Charles William Caldwell was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Williams College for 15 seasons between 1928 and 1944 and at Princeton University from 1945 to 1956, compiling a career college football record of...
, an event that had also been mistakenly linked to his initial benching. Pipp was later traded to the 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....
before the 1926 season.
Later career
Wally Pipp was sold to the Cincinnati Reds in 19261926 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds season was a season in American baseball. The team finished second in the National League with 87 wins and 67 losses, 2 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals.- Roster :- Starters by position :...
. He played 372 games for the Reds over the next three seasons before retiring. Pipp played in Old Timers games as a Yankee. He was later hired by Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
as one of the magazine's first writers. His 226 sacrifices as a Yankee remain a team record.
Pipp died at age 71 in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
. He is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Grand Rapids.
Career statistics
| G | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | R | RBI | BB | SO | SH | HBP | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| 1,872 | 6,914 | 1,941 | 311 | 148 | 90 | 974 | 997 | 596 | 551 | 272 | 38 | .281 | .341 | .408 |
See also
- List of Major League Baseball players with 100 triples
- List of Major League Baseball home run champions
- List of Major League Baseball triples champions
External links
- Wally Pipp at The Baseball Biography Project
- Urban legend about Wally Pipp's headache (from Snopes.com)
- Wally Pipp at Find a GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...