Pie Traynor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pie Traynor |
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Traynor in 1925
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| Third baseman | |||
| Born: November 11, 1898 Framingham, Massachusetts, U.S. |
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| Died: March 16, 1972 (aged 73) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 15, 1920, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| August 14, 1937, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .320 | ||
| Hits | 2,416 | ||
| Home runs | 58 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,273 | ||
| Teams | |||
As player
As manager
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 1948 | ||
| Vote | 76.9% (eighth ballot) | ||
Harold Joseph "Pie" Traynor (born November 11, 1898 – died March 16, 1972) was an American baseball star. He played his entire career in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Pie Traynor was a fantastic third baseman and later became a manager, scout, and even a radio announcer.
He was known for hitting the ball well, with a career average of .320. This means he got a hit about 32% of the time he tried to hit the ball. He also had over 100 runs batted in (RBI) in seven different seasons. He helped the Pirates win their first championship in 16 years in the 1925 World Series.
Pie Traynor was also an amazing fielder. He set many records for third basemen, like making lots of putouts and double plays. He was so good that he was put into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1948. Many people thought he was the best third baseman in the National League before 1950.
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Early Life and His Famous Nickname
Pie Traynor was born in Framingham, Massachusetts. His parents had moved there from Canada. He got his nickname "Pie" when he was a kid in Somerville, Massachusetts. He often went to a grocery store and asked for pie. The store owner started calling him "Pie Face," and his friends later shortened it to just "Pie."
In 1919, before joining the major leagues, he played in the Cape Cod Baseball League. He was very good, hitting .447 for one of the teams. In 2009, he was honored by being added to the Cape Cod Baseball League Hall of Fame.
Pie Traynor's Playing Career
Pie Traynor started his professional baseball journey in 1920. He first played as a shortstop for a team called the Portsmouth Truckers. He joined the Pittsburgh Pirates later that year, making his first big league appearance on September 15, 1920.
In 1921, he spent most of his time playing for the Birmingham Barons. He hit .336 for them, but he made many errors as a shortstop.
Becoming a Star Third Baseman
In 1922, Traynor became the regular third baseman for the Pirates. He hit .282 and had 81 runs batted in. In 1923, he started using a heavier bat, which helped him become an even better hitter. He hit over .300 for the first time, with a .338 average. He also had 12 home runs and 101 runs batted in.
His defense also got much better with help from his teammate, Rabbit Maranville. He started leading the National League in putouts and assists for third basemen.
World Series Champion
In 1925, Traynor had a .320 batting average and helped the Pirates win the National League pennant. In the 1925 World Series, he hit .346. He even hit a home run off a famous pitcher named Walter Johnson. The Pirates won the series against the Washington Senators in seven games.
Traynor's 41 double plays in 1925 set a new National League record for third basemen. This record stood for 25 years!
Continued Success
The Pirates won the pennant again in 1927, with Traynor hitting .342. However, they lost to the New York Yankees in the 1927 World Series. In 1928, Traynor had a career-high 124 runs batted in. He kept playing great, hitting .356 in 1929 and a career-best .366 in 1930.
In 1933, MLB held its very first All-Star Game. Traynor was chosen to play for the National League team. He was also a starter in the 1934 All-Star Game. During that season, he hurt his throwing arm, which affected his defense. Pie Traynor played his last game on August 14, 1937.
Amazing Stats and Records
In his 17-year career, Pie Traynor played in 1,941 games. He had 2,416 hits and a .320 career batting average. He also had 58 home runs and 1,273 runs batted in. He hit over .300 ten times and had over 100 runs batted in seven times.
Traynor was known as the best defensive third baseman of his time. He led the National League in fielding percentage once. He also led in assists and double plays three times, and in putouts seven times. His 2,289 putouts are still the fifth-highest ever for a third baseman. He is the only MLB player to steal home plate in an All-Star Game!
Managing Career
In 1934, Pie Traynor became the Pirates' player-manager. This meant he played and managed the team at the same time. He stopped playing after the 1937 season but continued to manage the Pirates.
In 1938, he almost led the Pirates to another pennant. They were leading the league for most of the season. But they lost to the Chicago Cubs in a famous game called the "Homer in the Gloamin'." This loss upset Traynor a lot. After a tough 1939 season, he stepped down as manager.
Life After Playing Baseball
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| Pie Traynor's number 20 was retired by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1972. |
After managing, Traynor worked as a scout for the Pirates. In 1944, he became a sports director for a radio station in Pittsburgh. His radio shows were very popular, and he stayed in that job for 21 years until he retired in 1965.
In 1948, Pie Traynor was chosen for the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was the first third baseman ever picked by the baseball writers. In 1969, he was named the third baseman on MLB's all-time team. He passed away in 1972 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His jersey number, 20, was retired by the Pirates in his honor.
Pie Traynor is still remembered as one of baseball's greatest players. He was even mentioned in an episode of The Simpsons!
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career triples leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders
- List of Major League Baseball player-managers
- List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise
- List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle
