Wally Pipp facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wally Pipp |
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Pipp with the New York Yankees in 1922
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| First baseman | |||
| Born: February 17, 1893 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
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| Died: January 11, 1965 (aged 71) Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| June 29, 1913, for the Detroit Tigers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 30, 1928, for the Cincinnati Reds | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .281 | ||
| Home runs | 90 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,004 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Walter Clement "Wally" Pipp Sr. (born February 17, 1893 – died January 11, 1965) was a famous American baseball player. He played as a first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1913 to 1928. Wally Pipp played for the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, and Cincinnati Reds.
After playing a few games for the Tigers in 1913, he joined the Yankees in 1915. He became their main first baseman. Wally Pipp was a strong power hitter for his time. He led the American League in home runs in 1916 and 1917. With stars like Babe Ruth, the Yankees won three American League championships from 1921 to 1923. They also won the 1923 World Series.
In 1925, Wally Pipp lost his starting spot to Lou Gehrig. This happened after Pipp had a headache. Gehrig then started his amazing streak of 2,130 games played in a row. This was an MLB record for 56 years.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Walter Pipp was born on February 17, 1893, in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. As a child, he was hit in the head with a hockey puck. This caused him to have headaches throughout his life.
Pipp went to the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. There, he studied architecture. He also played baseball for the Catholic University Cardinals team. He finished college in 1913.
Wally Pipp's Baseball Journey
Starting His Career
Wally Pipp began his professional baseball career in 1912. He played for the Kalamazoo Celery Eaters. He had a .270 batting average in 68 games. The Detroit Tigers bought his contract later that year.
Pipp made his major league debut with the Tigers on June 29, 1913. He played 12 games for Detroit. After that, the Tigers sent him to minor league teams. In 1914, Pipp played for the Rochester Hustlers. He had a .314 batting average and hit 15 home runs. He was a top hitter in his league.
Playing for the New York Yankees
In 1915, the New York Yankees bought Wally Pipp. They paid $5,000 for him. The Yankees had not been a very good team before this. They made Pipp their starting first baseman.
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In 1916, the Yankees added Home Run Baker to their team. Pipp and Baker became key players in the Yankees' batting lineup. Pipp led the American League with 12 home runs in 1916. He led the league again in 1917 with nine home runs.
In 1918, Pipp batted .304. He worked as a naval aviation cadet during World War I. In 1919, Babe Ruth joined the Yankees. Ruth became the league's top power hitter. The Yankees got stronger, adding players like Bob Meusel and Joe Dugan.
From 1920 to 1924, Pipp had a .301 batting average. He averaged 29 doubles and 97 runs batted in (RBI) each season. The Yankees became a top team. They won the American League championship in 1921. But they lost the 1921 World Series to the New York Giants.
In 1922, Pipp and Babe Ruth had a disagreement during a game. But they quickly moved past it. Pipp batted .329 in 1922. The Yankees won the American League championship again. However, they lost to the Giants in the 1922 World Series.
Pipp also helped the Yankees find Lou Gehrig. Gehrig was playing college baseball at Columbia University. Pipp told manager Miller Huggins to sign Gehrig. Pipp even helped Gehrig improve his skills. In 1923, Pipp had a strong season. He injured his ankle late in the year. The Yankees won the 1923 World Series against the Giants. In 1924, Pipp led the league with 114 RBIs and 19 triples.
The Famous Day: June 2, 1925
The Yankees were not playing well at the start of the 1925 season. On June 2, 1925, manager Miller Huggins decided to change the lineup. He replaced Pipp with Lou Gehrig. This was a very important day in baseball history.
The most famous story says that Pipp had a bad headache that day. He asked for two aspirin. Huggins told him to take the day off. He said they would try Gehrig at first base. Gehrig played well and became the new starting first baseman. Pipp later joked, "I took the two most expensive aspirin in history."
Some people say Pipp was hit in the head by a pitch during practice. This happened on July 2, 1925, a month after he was benched. Other stories suggest Huggins wanted to "shake up" the team because they were losing.
This game on June 2, 1925, was the start of Lou Gehrig's amazing streak. He played 2,130 games in a row. This streak lasted for 14 seasons.
Finishing His Career
After being replaced by Gehrig, Pipp played less often for the Yankees. He was hospitalized for a week in July after being hit in the head. He finished the 1925 season with a .230 batting average.
The Yankees traded Pipp to the Cincinnati Reds in 1926. He played 372 games for the Reds over three seasons. In 1926, he had a .291 batting average. He also had 99 RBIs, which was fourth-best in the National League. He played his last major league game in 1928.
In 1929, Pipp signed with the Newark Bears, a minor league team. He earned $40,000 that year. He batted .312 for Newark. After that season, he retired from baseball.
Wally Pipp played 1,872 games in his career. He had a .281 career batting average. He was known for his good fielding. He was also the first Yankee player to lead the American League in home runs. Because of how he was replaced by Gehrig, some players say they were "Wally Pipped" when they lose their spot in a lineup.
Life After Baseball
After retiring, Wally Pipp invested in the stock market. He lost money during the Wall Street Crash of 1929. He wrote a book called Buying Cheap and Selling Dear.
Pipp worked as a baseball broadcaster for the Tigers. He also wrote radio scripts and worked in publishing. He helped organize baseball programs for young people. During World War II, he worked at a factory building B-24 bombers.
After the war, Pipp worked as a salesman. He sold machine parts to car companies in Detroit and Grand Rapids.
Family Life and Later Years
Wally Pipp and his wife, Nora, had four children. They had three sons named Walter, Tom, and Wally Jr. They also had a daughter named Dorothy.
The Pipps moved to Lansing, Michigan, in 1949. Wally Pipp had several strokes later in life. He moved to a nursing home in Grand Rapids in 1963. He passed away there on January 11, 1965, at age 71. He is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Grand Rapids.
Images for kids
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Pipp (left) and Charlie Mullen (right)
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career triples leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders
