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Hall-of-Fame Slugger Hack Wilson’s Strong Baseball Opinions
The power-hitting outfielder wasn’t afraid to say what he thought when it came to baseball matters
Hack Wilson is one of the most recognizable figures in baseball history. Resembling a fire hydrant with his bulky top half and spindly legs and size six feet, his appearance and brute power made him a popular star. Even after he retired from playing, he held some strong opinions about the game he once dominated, including some that they be considered surprising.
Born in Pennsylvania to alcoholic parents, Wilson’s mother died due to appendicitis when he was only seven. He became a school dropout, who built an imposing physique by getting a job swinging sledge hammers at a train factory. Despite his first name being Lewis, he drew the nickname of Hack because of his resemblance to George Hackenschmidt, a popular wrestler at the time. The young man was also a talented ball player, who made a name for himself starring for minor league teams before John McGraw purchased him for the New York Giants for the sum of $10,500 in 1923.
Although Wilson got his first taste of big-league ball with the Giants, he never put it all together in parts of three seasons in Gotham. However, being traded to the Chicago Cubs in the offseason following the 1925 campaign changed his career trajectory.
He enjoyed a number of fine seasons as a feared slugger with the Cubs, with his legendary production in 1930 being his best. He hit .356 with a National League leading 56 home runs and 191 RBIs (still an MLB record). He also scored 146 runs, drew 105 walks and led the league in strikeouts (for a fourth consecutive season).
At times he was among the highest paid players in the game, being a National League counterpart to Ruth with his prodigious power. Unfortunately, his star fell rapidly. Following one more season with the Cubs, he saw his production decline precipitously in stints with the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies, retiring after 74 games in 1934 at the age of 34. He finished with a career batting average of .307 in parts of 12 seasons with 244 home runs and 1,063 RBIs.
