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…
