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The Baseball Hall-of-Famer Who Believed Basketball Was Dangerous And Could Ruin Big-League Players
Rabbit Maranville was one of the most talkative players in MLB history, and had strong opinions on a sport he thought was dangerous
Baseball Hall-of-Famer Rabbit Maranville was known equally for his hard-nosed playing and his incessant chattering. There wasn’t much he wasn’t willing to talk about, and during his lengthy career as a star, he often weighed in on important matters of the moment. This included the shortstop once speaking at length during the height of his success about why he believed playing basketball was a potential peril for his fellow players.
Although he was a relatively light hitter, Maranville was blessed with extraordinary ability in the field, which was enough to make him a star during his 23 big-league seasons (1912–1933; 1935) as a player. The right-handed batter hit a combined .258 with 2,605 hits, 28 home runs, 884 RBIs.
He never posted a batting average above .295 or had more than five home runs in a full season, but he was an impact player with his dominant personality and slick glove. As such, he received MVP votes in eight different seasons, including 1933 when he was 41 and hit just .218 with no home runs and 38…
