| Wally Pipp | |
|---|---|
 Pipp with the New York Yankees in 1922 | |
| First baseman | |
| Born:(1893-02-17)February 17, 1893 Chicago,Illinois, U.S. | |
| Died: January 11, 1965(1965-01-11) (aged 71) Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| June 29, 1913, for the Detroit Tigers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 30, 1928, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .281 |
| Home runs | 90 |
| Runs batted in | 1,004 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Walter Clement Pipp Sr. (February 17, 1893 – January 11, 1965) was an American professionalbaseball player. Afirst baseman, Pipp played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theDetroit Tigers,New York Yankees, andCincinnati Reds between 1913 and 1928.
After appearing in 12 games for the Tigers in 1913 and playing in the minor leagues in 1914, he was purchased by the Yankees before the 1915 season. They made him their starting first baseman. He andHome Run Baker led an improved Yankee lineup that led the league inhome runs. He led the American League in home runs in 1916 and 1917. WithBabe Ruth,Bob Meusel,Joe Dugan, andWaite Hoyt, the Yankees won three consecutive American League pennants from 1921 through 1923, and won the1923 World Series. In 1925, he lost his starting role toLou Gehrig, after which he finished his major league career with Cincinnati.
Although he is considered to be one of the bestpower hitters of thedead ball era,[1] Pipp is now best remembered as the man who lost his starting role as the Yankees' first baseman to Gehrig on June 2, 1925, after experiencing a headache. This began Gehrig'sstreak of 2,130 consecutive games played, which stood as an MLB record for 56 years.
Walter Pipp was born on February 17, 1893, inChicago,Illinois. His mother Pauline (née Stroeber) came to the US from Germany at a young age with her parents.[2] His father, William H. Pipp, was the son of immigrants from Germany that married in Michigan.[3][4][5][6] He was raised as aRoman Catholic inGrand Rapids, Michigan.[1][7] As a child, Pipp said that he was hit in the head with ahockey puck, which resulted in headaches throughout his life.[8]
Pipp enrolled at theCatholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where he studied architecture and played baseball for theCatholic University Cardinals.[9] Pipp graduated in 1913.[1]
In 1912, Pipp made his debut inprofessional baseball with theKalamazoo Celery Pickers of theClass D levelSouthern Michigan League. In 68 games played, he had a .270batting average. TheDetroit Tigers of theAmerican League purchased his contract late in the 1912 season. Pipp attempted to hold out from the Tigers, demanding a portion of the purchase price, and threatened to return to college.[1]
After graduating from college, Pipp ended his holdout without receiving a share of the purchase price.[7] Pipp made his major league debut with the Tigers on June 29, 1913.[1] After playing 12 games for Detroit, batting .161, the Tigers reassigned Pipp to theProvidence Grays of the Class AAInternational League. He committed sevenerrors in 14 games for Providence, and was demoted to theScranton Miners of theClass BNew York State League, where he only batted .220.[7]
In 1914, Pipp played for theRochester Hustlers of the International League. Pipp had a .314 batting average and 27triples. He led all batters in the league with 15home runs, a .526slugging percentage, and 290total bases.[1][7]
In January 1915,Jacob Ruppert andTillinghast L'Hommedieu Huston agreed to purchase theNew York Yankees of the American League. As part of the agreement, the other team owners in the American League agreed to help the Yankees restock their system withprospects. One of the deals Ruppert and Huston negotiated was their purchase of Pipp. After Ruppert and Huston completed the purchase of the team, the other American League owners, with the exception ofFrank Navin, the owner of the Tigers, broke their word.[7] On February 4, 1915, the Tigers sold Pipp andoutfielderHugh High to the Yankees, receiving $5,000 for each player ($112,000 in 2024 dollars).[1]
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The Yankees had struggled prior to Ruppert and Huston's purchase, having only onewinning record in their previous eight seasons. They made Pipp their starting first baseman in time forOpening Day of the1915 season. The Yankees addedHome Run Baker in 1916, and they formed the center of the Yankees'batting order.[10] Pipp led the American League in home runs with 12 in 1916; Baker finished second with 10. Pipp hit nine home runs in 1917, again leading the league.[7]
In1918, Pipp hit only two home runs, but batted .304. He missed playing time under the nation's "work or fight" rule during World War I; he worked as anaval aviationcadet at theMassachusetts Institute of Technology. He batted .275 with seven home runs in 1919, asBabe Ruth surpassed him as the best power hitter in the American League.[1] The Yankees moved to strengthen their team after the 1919 season, adding Ruth and fellowoutfielderBob Meusel andthird basemanJoe Dugan. Between 1920 and 1924, Pipp had a .301 average, with season averages of 29doubles, 94runs scored, and 97runs batted in (RBI) per season. Led by their strong lineup and additions to the pitching staff, such asWaite Hoyt, the Yankees finished in second place in 1920. Pipp became thecleanup hitter, behind Ruth in the batting order. Pipp hit .296 in 1921, and the Yankees won the American League pennant.[7] However, they lost the1921 World Series to thecrosstown rivalNew York Giants of theNational League.[11]
On July 26, 1922, Pipp bobbled a ball during the fifth inning of a game against theSt. Louis Browns. When the Yankees returned to thedugout, Ruth criticized Pipp's fielding. Pipp attacked Ruth, and the two were separated by teammates. Though Ruth insisted they'd "settle this after the game", Ruth and Pipp led the Yankees to a victory with their hitting, and when Pipp approached Ruth after the game, ready to fight, Ruth opted against it. Pipp said this resulted in reduced tension among the Yankees, to which he attributed their improved play from that point forward.[7] Pipp batted .329 in 1922 and the Yankees again won the American League pennant.[7] In a rematch, the Giants again defeated the Yankees in the1922 World Series.[12] Meanwhile, PippscoutedLou Gehrig, who was playingcollege baseball forColumbia University, and suggested toMiller Huggins, the Yankees'manager, that he should sign Gehrig. Pipp personally helped develop Gehrig after he signed.[13] Pipp had a strong 1923 season, but injured his right ankle while stepping down from a train in Boston late in the year. The Yankees used Gehrig, whom they promoted from the minor leagues, to play in four games at first base replacing Pipp,[7] before calling upon Babe Ruth to substitute at first base for the four games at the very end of the season.[14] Though Huggins initially thought Pipp would not be able to play in the1923 World Series,[15] Pipp recovered sufficiently in time to play.[16] The Yankees won the series in six games over the Giants.[7][17] The Yankees finished in second place in the American League in 1924,[7] and Pipp led the league with 114 RBIs and 19 triples.[18]
The Yankees began the 1925 season struggling, and Huggins began to replace players in his lineup in response. Huggins benched startingshortstopEverett Scott on May 6, replacing him withPee Wee Wanninger. At the time, Scott had the longest streak of consecutive games played, with 1,307. The Yankees continued to struggle. The Yankees entered play on June 2 on a five-gamelosing streak. Their 15–26win–loss record had them in seventh place out of the eight teams in the American League, half a game better than the last place team, and13+1⁄2 games out of first place in the standings. Before their game against theWashington Senators, Huggins replaced Pipp in the Yankees' lineup with Gehrig, and benchedsecond basemanAaron Ward andcatcherWally Schang as well. Pipp was batting .244 with only three home runs and 23 RBIs, and had a .181 batting average over the previous three weeks. This was the second—not the first—game of Gehrig's then-record 2,130 consecutive games played, which lasted for 14 seasons. The streak started the previous day, as on June 1 Gehrig entered the game as a pinch hitter, substituting for shortstop Wanninger.[19]
Although Pipp's replacement on June 2, 1925, was historic, and Gehrig had a great game by getting three hits, Gehrig would in fact go 0 for 3 in each of his next two games, before being lifted for a pinch-hitter each day. Pipp would finish both of those games defensively at first base.[20][21]
According to the most popular version of the story, Pipp showed up atYankee Stadium that day with a severe headache, and asked the team'strainer for twoaspirin.Miller Huggins, the Yankees'manager, noticed this, and said "Wally, take the day off. We'll try that kid Gehrig at first today and get you back in there tomorrow." Gehrig played well and became the Yankees' new starting first baseman. This story first appeared in a 1939New York World-Telegram on Gehrig's career, in which Pipp was interviewed. Pipp was later quoted to have said, "I took the two most expensive aspirin in history."[7][8][22]
According toThe Pride of the Yankees, the1942 film about Gehrig's life, Pipp asked out of the game because he was experiencingdouble vision from being hit in the head two days prior.[7] By 1953, Pipp reported toThe New York Times that he was taken out of the lineup due to being hit in the head by a pitch thrown byCharlie Caldwell duringbatting practice. However, while Pipp was hit in the head by a pitch from Caldwell and was hospitalized, this event occurred on July 2, a month after Pipp's benching.[7]
TheNew York Sun reported the benching was due to Pipp's struggles againstleft-handed pitchers, as southpawGeorge Mogridge was the scheduled starting pitcher for the Senators on June 2. Other sources suggest Yankee managerMiller Huggins may have actually benched Pipp and other veterans in order to "shake up" the slumping lineup.[7] According to another story, supported by Gehrig's wife, Pipp was not at the game on June 2 because he wasgambling onhorse racing at arace track.[23] His son Thomas denied this rumor, stating that his father never bet on horses.[24] When interviewed bySports Illustrated, Pipp's own children disagreed on the reason for their father's benching, believing it was either due to Pipp being beaned or struggling.[7] Thomas believed Pipp told Huggins to play Gehrig in his place, as he knew Gehrig had a future with the Yankees, while he likely did not.[24] According to a popular legend, Pipp asked to sit due to a headache. The story was confirmed by Thomas and byBill Werber.[25]
Ruth had returned to the Yankees' lineup on June 1, the day before Pipp, Ward, and Schang were benched. Despite Ruth's return and the strong play of Gehrig, who batted .295 with 20 home runs and 68 RBIs,[7][18] the Yankees finished in seventh place. Pipp was hospitalized for a week after being hit in the head by Caldwell on July 2, and he played sparingly during the remainder of the season.[7] He ended the year with a .230 average, three home runs, and 24 RBIs.[18]
Due to the team's struggles, Huggins made personnel changes during the offseason. The Yankees attempted to trade Pipp to another American League team, but could not agree on the terms with any team.[7] They put Pipp onwaivers, and he was acquired by theCincinnati Reds of theNational League,[26] who reportedly paid the Yankees a greater sum than the $7,500 waiver price.[1] The Reds, who had not had a strong starting first baseman sinceJake Daubert died in 1924, had attempted to acquireBill Terry from the Giants, but refused to part withEdd Roush in the transaction, and so acquired Pipp instead.[27] Pipp again attempted to acquire a portion of the purchase price, but was rebuffed.[7]
Pipp played 372 games for the Reds over the next three seasons. In 1926, he had a .291 batting average, and his 99 RBIs and 15 triples were both fourth-best in the National League. He batted .260 with 41 RBIs in 1927, and .283 in 1928.[1]
With first basemanGeorge Kelly also on their roster, the Reds released Pipp before the 1929 season. Pipp signed with theNewark Bears of the International League for the season.[28] He earned $40,000 ($570,000 in 2024 dollars) that year, more than he made during his major league career. He batted .312 for Newark, and retired after the season.[7]
Pipp played 1,872 games.[8] He had three seasons with a .300+ batting average, and two seasons with 100 or more RBI. Pipp had a .281 career batting average. He led both the American and National Leagues infielding percentage. His 226sacrifices as a Yankee remain a team record. Pipp was the first Yankee to lead the American League in home runs.[7] Due to his famous replacement by Gehrig, players began to say they were "Wally Pipped" when replaced in a lineup, especially if it is due to a minor injury.[7][29][30][31][32][33][34]
Pipp often attendedOld-Timers' Day at Yankee Stadium andTiger Stadium, playing in 12 Old-Timers' games.[24] He was later hired bySports Illustrated as one of the magazine's first writers.[7]
After retiring, Pipp invested in thestock market, but lost his wealth in theWall Street Crash of 1929.[8] He authored a book, titledBuying Cheap and Selling Dear. He worked as abroadcaster on a pregame baseball show for the Tigers, wrote radio scripts, and worked in publishing. He organized baseball programs around his community for theNational Youth Administration.[7][24] He also spent time unemployed during theGreat Depression.[7] In 1940, Pipp was on the verge ofbankruptcy, but he managed to pay off his debts without going bankrupt.[24]
During World War II, Pipp worked at theWillow Run manufacturing complex inYpsilanti, buildingB-24bombers. Following the war, Pipp worked for the Rockford Screw Products Corporation as a machine parts salesman, selling bolts and screws toautomotive companies based in Detroit and Grand Rapids.[1][35]
Pipp and his wife, Nora,[24] had four children:[7] three sons (Walter, Tom, and Wally Jr.) and a daughter (Dorothy).[24] Pipp's brother, the Reverend W.B. Pipp, was a Catholic priest and golfer.[9][36]
The Pipps moved toLansing, Michigan, in 1949. After suffering a number ofstrokes, Pipp moved to anursing home in Grand Rapids in September 1963.[1] He died there on January 11, 1965, of aheart attack at the age of 71.[37][38] He is interred in Woodlawn Cemetery in Grand Rapids.[1]
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