Pee Wee Wanninger
| Birthdate | 12/12/1902 |
| Death Date | 03/07/1981 |
| Debut Year | 1925 |
| Year of Induction | |
| Teams | Red Sox, Reds, Yankees |
| Position | Shortstop |
In 1925 Pee Wee Wanninger played SS to end Everett Scott’s 1,307 consecutive games; 4 weeks later Gehrig pinch hit for Pee Wee, to start his streak.
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In the collection:
In 1925, Wanninger ended one streak and started another - here's his Yankee contract from that year
In 1925, Wanninger ended one streak and started another - here's his Yankee contract from that year
Cal Ripken holds the all-time record for consecutive games played with 2,632. Second on the list is Lou Gehrig with 2,130; third is Everett Scott with 1,307. Pee Wee Wanninger is tied to both men directly behind Ripken.
In the 1925 season a 32-year old Scott was slipping at shortstop and at the plate. When Yankee manager Miller Huggins saw fit to bench Scott and end the streak, he turned to the rookie Wanninger. On May 6th, 1925 Wanninger started in place of Scott to end what was then the longest run in MLB history.
Four weeks later Huggins called on 22-year old Lou Gehrig to pinch hit for Wanninger. That June 1 pinch hitting appearance started Gehrig’s streak.
In the collection is Wanninger’s player’s contract for the 1925 season in which he helped stop and start two of baseball’s most prolific consecutive games streaks. The front page is also signed by Hall of Fame executive Ban Johnson.
Wanninger played parts of three teams in as many big league seasons
Wanninger played parts of three teams in as many big league seasons
Paul Wanninger played with 8 Hall of Fame players including Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Today he’s a footnote in two of the three longest consecutive games played streaks in baseball history.
Despite his brushes with fame, Wanninger played in parts of just three big league seasons. He broke in with the Yankees in 1925. After a year in the minors he resurfaced with the Red Sox in 1927. Wanninger played in Boston and 28 in Cincinnati in ’27 and never again appeared in a game in the majors.
Shown here is the signature page of his 1925 contract with NewYork. Hall of Fame Yankee owner Jacob Ruppert has signed the contract as club president, while the player has signed “PL Wanninger”.
The contract is signed on February 2/3, 1925. The front of the contract is also signed by American League President and Hall of Famer Ban Johnson.
This piece represents a historic link to two of the longest consecutive games streaks in the history of the game.
After he pinch hit for Wanninger on 6/1/1925, Gehrig played in 2,130 straight games
After he pinch hit for Wanninger on 6/1/1925, Gehrig played in 2,130 straight games
Why not add in a Lou Gehrig autograph to the page of a man who was intimately involved in starting the streak? The image shows a trio of Hall of Famers. Gehrig joins forces with catcher Bill Dickey to argue a call with Cal Hubbard, the only man inducted into both the baseball and football Halls of Fame.
Few fans today know of the link between the Iron Horse and Pee Wee Wanninger.
Though he played only 2 big league seasons, Wanninger was a pro ball player for 17 years
Though he played only 2 big league seasons, Wanninger was a pro ball player for 17 years
Before Wanninger played a role in the consecutive games streak of Everett Scott and Lou Gehrig he was a minor leaguer playing for Augusta Tygers. The team was named after Ty Cobb, who began his professional career in Augusta in 1904.
Wanninger played in the minors both before and after his big league career. He broke in as a pro in 1923 with the Tygers as a 20-year old. Two seasons later he made his debut with the Yankees.
After playing for the Reds in ’27, Wanninger played in the minors until 1940.
In the collection is the agreement assigning Wanninger to August the season before Gehrig pinch hit for him to start the streak of 2,130 consecutive games.
Pee Wee Wanninger remained a popular target for autograph collectors throughout his life
Pee Wee Wanninger remained a popular target for autograph collectors throughout his life
Pee Wee Wanninger was 73 years old when he penned this letter to an autograph collector on 7/27/1976. Wanninger thanks the collector and writes about his current life before closing the letter, “I suppose my greatest thrill was playing with the Yankees and with Ruth and Gehrig – both great men as well as the best in the game.”
The three-year MLB veteran then closes with his signature, “Paul ‘Pee Wee’ Wanninger”.
