Wally Pipp
Born: 2/17/1893 in Chicago, IL, USA
Died: 1/11/1965 in Grand Rapids, MI, USA
MLB Debut: 1913-06-29 | Final Game: 1928-09-30
Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 180 lbs
Full name: Walter Clement Pipp
Biography
Wally Pipp was a prominent American baseball player whose career spanned from 1913 to 1928. Born in 1893, Pipp made a significant impact in Major League Baseball, primarily as a first baseman. Over the course of his career, he played in 1,872 games, achieving 1,941 hits, 90 home runs, and 998 RBIs, while maintaining a career batting average of .281. Known for his consistent hitting and solid defense, Pipp was a key contributor to the teams he played for, notably the New York Yankees during the 1920s, a period marked by the team's rise to prominence in the league.
Pipp's playing style exemplified the skills of the deadball era, emphasizing contact hitting and base running, as reflected in his total of 125 stolen bases. His legacy is often overshadowed by the legendary Lou Gehrig, who famously took over Pipp's position after he suffered from headaches and missed a game in 1925. Despite this twist of fate, Pipp's achievements remain significant, and he is remembered as a talented player who was an integral part of baseball's early 20th-century narrative.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1872 | 6914 | 974 | 1941 | 311 | 148 | 90 | 998 | 125 | 596 | 551 | 0.281 | 0.341 | 0.408 | 0.749 | 7984.0 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 | DET | AL | 12 | 31 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0.161 | 0.0 |
| 1915 | NYY | AL | 136 | 479 | 59 | 118 | 20 | 13 | 4 | 60 | 18 | 66 | 81 | 0.246 | 815.8 |
| 1916 | NYY | AL | 151 | 545 | 70 | 143 | 20 | 14 | 12 | 93 | 16 | 54 | 82 | 0.262 | 1601.5 |
| 1917 | NYY | AL | 155 | 587 | 82 | 143 | 29 | 12 | 9 | 70 | 11 | 60 | 66 | 0.244 | 1045.3 |
| 1918 | NYY | AL | 91 | 349 | 48 | 106 | 15 | 9 | 2 | 44 | 11 | 22 | 34 | 0.304 | 964.7 |
| 1919 | NYY | AL | 138 | 523 | 74 | 144 | 23 | 10 | 7 | 50 | 9 | 39 | 42 | 0.275 | 784.5 |
| 1920 | NYY | AL | 153 | 610 | 109 | 171 | 30 | 14 | 11 | 76 | 4 | 48 | 54 | 0.280 | 954.2 |
| 1921 | NYY | AL | 153 | 588 | 96 | 174 | 35 | 9 | 8 | 98 | 17 | 45 | 28 | 0.296 | 318.4 |
| 1922 | NYY | AL | 152 | 577 | 96 | 190 | 32 | 10 | 9 | 90 | 7 | 56 | 32 | 0.329 | 1846.4 |
| 1923 | NYY | AL | 144 | 569 | 79 | 173 | 19 | 8 | 6 | 108 | 6 | 36 | 28 | 0.304 | 157.5 |
| 1924 | NYY | AL | 153 | 589 | 88 | 174 | 30 | 19 | 9 | 114 | 12 | 51 | 36 | 0.295 | 921.4 |
| 1925 | NYY | AL | 62 | 178 | 19 | 41 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 24 | 3 | 13 | 12 | 0.230 | -603.0 |
| 1926 | CIN | NL | 155 | 574 | 72 | 167 | 22 | 15 | 6 | 99 | 8 | 49 | 26 | 0.291 | 460.5 |
| 1927 | CIN | NL | 122 | 443 | 49 | 115 | 19 | 6 | 2 | 41 | 2 | 32 | 11 | 0.260 | -1075.9 |
| 1928 | CIN | NL | 95 | 272 | 30 | 77 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 26 | 1 | 23 | 13 | 0.283 | -207.2 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | 67 | 3 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 0.224 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1923 | WS | NYA | 6 | 20 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0.250 |
| 1922 | WS | NYA | 5 | 21 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0.286 |
| 1921 | WS | NYA | 8 | 26 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0.154 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 1819 | 0 | 18779 | 1152 | 168 | 1290 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 | DET | 1B | 10 | 0 | 80 | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| 1915 | NYA | 1B | 134 | 0 | 1396 | 85 | 12 | 85 |
| 1916 | NYA | 1B | 148 | 0 | 1513 | 99 | 13 | 89 |
| 1917 | NYA | 1B | 155 | 0 | 1609 | 109 | 17 | 97 |
| 1918 | NYA | 1B | 91 | 0 | 918 | 61 | 12 | 75 |
| 1919 | NYA | 1B | 138 | 0 | 1488 | 94 | 15 | 77 |
| 1920 | NYA | 1B | 153 | 0 | 1649 | 100 | 15 | 101 |
| 1921 | NYA | 1B | 153 | 0 | 1624 | 89 | 16 | 116 |
| 1922 | NYA | 1B | 152 | 0 | 1667 | 88 | 13 | 106 |
| 1923 | NYA | 1B | 144 | 0 | 1461 | 81 | 12 | 97 |
| 1924 | NYA | 1B | 153 | 0 | 1447 | 106 | 9 | 106 |
| 1925 | NYA | 1B | 47 | 0 | 399 | 38 | 4 | 40 |
| 1926 | CIN | 1B | 155 | 0 | 1710 | 92 | 15 | 140 |
| 1927 | CIN | 1B | 114 | 0 | 1145 | 66 | 5 | 86 |
| 1928 | CIN | 1B | 72 | 0 | 673 | 40 | 8 | 69 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| First Base | 1818 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1923 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | 1B |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catholic University of America | Washington | DC | 1912, 1913 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 14th | 12.0 | 80 | 0 |
| 1924 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 14th | 6.0 | 64 | 0 |
| 1922 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 8th | 12.0 | 64 | 0 |