Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall

Honus Wagner Day

Honus Wagner Celebration Held July 1 at Library & Music Hall
The Event Featured Appearances by Pirates and Tigers Mangers Jim Tracy and Jim Leyland.
 

Carnegie celebrated one of its most famous citizens with a day of baseball programming at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall on Saturday July 1. “Hometown Hero: Honus Wagner Day” was sponsored by the Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce.
 

Lifelong Carnegie resident Honus Wagner is considered by many to be the greatest shortstop ever to play major league baseball.   Born in 1874 in what was then Chartiers, Wagner lived in Carnegie his until his death in 1955. (His final home at 605 Beechwood Avenue was recently put up for sale on eBay.)  In a career that spanned 21 seasons, Wagner led the National League in batting average eight times, and in RBIs and stolen bases five times each.  “The Flying Dutchman” batted .300 or more for 17 consecutive seasons and stole 722 bases.  The legendary short stop, considered, was the second of five players inducted into the inaugural Hall of Fame class of 1936.
  

“Carnegie wanted to do something to honor Honus in conjunction with the 2006 All Stars game in Pittsburgh,” said ACFL&MH acting executive director Maggie Forbes. “With the Detroit Tigers coming to town for Inter League play, we realized we had an opportunity for real historic resonance.”
 

The July 2006 match-up between the Pirates and Detroit Tigers harkens back to 1909 when the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Tigers to capture their first World Series.  The rivalry between Honus Wagner and Ty Cobb in that series is one of the most storied in baseball history.  It was no contest: Wagner completely outplayed Cobb.
 

Former Pirates manager Jim Leyland – now manager of the Detroit Tigers – a resident of nearby Thornburg and a member of the Blue Ribbon Committee to restore the Library & Music Hall agreed to take part in the program. Pirates’ manager Jim Tracy, former players Nellie King and Frank Thomas, as well as the Pirate Parrot agreed to represent the Pirates at the event. 
 

The popular Independent League team the Washington Wild Things also sent their mascot to take part in the program.
 

The celebration also featured vintage video clips highlighting the Honus Wagner/Ty Cobb rivalry. Baseball and Honus Wagner memorabilia were on display in the second floor Reception Hall and included photographs, cards, buttons and other collectibles.
 

Authors Dennis and Jeanne DeValeria signed copies of “Honus Wagner: A Biography. Sandy Henry, author of “Carnegie,” in the “Images of America” series, was on hand to introduce her book featuring Honus Wagner and other Carnegie memories. 
 

There were crafts and stories for children, ballpark refreshments provided by the Carnegie Youth Athletic Association, and other baseball and community programming. With a nod to the Pirates’ 1909 red and blue uniforms, the ACFL&MH was decorated for 4th of July holiday.
 

Many Carnegie residents still have fond memories of their encounters with Honus Wagner.  Vic Mannella, owner of Triple Play Sport Cards in Carnegie, says that Wagner’s popularity in Carnegie goes beyond his stature as a baseball great.  “People come into the store all the time and talk about what a nice guy Wagner was – down to earth, approachable, great with kids, a humanitarian.” 
 

 All photos below were taken by Bernadette Kazmarski.