Wednesday Trivia

Piggy Ward from 1893 holds the official record of reaching base in consecutive plate appearances with 17 (8 walks, 8 hits, 1 hit by pitch). If we extend our definition of getting on base to include errors and fielder's choices, there is someone slightly closer to our time who tied the record. Who might this be? He is in ATG, just not this particular year. And his name conjures up a greater player.

Piggy Ward from 1893 holds the official record of reaching base in consecutive plate appearances with 17 (8 walks, 8 hits, 1 hit by pitch). If we extend our definition of getting on base to include errors and fielder's choices, there is someone slightly closer to our time who tied the record. Who might this be? He is in ATG, just not this particular year. And his name conjures up a greater player.

Ty Cline?

The Averill kid.

The Averill kid.

That's right...the Averill Kid. (Though I would have loved it to have been Ty Cline -- I have a strange soft spot for both the Cline and the Averill, Jr cards). Imagine the pressure Averill, Jr was under, coming up with the Indians after being an All-American at the University of Oregon, so he wasn't like he was chopped liver.

A nickel cigar to Scumby Jr....

Bill

I once wondered aloud on the chat boards here as to why Rabbit Maranville was named "Rabbit"!

And someone replied - "Are you kidding - have you seen a picture of him?"

So I looked up his photo on Baseball Reference, and 'nuff said.

So I just looked up Piggy Ward's photo on Baseball Reference thinking I might discover a similar appropriate answer as to why Piggy was named "Piggy!" Anyway it wasn't so evident. At five nine, and 196 lbs, I guess you could say Piggy was a little bit stout? Maybe it was his eating habits?

Ward made his debut when was only 16! 16 and in the majors. "piggy" either came from his eating habits, or he could have been a ball hog, but he probably wore pigtails.