Birth of Rogers Hornsby
Rogers Hornsby, Sr., was born on April 27, 1896, in Winters, Texas.
The youngest of six children, Hornsby began playing baseball at a young age, once stating, “I can’t remember anything that happened before I had a baseball in my hand.” When he was 10, Hornsby worked as a messenger boy in a meat packing plant, where he occasionally played as an infielder on the company team. By the time he was 15, Hornsby was playing on semi-professional baseball teams.
Hornsby first entered the minor leagues in 1914, with the Texas League’s Dallas Steers. He didn’t play any games and was eventually signed to the Hugo Scouts as a shortstop. He was then traded to the Denison Champions (later the Denison Railroaders), whom he helped win the pennant. At the end of the season, a sports writer listed Hornsby as one of the 12 players in the league with potential to make it to the majors.
Late in the 1915 season, Hornsby was signed to the St. Louis Cardinals. He finished that season with a sixth-place batting average and, at 19 years old, was the fourth-youngest player in the league. The following season, Hornsby was the starting shortstop on opening day, earning both runs batted in (RBIs) that won the game. He then hit his first major league home run on May 14, 1916.
In 1920, Hornsby was moved to second base, where he remained for the rest of his career. He began the season with a 14-game hitting streak and ended it with the first of seven batting titles while also leading the league in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, hits, total bases, doubles, and RBIs. Hornsby continued to lead the league in hitting and by 1922, was the highest-paid player in the league’s history up to that point. That season he would set several records with a 33-game hitting streak, 42 home runs, 250 hits, and a .722 slugging percentage. And he won the first of his two Triple Crowns that year. His 450 total bases that year is still a National League single-season record. Hornsby also led all second basemen in putouts, double plays, and fielding percentage.
Despite injuries and arguments with the manager, Hornsby had several more good years with the Cardinals. In 1925, he was made team manager while continuing to play. (He would go on to manage most of the teams he joined in the coming years.) That year he earned his second Triple Crown, won the MVP Award, and had a slugging percentage that wasn’t matched until 2001.
In 1927, Hornsby was traded to the New York Giants, where he led the league in runs scored, walks, and on-base percentage. After that season, he was traded to the Boston Braves. With the Braves, he earned his seventh batting title and led the league in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and walks. At the end of that season the Chicago Cubs offered a substantial sum of $200,000 ($2.85 million today) plus five players for Hornsby, so he was traded once again.
With the Cubs, Hornsby led the majors in runs scored and earned another MVP award. Over the next few years, a string of injuries brought down Hornsby’s numbers and 1931 was his last season as a full-time player. He returned to the Cardinals in 1933 before going to the St. Louis Browns later that year. He remained with that team as a manager and part-time player until 1937.
In 1939, Hornsby opened his own baseball school in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He ran the school for six weeks a year every year until 1952. Hornsby also managed several international minor league teams until his death on January 5, 1963. Over the course of his career, Hornsby had 2,930 hits, 301 home runs, and a .358 batting average, which is second only to Ty Cobb. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1942.
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He also holds the Modern Record for the highest Batting Average in a season
.424 (unheard of today when a player is considered good when he hits .300
today). He batted a .400 three times in his career and just missed with a .397
in 1921. He is one of only three to hit .400 three different seasons. He was born 13 days after my Grand Mother.
Roger Hornsby was a familiar name for someone from St. Louis. My Dad, a life-long Cardinals fan, raised a few miles from St Louis and he listened to the Cardnials’ games on radio as a kid on a farm. Hornsby was playing during the early days and was probably Cardinal’s greatest star along with Stan Musial who was the star in 1940-60s. These names were everyday names back in those times.
His name is Rogers.
His command of the strike zone was also legendary. Once, a rookie pitcher facing him was upset when the umpire called three strait close pitches balls, and expressed his displeasure. The veteran umpire retorted that when he threw a strike, Mr. Hornsby would let him know.
Like others have commented, Hornsby hit over .400 three times in his career (actually 5 but wthout the at-bats to qualify in 2 years). You know how hard that is? The last time a player from either league hit the .400 plateau was Ted Williams in 1941. An amazng feat to do only once, but to do it 3x puts you in superhero status.
Great story about a true super star. Players like Hornsby are few and far between. Baseball was his life for sure. Thanks Mystic for your continued history throughout this difficult and trying period of the pandemic.
They just don’t make ’em like Roger anymore
Great article. And Yes, thank you Mystic for the history lessons you give every day. And the subjects are so diverse and interesting. We homeschooled even before this pandemic. These articles are read by our family every day.
Another great article about a baseball legend. Baseball being a big part of my youth I love all the history of the game. Thank you Mystic!
A fantastic article about … in my opinion … one of the GREATEST baseball players in history !! Like Ruth and Gehrig, Hornsby is among the 8 on my personal “greatest team.” He was a SUPER hitter. If you review his standard batting, Hornsby’s BA was . 318. .370, .397, .401, 384, .424, and 403, between 1919 and 1925. Between 1926 and 1933, it was .317, .361, .387, .380, .308 and .331. He had additional over .300 BA’s over his total 23 year career.That man … could hit the ball !!
BASEBALL. My father favorite of favorite games, since he blade minor league in Cuba for many years. My father was friends with Preston Gomez, manager
of the Houston Astros. I believe that in the teens’ pitchers were not as deve-
lop, or did they pitch as fast and accurate as pitchers of today – Nolan Ryan and Alfredo Valenzuela.
Ken,
The bad thing today in baseball is if you hit .280 you’re a
“Super Hero”.