Lloyd Waner was one of the most consistent slap hitters of his day, and though he was not a flashy player, you know what you were going to get, which was pretty damned good.
Waner debuted in 1927, and had there been a Rookie of the Year; he likely would have won it. He batted a career-high .355, collected 223 Hits, and led the NL in Runs Scored (133). Waner did not beat that Batting Average again, but he cracked .300 nine more times, had four 200-Hit years, and was the league-leader in Triples (20) in 1929.
After his skills declined in the late 30s, he was traded to the Boston Braves in 1941 but returned in 1944 in a reserve capacity to close off his career. Waner had 2,317 of his 2,459 Hits with Pittsburgh and batted .319 for the club. Despite his great hitting, his lack of power and speed hamper his rank somewhat.
Waner entered the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967 via the Veteran’s Committee.
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