Question: More Famous Hack Wilson or Nellie Fox? Help!

[brian1961]

I'm no help because I believe that in their time, Hack and Nellie were both very famous. However, Nellie's career as a hustling fine fielding, bunt and blunk hitting second baseman took place over quite a few years. He got an immense amount of respect for that. Also, I think fans really admired him nationwide because of his small size and the fact he hustled and played with all his heart every game. He had quite a following among Sox fans. For 12 years, Nellie led at least the AL in fewest strikeouts. In his only World Series, he hit .375 against LA, and deservedly won the 1959 AL MVP award. When Ted Williams became manager of the Washington Senators, he selected Nellie Fox to be one of his coaches. His death at only 47 stunned all Chicago.

Hack kept getting better and better. Manager Joe McCarthy knew how to handle Hack, how to bring out the most and the best of the man. Hack Wilson thrived under McCarthy. The beginning of the end came when McCarthy left the Cubs towards the end of Hack's career year of 1930. Wrigley selected Rogers Hornsby, understandably, to be the new manager. I cannot say enough bad things about Hornsby. As a player, he was greatness; as a manager, he was a player destroyer. Hornsby resented all the love and attention lavished on Wilson by the fans. The self-absorbed, thoroughly blunt, tactless, and profane Rogers knew how to get under Hack Wilson's skin, and did so mercilessly in 1931. Hack had already developed a drinking problem; Rogers exacerbated this propensity in Hack to the full, and if ever a manager could drive someone like Hack to drink, Hornsby did so.

Let me back up a bit to relay a poignant story on Hack.

I still cringe remembering this story I read in the biography done of Hack Wilson, put out by McFarland Publishing. The Cubs were on the train back from Philly after getting beaten in the '29 Series. The low point of the series was game 4, when the Cubs blew an 8-0 lead in the 7th inning, with Hack Wilson losing a fly ball due to the glare of the sun, enabling the A's to score a bunch of runs. Hack took it horribly. So, it's the middle of the night, and the broken Cubs are trying to sleep on the train. There's some noise that wakes a few of the players. One of the guys pulls a chord to turn on a light. The fellas all see the commotion. It's Hack Wilson on the floor of the train car, sitting on his knees, crying his eyes out, pounding the floor, and talking to himself that he shouldda caught that ball in the sun. Maybe they would've won the game then, and the Series.

The next year, 1930, the Cubs fans threw lemons at Hack Wilson when he played the outfield at Wrigley, to show their displeasure at what they felt was poor play during that 4th Series game. They kept throwing those lemons too, 'til about half the season was over, when it was apparent Hack was having a great year. If you were to look it up, Wilson was so consistent, hitting 4 home runs in April (when the season began much later), 10 in May, 8 in June, 11 in July, 13 in August, and 10 in September. Moreover, this squat fireplug swatsmith hit at least seven homers against each of the other seven clubs, and yet no more than nine against any of the other teams. Furthermore, 33 of his home runs were slugged with men on base. The total number of RBIs he achieved just off his home runs was a staggering 98! His major league record of RBIs in a single season still stands---191 in 1930. Until the steroid guys "broke" the single season records, Hack Wilson's 56 in 1930 was still the National League best.

Roger Maris, after his great 1961 season, was tormented by the many vicious Ruth torch bearers and several sportswriters who enjoyed skewering the Rajah constantly, and Roger was never the same. Maris said it wasn't 1961 that so soured him being a Yankee; it was 1962. Alas, for Wilson, Manager Hornsby was absolute poison to Hack. Wilson completely fell apart in 1931, disturbingly so, and there was no Joe McCarthy to lift him up and straighten him out mentally. After just that one nightmarish season under Hornsby's cat o' nine tails tongue-lashing, in December 1931, he was traded to the Cardinals. I'll just bet big mouth Hornsby influenced Wrigley to get rid of Wilson. The next month, January 1932, the Cards traded Hack to the Brooklyn Dodgers. I've always wondered why Joe McCarthy didn't try to convince Yankee brass to take a chance on Hack. Could you imagine what might have happened if Hack Wilson had gotten built up again in his mind and feelings by McCarthy with the Yanks? It didn't happen, as we all know, and poor Hack died penniless at about the same age as Nellie Fox, due to the effects of alcoholism.

In the end, I feel they're both highly thought of by knowledgeable Chicago baseball fans, but if I had to pick one, I would have to go with Nellie Fox. He was awful good for a long time, and so hard to strike out. Didja ever see a Nelson Fox model bat? Thick as a brick all the way through, and I suppose it helped him to get good wood on the ball with his small muscles. ---Brian Powell