Paul Waner: The Player Who Refused his 3000th MLB Hit
Waner is the only MLB player to log his 3,000th hit twice
Achieving 3,000 base hits is one of the most iconic statistics in baseball history. In over 150 years of big-league play, just 32 players have accomplished the feat. Only the best and most durable of players have even a remote chance of surpassing the magic number. That’s why, more than 75 years later, it’s still surprising that outfielder Paul Waner refused his 3000th hit and had the official scorer change it to an error.
Waner was a left-handed outfielder who parlayed a potent bat into a 20-year big league career (1926–1945) and eventual enshrinement in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Nicknamed “Big Poison” (his brother and fellow Hall of Famer Lloyd was known as “Little Poison”) despite barely weighing 150 pounds, he hit a combined .333 during his career. He spent his first 15 years with the Pittsburgh Pirates and finished up with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Boston Braves and New York Yankees.
In 1942, Waner was 39 and a part-timer with the Braves. He was well past his prime, but still holding down a job — more on his reputation than his production. On June 17th, he entered the second game of a double-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds at Braves Field batting just .263 on the year but nearing a major milestone — his 3,000th career hit. In the middle of…
