Honus Wagner Is Born in Carnegie, Pennsylvania

Honus Wagner, one of the five original inductees to the Baseball Hall of Fame, was born on February 24, 1874, in Carnegie, Pennsylvania. Nicknamed "The Flying Dutchman" for his speed and German heritage, Wagner played 21 seasons and spent 18 of them with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He won eight National League batting titles, collected 3,420 hits, and is widely regarded as the greatest shortstop to ever play. In 1936, he and Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Christy Mathewson, and Walter Johnson formed the inaugural Hall of Fame class.

Eddie Murray, born on this date in 1956, joined an exclusive group by surpassing both 3,000 hits and 500 home runs during a career spent mostly with the Baltimore Orioles and later the Cleveland Indians, Dodgers, and other clubs. Murray's steady production over 21 seasons made him one of the most reliable hitters in the game. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2003.

On February 24, 1917, the Red Sox sold pitcher Smoky Joe Wood to Cleveland for $15,000. Wood's right arm had broken down at age 26 after a 1912 season in which he went 34-5 with a 1.91 ERA. He reinvented himself as an outfielder alongside his former teammate Tris Speaker and played five more years in Cleveland.

In 1926, left-hander Eddie Plank died at age 50 in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Plank won 326 games across 17 seasons with the Philadelphia Athletics, St. Louis Terriers, and St. Louis Browns, and he was the first left-handed pitcher to reach 300 wins.

On this date in 1966, the Atlanta Braves signed University of Southern California pitcher Tom Seaver, but Commissioner William Eckert voided the deal because USC's college season was already underway. A special lottery draft followed, and the New York Mets drew Seaver's name.