1934-1936 Diamond Stars: #3 "Rabbit" Maranville

Sunday, June 19, 2022

#3 "Rabbit" Maranville - Boston Braves

Walter James Vincent Maranville

Boston Braves

Second Base

Bats: Right Throws: Right Height: 5'5" Weight: 155

Born: November 11, 1891, Springfield, MA

Major League Teams: Boston Braves 1912-1920; Pittsburgh Pirates 1921-1924; Chicago Cubs 1925; Brooklyn Robins 1926; St. Louis Cardinals 1927-1928; Boston Braves 1929-1933, 1935

World Series Appearances: Boston Braves 1914; St. Louis Cardinals 1928

As a Manager: Chicago Cubs 1925

Died: January 5, 1954, New York, NY (62)

Hall of Fame Induction: 1954

The diminutive and fun-loving Rabbit Maranville played 23 seasons in the National League, a mark that stood until broken by Pete Rose in 1986. A middle infielder, Maranville spent most of his career with the Boston Braves, with his best seasons coming in the mid-1910s. He finished third in MVP voting in 1913, second in MVP voting in 1914 and helped lead his team to a World Series title with a sweep of the powerhouse Philadelphia Athletics in the 1914 World Series. He missed most of 1918 while serving during World War I and batted a career-high .295 in 1922 with the Pirates. Maranville was a character, known for his sense of humor and practical joking, although both led to his quick dismissal as Cubs manager in 1925. Resolving to stop his drinking habit, Maranville enjoyed a career resurgence in 1929 when he returned to the Braves and batted .284 as their regular shortstop. He earned MVP votes in five of the last seven seasons of his career, finally retiring at the age of 43 following the 1935 season.

Maranville collected 2,605 hits in 2,670 big league games, batting .258 over his career. A stellar fielder, he holds the all-time record for putouts by a shortstop with 5,139, and he's fifth on the all-time list for assists by a shortstop with 7,354. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1954, a few short months following his passing.

Building the Set

June 11, 2022 from Macungie, PA - Card #56

I added this card to my eBay watch list a while ago, and in early June I received a reminder e-mail that this seller (chet126) was accepting offers on the card. I made what I thought was a reasonable offer, and the seller quickly accepted. Having collected nearly half this iconic set at this point, I've come to realize the hardest cards to find are from the set's first and third series. Cards from the second series have been fairly easy to find, and I was happy to add this card from the first series at a reasonable price, especially considering Maranville is a Hall of Famer. This card arrived as the school year was winding down and as we were looking forward to our many summer plans.

Variations Available

1 - 1934 / green back / 1933 statistics / 1934 copyright

2 - 1935 / green back / 1934 statistics / 1934 copyright ✅

The Card / Braves Team Set

The tip on the back of the card explains how second baseman like Maranville turn double plays. There's also an indication on the back that Maranville had missed the entire 1934 season due to a broken leg - see below.

1935 Season

Maranville missed the entire 1934 season having broken his left fibula and tibia in a collision at home plate during an exhibition game. He attempted a comeback in 1935 with the Braves, playing in only 23 games and batting .149 (10 for 67) for a team that would lose 115 games. Maranville made 18 starts at second base, including his final game on September 29th against the Giants in which he went 0 for 4.