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Auggie

(32,512 posts)
29. To be "Wally Pipped"
Sat Aug 9, 2025, 08:29 AM
Aug 9

Last edited Sat Aug 9, 2025, 11:51 AM - Edit history (1)

Wally Pipp played 1st base for the Yankees. On June 2, 1925, he requested to sit because of a headache. Lou Gehrig started in his place, thus beginning a streak of 2,130 consecutive games played at 1st.

Urban Dictionary: To be "Wally Pipped" is when someone in a role temporarily leaves their position and is replaced by a much better unknown person who then takes over the position.


From wikipededia:

According to the most popular version of the story, Pipp showed up at Yankee Stadium that day with a severe headache, and asked the team's trainer for two aspirin. Miller Huggins, the Yankees' manager, noticed this, and said "Wally, take the day off. We'll try that kid Gehrig at first today and get you back in there tomorrow." Gehrig played well and became the Yankees' new starting first baseman. This story first appeared in a 1939 New York World-Telegram on Gehrig's career, in which Pipp was interviewed. Pipp was later quoted to have said, "I took the two most expensive aspirin in history."

SNIP

By 1953, Pipp reported to The New York Times that he was taken out of the lineup due to being hit in the head by a pitch thrown by Charlie Caldwell during batting practice. However, while Pipp was hit in the head by a pitch from Caldwell and was hospitalized, this event occurred on July 2, a month after Pipp's benching.

The New York Sun reported the benching was due to Pipp's struggles against left-handed pitchers, as southpaw George Mogridge was the scheduled starting pitcher for the Senators on June 2.

Other sources suggest Yankee manager Miller Huggins may have actually benched Pipp and other veterans in order to "shake up" the slumping lineup. According to another story, supported by Gehrig's wife, Pipp was not at the game on June 2 because he was gambling on horse racing at a race track. His son Thomas denied this rumor, stating that his father never bet on horses.When interviewed by Sports Illustrated, Pipp's own children disagreed on the reason for their father's benching, believing it was either due to Pipp being beaned or struggling

Thomas believed Pipp told Huggins to play Gehrig in his place, as he knew Gehrig had a future with the Yankees, while he likely did not. According to a popular legend, Pipp asked to sit due to a headache. The story was confirmed by Thomas and by Bill Werber.[25]


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More recent idiom coined by Mike Krukow, San Francisco Giants announcer: "Magic Wandoo."

Magic Wandoo describes a ball in play that takes an unexpected or mysterious bounce, direction, spin, hop, rate of speed that leads to a hit, productive out, on-base appearance, etc., or, an amazing defensive effort.

Example:

Angel Pagan lead off the 1st with a double down the right field line and Buster Posey broke out the magic wandoo with a hard hit ball to the short stop Cliff Pennington. Hunter Pence came up and one upped Buster Posey with the magic wandoo when he literally threw the bat and hit a single up the middle that hit second base and bounced over second baseman Chris Owings‘ head. Seriously, would you expect anything else from Hunter Pence?

Recommendations

2 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

I played softball for my company's team many years ago and we had a coach that always said can of corn Deuxcents Aug 8 #1
"Can of corn" is in the article at the link Diamond_Dog Aug 8 #2
I know most of those... Wounded Bear Aug 8 #3
Bug on a rug ... aka worm burner... Diamond_Dog Aug 8 #5
Yeah, usually the leadoff guy is someone with a higher on base percentage... Wounded Bear Aug 8 #7
the guys you expect to get on base and maybe steal are the 1 and 2 batters rampartd Aug 9 #28
high hard one. (oops) usonian Aug 8 #4
Lol! Diamond_Dog Aug 8 #6
Oh, dear God, I hope he doesn't hit that!! lastlib Aug 8 #11
I don't know if that's a glass or plastic bottle. usonian Aug 9 #25
Submariner popped into my head. House of Roberts Aug 8 #8
That's a good one. Diamond_Dog Aug 8 #10
"Phenom" is one. "Up for a cup of coffee" is aotherl "Warning track power" brush Aug 8 #9
Those are all good ones! Diamond_Dog Aug 8 #12
Thanks, DD. Another one is "tools of ignorance." Might be too obscure. brush Aug 8 #17
Posted right in the link MichMan Aug 8 #21
5 Tool Was The First One I Thought Of! ProfessorGAC Aug 10 #40
Those are the rarest players. A few have been added to the list lately. brush Aug 10 #43
Cepeda & McCovey Were Slow ProfessorGAC Aug 10 #44
Hank Aaron was 'steady eddie' re: his consistent HR totals every year... brush Aug 10 #45
And, i Won't! ProfessorGAC Aug 10 #46
One of Casey Stengel's favorites was "butcher boy" rsdsharp Aug 8 #13
Well, that's a new one for me! Diamond_Dog Aug 8 #14
Mickey, too! rsdsharp Aug 8 #15
I believe "can of corn" was one of Bob Prince's lines he was the Pirates announcer in the 60s & 70s. Devilsun Aug 8 #16
Yes, and he also would use "bug on the rug." Diamond_Dog Aug 9 #36
Little League home run lapucelle Aug 8 #18
The Cubs longtime broadcaster Jack Brickhouse had one. boonecreek Aug 8 #19
Wall scraper The Wizard Aug 8 #20
Baltimore Chop CanonRay Aug 8 #22
Southpaw CanonRay Aug 8 #23
It Actually Makes A Lot Of Sense ProfessorGAC Aug 10 #41
Bush League CanonRay Aug 8 #24
That one was in the article too Diamond_Dog Aug 9 #30
"Frank and Ernest Play Ball" is a fun children's book by Alexandra Day that is full of them. I KitFox Aug 9 #26
How about ultralite001 Aug 9 #27
How could I forget "chin music"! Diamond_Dog Aug 9 #31
My dad was a catcher long ago... ultralite001 Aug 9 #35
You're welcome, ultralite001! Diamond_Dog Aug 9 #38
To be "Wally Pipped" Auggie Aug 9 #29
Thank you Auggie, those were great! I've never heard of either one. Diamond_Dog Aug 9 #32
You are welcome ... Auggie Aug 9 #33
You are correct! Diamond_Dog Aug 9 #37
🤣🤣🤣 ultralite001 Aug 9 #34
"The String is Out" Auggie Aug 10 #39
Yep! You are correct. Diamond_Dog Aug 10 #47
A Few Others ProfessorGAC Aug 10 #42
I have to admit I've never heard of any of those! Except for "blooper" or "bloop hit". Diamond_Dog Aug 10 #48
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