Rabbit Maranville

Walter James Vincent "Rabbit" Maranville (November 11, 1891 – January 6, 1954) was an American professional baseball shortstop, second baseman, and manager. He played in Major League Baseball for the Boston Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Robins, and St. Louis Cardinals between 1912 and 1934.

In his first full season, as a 21-year-old with the Boston Braves in 1913, Maranville finished third in the Most Valuable Player voting, despite batting just .247 with two home runs in 143 games. The following year he was the runner-up in the MVP voting to teammate Johnny Evers as the Braves won the National League pennant and then swept the Philadelphia Athletics in the World Series. That season Maranville hit cleanup for the Braves while batting .246 with four home runs. Following the Series, he and several of his teammates went on a vaudeville tour.

At the time of his retirement in 1935, Maranville had played a record 23 seasons in the National League, a mark that stood until Pete Rose broke it in 1986. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1954, recognized mainly on the strength of his defensive abilities.