Maranville, Rabbit

Rabbit Maranville, byname of Walter James Vincent Maranville, (born November 11, 1891, Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S.—died January 5, 1954, Queens, New York), American professional baseball player who is rated as one of the finest shortstops of the game.

Maranville, who batted and threw right-handed, played minor league baseball during the years 1911–12 for a team in New Bedford, Massachusetts. He joined the National League Boston Braves in 1912, playing with them through the 1920 season. In 1914 Maranville and his team had a remarkable season—the Braves went from being in last place in the National League on the Fourth of July to being the winners of the pennant and the World Series, while Maranville led the league in putouts (407), assists (574), and total chances (1,046).

Maranville moved around in his later career: to the Pittsburgh Pirates (1921–24), the Chicago Cubs (1925), the Brooklyn Dodgers (1926), and the St. Louis Cardinals (1927–28), finishing back with the Boston Braves (1929–35, with the exception of 1934, when he broke his leg in spring training). He also managed, in addition to playing for, the Cubs in part of the 1925 season and the Cardinals in the 1928 World Series. After retiring as a player, he managed in the minor leagues (1936–41), even playing a few games in 1939, and thereafter coached children in several sports. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, in 1954.