Editing Hack Wilson (section)

===Decline===
Wilson's success in the 1930 season served only to fuel his drinking habits, and in [[1931 Chicago Cubs season|1931]] he reported to [[spring training]] 20 pounds overweight.<ref name="Hack Wilson Belted Homers, Hecklers with Equal Gusto"/> In addition, the NL responded to the prodigious offensive statistics of the previous year (the only season, other than 1894, in which the league as a whole batted over .300<ref>National League year-by-year batting averages. [https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/bat.shtml Baseball-Reference.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180803134515/https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/bat.shtml |date=August 3, 2018 }}. Retrieved September 2, 2014.</ref>) by introducing a heavier ball with raised stitching to allow pitchers to gain a better grip and throw sharper [[curveball]]s.<ref>{{cite news |title=National League Changes Ball To Curtail Slugging |agency=Associated Press |work=St. Petersburg Times |page=2 |date=February 4, 1931 |access-date=March 1, 2011 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SStPAAAAIBAJ&pg=6893,1920686&dq=hack+wilson&hl=en |archive-date=April 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220426120628/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SStPAAAAIBAJ&pg=6893%2C1920686&dq=hack+wilson&hl=en |url-status=live }}</ref> Wilson complained that the new Cubs manager, Hornsby, did not allow him to "swing away" as much as Joe McCarthy had.<ref>{{cite news |title=Hack Wilson Raps Hornsby's Tactics |work=Saskatoon Star-Phoenix |page=6 |date=August 31, 1938 |access-date=March 1, 2011 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=w1VjAAAAIBAJ&pg=4308,5771258&dq=hack+wilson&hl=en |archive-date=April 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220426120628/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=w1VjAAAAIBAJ&pg=4308%2C5771258&dq=hack+wilson&hl=en |url-status=live }}</ref> He hit his 200th career home run at Ebbets Field on June 18 — only the fourth player ever to do so, behind Ruth, [[Cy Williams]], and Hornsby{{sfn|Parker|2000|p=134}} — but then fell into a protracted slump, and was benched in late May.<ref>{{cite news |title=Hack Wilson Benched For Light Hitting |agency=United Press International |work=The Telegraph-Herald and Times-Journal |page=9 |date=May 25, 1931 |access-date=March 1, 2011 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ygRRAAAAIBAJ&pg=2554,694433&dq=hack+wilson&hl=en}}</ref> By late August, Wrigley publicly expressed his desire to trade him.<ref>{{cite news |title=Cubs To Trade Hack Wilson |agency=Associated Press |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |page=2 |date=August 31, 1931 |access-date=March 1, 2011 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gZUxAAAAIBAJ&pg=5070,3260599&dq=hack+wilson&hl=en}}</ref> On September 6, he was suspended without pay for the remainder of the season after a fight with reporters aboard a train in Cincinnati.<ref>{{cite news |title=Wilson Loses Fielding Job After Brawl |agency=INS |work=The Telegraph-Herald and Times-Journal |page=9 |date=September 9, 1931 |access-date=March 1, 2011 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=R5BSAAAAIBAJ&pg=2604,487134&dq=hack+wilson&hl=en}}</ref> He was hitting .261 with only 13 home runs (his 1930 production during August alone) at the time.<ref name="Hack Wilson statistics"/>

In December 1931, the Cubs traded Wilson, along with [[Bud Teachout]], to the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] for [[Burleigh Grimes]].<ref name="Hack Wilson statistics"/> Less than a month later, the Cardinals sent him to the [[Brooklyn Dodgers]] for minor league outfielder Bob Parham and $25,000 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|25000|1932}}}} in current dollar terms).<ref name="Hack Wilson statistics"/> Wilson hit .297 with 23 home runs and 123 RBIs for Brooklyn in [[1932 Brooklyn Dodgers season|1932]]. He began [[1933 Brooklyn Dodgers season|1933]] with a ninth-inning game-winning [[Pinch hitter|pinch-hit]] inside-the-park [[Grand slam (baseball)|grand slam]] home run at Ebbets Field—the first pinch-hit grand slam in Dodger history, and only the third inside-the-park pinch-hit grand slam in MLB history.<ref>Hack Wilson Biography [https://baseballbiography.com/hack-wilson-1900 BaseballBiography.com]</ref> By season's end, his offensive totals had dropped substantially, and he was hitting .262 when the Dodgers released him mid-season in [[1934 Brooklyn Dodgers season|1934]].<ref name="Hack Wilson statistics"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Hack Wilson Given Gate By Brooklyn Club Solons |agency=INS |work=Rochester Evening Journal |page=26 |date=August 9, 1934 |access-date=March 1, 2011 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wapZAAAAIBAJ&pg=1272,4511814&dq=hack+wilson&hl=en |archive-date=November 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211119172651/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wapZAAAAIBAJ&pg=1272%2C4511814&dq=hack+wilson&hl=en |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Philadelphia Phillies]] signed him immediately, but after just two hits in 20 [[at bat|at-bat]]s he was released again a month later.<ref>{{cite news |title=Phils Release Hack Wilson |agency=Associated Press |work=Herald-Journal |page=7 |date=September 6, 1934 |access-date=March 1, 2011 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6oosAAAAIBAJ&pg=2760,443419&dq=hack+wilson&hl=en |archive-date=November 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211125164729/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6oosAAAAIBAJ&pg=2760%2C443419&dq=hack+wilson&hl=en |url-status=live }}</ref> After a final season with the [[Albany Senators (minor league baseball)|Albany Senators]] of the Class "A" [[New York–Pennsylvania League (1923–37)|New York–Pennsylvania League]], Wilson retired at the age of 35.<ref name="Hack Wilson minor league statistics"/>