The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-08-19
CARDS ON THE DIAMOND.
L4JOIE, WAGNER ADD KEEL
 ER.
WaddeH and AIathewsOn May be Added to the List-ArIie Latham and King kelly Were This Kind.

! Professional baseball has from time
 to time been addorned by players who
 for want of a better description may
 be referred to as drawing cards" says
 the New York Sun. Of course, teams,
 rather than individuals, and the game | itself are the main magnets, but there are and have been certain players who by virtue of a mixture of ability and
 personality have had drawing powers of their own as distinguished from the | desire to see the teams of which they
 have been members play. Take Napo- i leon Lapoie,, of the Cleyelands, for in- stance. There is one man in this city who never goes to a ball game unless the clevelands are playing here, and he goes then for no other reason than
 to see Lajoie play. There is something
 in the style of play and manner of the
 great Larry that attracts him, and
 doubtless there are others who feel the same way.
 LajOie's supreme ability as ball. player, the easy grace with which he 1 does things on the ball field, his naturalness and want of effort and the | nonchalant way in which he hammers
 the ball for distant flights make him a
 card that in the eyes of some patrons of the game no one else squalls. And 'cards" of this class are no mean factors in swelling the coffers of baseball clubs treasury. All New Workers who attend ball games re member what a tremendous card
 Christy Mathewson was at the first
 year he acquired fame as a boxman. ''Is Mathewson going to pitch to-day?'
 was the query of many when they thought of going to the game. If so, am going up to see him. MatheWson
 in himself drew big crowds both in this city and elsewhere. He was "card"
 then and still is one.
 Two present-day "cards" are Willie Keeler and Hans Wagner. The big salary that Keeler got when he first joined the New York Americans, the fact that he is a little man, but the most scientific batter in baseball today, his own personal popularity, for he is a gentleman both on and off the field and his all around worth make him a
 
 etfulgent as a star and 'card' with Lajoie is Wagner the big, numbering, but fast and active shortstop of the Pittsburg club. Many an extra dollar has Wagner drawn into the excheuuer of the Pittsburg club. He gobbles up impossible grounders, roams all over the field for fly balls, throws men out at first from any position and when he lays that big bat of his against a pitched ball he is likely to loosen a board in the fence. These things the cranks know, and though on foreign grounds nothing gives the rooters so much delight as to see Hans Wagner strike out, they enjoy almost as much seeing him lace the ball to the bound ary. His popularity, too, plays a part His huge, long arms almost touch the ground, he has shoulders like the back of hack, his legs are bowed and he is the very embodiment of strength, skill and speed-ungainly, but powerful.
 Jack Chesbro, built on lines some- what similar to Wagners was a big, "card' last year when he was pitching invincible ball. and now that he is rounding to his season and showing his true form, will be as much of a, "card' as ever. There is something about his personality also, that makes him an interesting sight in the pitchers box. The eccentric Rube Waddell, the left-hand pitcher of the Philadelphia Americans, invariably increases the size of the attendance when it is known that he is going to officiate on the mound. Aside from the swift, snake-like shoots that the Rube hurls over the plate the fact that he is a character both on and off the field makes him draw. He is a queer com- pound, volatile, cratic and brimming over with animal spirits, but a wonder full pitcher.
 Baseball never had bigger "card' than Mike Kelley, the famous 'ten- thousand-dollar beauty of the Bos- ton team. We have not looked upon his like since. His quickness of wit trickiness on the ball field and breezy, dominating personality did as much as his ability as a player to make him famous, and he had big personal fol- lowing. An associate "card" of Kel- ley's was John Clarkson. Clarkson did not have the individuality that Kelley had, but the fact that he was a master of his craft and one of the brainest pitchers that ever toed the slab was re- cognized, and the box office testified to his powers as an attraction.
 Of all the ball players who in them selves helped fill the seats Arlie Lat ham was unique. Latham was as full of irrepressible spirits as an egg is full of meat. When in his prime he was fine ball player, too, but his wit as a coacher and his laughter-com ing monkey shines-in either of which was he ever the least bit coarse-made him perhaps, the most distinctive char acter the national game ever has had Efforts to initiate him were the sincer- est flattery, but always failures. Base- ball has had but one Dule Latham. None but he ever ran down to first base 1 and he could sprint bit-on his toes in that peculiar manner or kicked his I heels together in the air with so much | abandon. The deep and dignified old | Roman, Charlie Comiskey, who played 1 with him on the old St. Louis Browns | of revered memory. was another domin- | ating charater with following of his | ONn b11t 6iffarnpt fro,1,