The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-12-08
| F | It's II E r E
IT'S RIGHT
LEADING STARS
OF BIG LEAGUES
Cobb and Wagner Seem to Be
Most Sensational Players
of the Year.

Some weeks ago the athletic director
of a great university gave out an in
teresting interview on the various ply
steal requirements necessary to the
athlete who would excel in any of the
great outdoor sports. He spoke of the
short lower leg and strong ankle of the
jumper; the long-muscled, clean-cut
frame of the runner; the broad, sturdy
frame of the football player. and so on.
But when he came 10 baseball he threw
up mis- hands
Baseball players are Of all shapes
sizes and ages, and there is not the
slightest warrant for naming anything
but good health as an essential" he
said.
Young Ty Cobb, champion batter
and hero Of the American League, and
the veteran Hans Wagner. who again
dlstanced all corners for honors in the
National League, seem 70 show the
wisdom of the experts views Both
men arrived at the same place, but by
widely different methods.
Rise Is Sensational.
Cobb shares with Hal Chase the fame
of being "the most remarkable young
player of the day." and Cobb's rise to
first place was even more sensational
than the Yankee stars. Coming from
very minor league. the South Allan
tic, in two years of big league ball he
is the most talked-of player of the sea
son. Besides leading the American
League in batting, with an average of
1852, the young Detroit player showed
the veterans Of the league how to steal
bases, leading the list with forty-nine
pilfered bags.
This year he has been the sensation
of baseball. His batting and base run
ming were the fan talk Of eight cities.
OF medium height with straight, clean.
but muscular build, powerful, tapering
legs, a quick, accurate eye, a wonder
full throwing arm, and, above all, a su-
perbly insOient confidence I'm himself,
he became the greatest ballplayer OF
the league while but little more than
a boy.
Big, awkward, conscientious. good
natuTed Hans Wagner, steady and
strong in his years of baseball lore.
greatest ballplayer in the country, is
the direct antithesis Of young Cobb
So much has been written for years of
the virtues and ability of the great
Pirate shortstop that even a recapitu-
lation is almost superhuoUs This year
however, he accomplished one feat thar
adds to his honors.
Record of Long Batting Success.
He established a new record fer long
batting success on the diamond this
being the fifth year that he has held
the National League title. He won
the batting championship with a mark
of $50 and the base-running honors
with siXty-One stolen sacks He is
just behind Cobb in batting honors and
lar ahead in base running on the year.
No one ever saw anything graceful
or picturesque about Wagner on the
diamond. His movements have been
likened to the gambols of a caracoIing
elephant. He is ungainly and so bow
legged that when he runs his limbs
SCENE to be moving in a circle. after
the fashion of a propeller. But he can
run like the wind. When he starts
after a grOunder every outlying pOr-
ton of his anatomy apparently has
ideas of its own about the proper line
of direction to be taken. His position
at the bat is less awkward and the
muscular swing Of his great arms and
shoulders is strong enough to drive the
ball farther than most batters who hit
from their toe spikes up.