Los Angeles herald., 1907-07-28
NO ACCOUNTING FOR REASONS
OF POPULARITY
HANS WAGNER AND LAJoIE ARE
FAVoRlTEs
Jeffries, Greatest Fighter World Ever
Knew, Not Particularly Fancied.
Jack Dempsey oueered
Fitzsimmons

who deserves most of the sporting pubic
who becomes the popular idol
James ]. Jeffries is as great fighter
as ever drew on a glove, and many ex-
perts believe he could have beaten John
L. Sullivan on the best day the Boston,
ian ever knew, but he never was wor-
SHIPPED by the public as John L. was.
A host of similar instances could be
named in all directions. They go to
prove that popularity is not necessarily
the reward of talent. 1t is a mysterious
sentiment that attaches itself to boxer,
ball player, horseman and sticks to him
through thick and thin.
The case of Silk OLoughlin, American
league umpire, proves that man can
become popular even in this most diff
cult of callings
OLoughlin is a good umpire, yet he
is no better than Sheridan, Connolly or
several others who might be named.
But he has personality. He is always
interesting. He is alive and alert on
the field. He follows the plays closely.
He calls his decisions loudly as If he
enjoyed having the right to decide. The
crowd loves to hear him say Ball
Tuh!" or with a sweep of the right
hand announce in accents permitting no
protest, You're out!' Hence O'Lough-
lin always gets hand from the fans
Wagner and Lajoie Favorltes
OF ball players no present day stars
have the following of Wagner and Lajoie
New Workers. would have the remainder
of the country believe that Mathewson
and Chase get into the front rank of the
supreme favorites but there is no COM
parison between them and Cleveland and
Pittsburg burlies.
Part of the vogue of the Frenchman
hand the German perhaps results from the
fact that they are famed as hitters.
Above all things in baseball the fan loves
the batter. The pitcher is admired be-
cause of his prime necessity to team,
the catcher is respected because he is
the completing end of strikeout plays
and must do the throwing to bases; the
good stops of the infielder are applaud
ed; so are the pretty catches of the out
fielder, and the advanced fan, who is
an expert on the game, will even have
| a hand for the scientific batsman who
bunts and sacrifices cleverly.
| But after all is said and done the
| crowd loves the slugger, the fellow who
can send the ball banging up against the
| fence for the two and three-bagger, or
even put it out of the lot for the most
thrilling of incidents-a home run.
| Lajoie and Wagner both excel in every
| other department of the game. They are
superb players in their positions and can
moreover perform successfully in any
position except pitcher or catcher, but
above all, they are sluggers.
Examination of National and American
league records show that in his ten
years as a member of fast company from
the time he went to Philadelphia from
the Fall River team, through his five
years in each league, the batting of
Lajoie has been equaled only by Cap
Anson and Dan Brouthers.
Never in that time has he hit below
300 and twice he has hit higher than
400 Five times he has been the leading
hitter of his organization, and never
has rated outside of the first five.
Hits the Ball Hard
And Lajoie has to get good, honest
drives to bring up his average for he is
not hitter to beat out little infield taps
by fast running.
! Wagner, though built like an elephant.
is lightning fast, and can get over ground
quicker while bending to pick up ball
than any man in baseball. His chest is
out of proportion to his legs. it is so I'M
mense His center of gravity seems to
be entirely displaced. 1t is somewhere
around his knees instead of his waist.
But he can play his position phenomenal
ly and he bats every year, against all
pitchers, with the most perfect consis-
tency. Moreover, he is wonderful base
runner and a dashng player, who is ever
taking chances.
Wagner was with Dreyfuss in Louis
VILE and played third base AT Pittsburg
he has been in every position on the team,
| save pitcher and catcher
Waddel used to be a lion, and is yet,
though he is no longer the country's lead
ing pitcher Fred Tenny, first Of the great
left-handed first basemen, has big fol-
lowing, and George Stone of st. Louis,
George Davis, Jiggs Donohue, Young
Rohe and Nick Altrock of the worlds
champions; Chance, Brown Evers, Tinker
and King of the club they beat; Old Cy
Young of the Boston Americans and
Young Cy Young of the Boston Nationals,
Magee of the Phillies. Fred Clarke of
Pittsburg, Jimmy Collins of the Athletics
and Coughlin of Detroit are players who
not only have a following in their own
cities but are applauded all over the cir
cult.
Among boxers, the ring hero who is
Irish in extraction has the inside rail in
the race for popularity. Most of those
who have been idolized could trace their
descent to Erin's isle, where fighting is a
national habit.
No boxer who ever lived enjoyed the
vogue that was John L. Sullivan's. If he
rode across the country in railroad train
crowds gathered at every station just to
see the car that had the champion LOT an
occupant.
In any city he never walked down the
street without having a crowd of any
where from fifty to 1000 after him. People
would fight at the mere suggestion of
criticism of the big fellow. He did things
which were wrong, and figured daily in
various misconduct, but the public always
forgave him He was John L., little
eccentric in conduct, perhaps, but he de-
livered the goods, and they loved him
Loyalty.
Even today Sullivan is a bigger card
than any man connected with boxing. He
can make $500 week with his vaudeville
act lust because the public still likes to
see him. Fathers actually bring their
children to see the man from whom Cor
bett took the championship at New Or
leans fifteen years ago.
Next to Sullivan, the most popular
fighter of modern times was Terry Nc
Govern. He was sort of Sullivan in
miniature, wonderful puncher, a man
who won decisive victories who polished
off the best men who could be found in
jig time. Young Corbett, who knocked
out Terrible Terry and gave the ring one
of its greatest upsets, never attained