Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-22
WAGNER APPARENTLY
CARR|ES0 OUT THREAT
Bids Farewell! to Associates
and Declares He's Out of
Base Ball for the
Season.
BY Billy Evans.

By Billy Evans.
If Hans Wagner of the Pittsburg team
makes good his retirement from base ball,
though only for year, he will be one of
the refreshing characters connected " tn
the great sport.
Farewell tours, positively my last
year." and threats to retire are popular
means of diversion among players, UNI
pires and managers. Generally the an
nouncements are made in the fall. but
gentle spring finds them all back on the
firing line.
Just what causes the men connected
with base ball to make lot of threats
and then fail to make any Of them good
is a deep mystery. Quite often player,
umpire or manager is just about dis
gusted with base ball when the season
ends. but winter of rest gives him plenty
OF time to forget everything, and he
comes back strong for more trouble.
Often the threat Is polite way OF max
ing it known that a raise in salary is de-
sired.
Shortly after the close of last season
Wagner announced that he intended TO
retire from the game for a year and en-
joy every minute OF that time The
fans read the statement and smiled, for
they cas- ly recalled number Of similar
assertions that had been heralded to them
Barney Dreyfuss didn't worry bit, for
I've felt confident that he and Manager
Clarke could influence Wagner to change
his mind. In case persuasion failed,
Dreyfuss was certain that money would
tempt him.
Throughout the winter at various times
came statements from Wagner in which
he insisted that he was in earnest. that
he intended to quit the game for year
and perhaps permanently, that nothing
would induce him to reconsider his de-
Cision
When the fittsburg team started on Its
annual training trip. sure enough Wagner
among the missing. All kinds of
tempting bait had been placed his way,
hut he failed to bite at any of the dainty
morsels offered He babe the players
goodbye, wished them we'll and then
liked back to his home in a $1,000 auto
mobile bought from his base ball saw
ings.
There is something funny and mysteri-
Gus about the retirement of the great
Wagner.
The average ball player sticks to the
big leagues until he is labeled a has
been" and then he drops to the minors, to
play Indefinite engagement. Wagner.
IN the other hand. is getting out Of the
game at the very zenith of his career.
when he is regarded as one of the great
est players that ever donned glove.
Quite often the salary question causes
player to feel like quitting the game,
but the coin has nothing to do with the
Wagner case. When $4,000 failed to
make Wagner even think about returning
To the game, Dreyfuss is said to have
offered him a contract and told him to
fill in his own figures, but even this was
spurned.
Wagner insists that the game is getting
TOO strenuous and that he yearns for rest!
Tut such a reason doesn't go very we'll
when Wasner's wonderful record is taken
into consideration. The harder the cam
raign the better the big Teuton seemed
10 go. Some critics claim that Wagner's
reason is a personal one and dates back
To the time OF the sale of Ritchey to
the Boston team It's a question, how
ever. If the real reason has been given
Tor Wagner's failure to join the Pirates.
No one has ever questioned the right
of Wagner to be cla ssed as one of the
greatest players the game has ever pro-
duced. That he is today the greatest
shortstop in the world is not disputed.
What is worrying the Pittsburg fans and
DTeyfuss. however. is: Can Wagner rest
for year and come back as speedy as
Cverr
y ball PLAYER is a peculiar piece of
mechanism. After a rest of six months in
the winter. it takes six or seven weeks
of active training to get him in shape
for the summers campaign. Can Wag-
ner after resting for year and half
get back into harness. take a little pre-
liminary work and be the Wagner OF Ole?
Wagner believes the rest will help him,
hut there are many who see it the other
way.
ball player uses certain sets of mus
cles in his daily work, and in ORDER for
i'm to be a star these muscles Ilust al
ways be in good condition. II he car
res TOO much weight he slows up; II
the muscles in his legs or arm go back
on him ne must rest. Some fear that
Wagner will put OH much weight. q S
athletes always do after leading active
lives for a number of years. Others
fear Ehe muscles of his wonderful
fabby and greatly affect his speed. All
these things are possibilities. but Wag-
Hcr il willing to take the chance.
Wagner started his big league career
with Louisville and from the very first
same he showed that he was destined
10 be star in the base ball world. He
began as an outfielder and was shifted
around considerably. until 1t was dis
sition. He played two years with Louis
vile and was then transferred TO Pitts
burg, where he has since remained.
In his eleven years of major league
hall the great player has never once
fallen below the 300 mark in batting.
and on five occasions he has led the
National League in the batting end Of
the game. He has carried of The swat
honors four out of the last five years.
and in 1908 finished second. losing out
10 Seymour by very Scant margin.
Ills lowest average was in his second
year. when lie fell 40 800 and his high
est In 1900. when he reached the $50
mark in the swat department.
Following is the record of Wagner at