The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-01-23
turned. around batted left-handed and

turned around, batted left-handed ana made two-base hit.
 "Taylor used a slow ball almost en- tireiy against Wagner. a slow foater, low and over the inside corner of the plate, mixing with a tantiznig slow curve Just outside The word went around that ray Tor had at last discovered wagner weakness, and pitchers began trying nm on slow ones, but stopped suddenly when Wagner started shattering the outneio fences with the ball, taking a short run forward to meet the slow ones and break- ing up the games with long hits.
 "There has been a report that Wagner is yellow, which in basepall is the cardi- nal sin, meaning that he is not game. The evidence to back up this charge IS lack ing entirely, but it started because or one of the real tragedies of Wagners career "Pittsburg had won the champlonsnlp of the National league and was battling
 with Boston for the worlds champion- ship. Three out of the first four games were won by Pittsburg. then the pitcn- ers worn out by the strain, weakened and Boston by a magnificent squirt won all the other games and the coveted nag
 "In the deciding game Wagner funpled ball near third base. His team was leading by two runs His error gave Bos- ton the victory, and Wagner was the most broken man in the team Even some of his fellows charged he had shown the white feather, but Wagner in his grief said I wouldn't mind it for myself but the boys deserved to win
 Last fall Wagner at last had his op- portunity to rebuke his critics When finally Pittsburg had won the National league championship and came to face Detroit in the series for the highest hon. ors in baseball many even of Wagner admirers said The Dutchman will quit. : In that heart-breaking series, pitted against Cobb, the American league hero, Wagner atoned for the loss of the Boston series and gave perhaps the greatest ex- hibition of individual batting and field ing ever seen.
 "He was a machine and there was a chance to judge his range on two plays that came one after another in the third
 game of the series. Both were hard hlt ground balls that reached the line be- tween second and third perhaps in one and half seconds. One went just out of -Byrnes reach, perhaps 12 feet from third base, and Wagner covering about 37 feet of ground, travelling to his right and outward. fielded it and threw his man out. The next went straight over second base and Wagner. travelling prob ably 40 feet, reached that one pack or
 
 "The manner in which Pittsburg scored four victories and most of their runs in the seven games grew almost monotonous in its certainty, and it Is small wonder that the thing got on the nerves or the
 Tiger pitchers. The great majority of Pittsburg's runs were made in the fol- lowing manner, and most Of their Win ming rallies show the same process: Byrne reached first, mostly on base on T a1, r1t1l1e Detroit field out of natural position by pretending he would sacrifice, and instead of bunt- ling he slashed the ball hard past the in- fielder. who was unbalanced or running forward to meet bunt.
 "Clarke followed, and If he failed Wag- ner walked to the plate, took lunging swing at the ball and the runs came home. Wagner was demonstrating his gameness.
 "Rheumatism and violent exercise have affected Wagner's legs, and he wants to retire before he begins to retrograde Tn his efficiency as player. Twice he mas quit entirely, thinking the end of his days of usefulness was over. Last spring when the Pittsburg team started training Fred Clarke and Wagner both had de- cided to retire forever from baseball, Clarke to his Kansas ranch and Wagner to his business interests and chicken 
 farm at Carnegie, taking two or the oreatest players of the game away from it. Dreyfuss went to Clarke. Fred he said, am putting aimos. A million dollars into the new park. 1T vou and John quit now what will the team beg .s 4.
 "Clarke, who had promised his wife to abstain from baseball, asked her permis- sion to give just one more year or ms life to the man who has backed nm ever since he took charge al Louls',n.' , a.,u sha consented. Clarke went to Wagner. and between them they agreed, for the sake of Dreyfuss, to play one more sea- son and to retire together.
 "Perbaps Dreyfuss may persuaoe "as "a nlav arain-but I think not, for We yner has achieved his ambition, and with the going of the big, quiet, earnest German baseball will lose true sports man, to which eulogy nothing can De