The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-06-19
king Of BATTERS
HASAWFUL SLUMP
Fans Wild to Know Secret of
Pirate Slugger'S
Downfall.
FEW LIKE Him IN HISTORY
c. E. VAN LOAN TELLS OF PEER
LESS wIELDERs OF WILLOW.
uv c. VAN LOAN.

New York. June fs-Listent Has
anyone here seen Hans W8gner's goat2
All up and down the big circuit tho
fans are asking each other. whats the
matter with Hans wagner this season.
What has happened 90 the old boyg-
There is some reason for the query.
The big six by four TcutCn. who for the
past thirteen years has been pelting the
Dill Tor better than n 900 average Is
away down tlis scason-away down
The way the prize peter or the biz
league ls hitting this year. no pitcher is
30 nervous that De cannot look the Ger
man demon ln the white or the eye.
When the hitting average are COM
piled, the first thing the average ian
does is 20 look for Wagner and Ty
Cobb And this season they have TO
look long why down before they en-
counter thc name OF the Ptttsburg
paragon. Hans has slumped before In
bis long career. but not iu Tie memory
o. the oldest fan has De gone so far
Into the season without showing Mt
least n flash of his old CAST
Away back in'1S97 ar Wagner wal
Hoped his way into the 900 class with
an average Of .stf. and just TO prove
that there was no error about g. Hans
has been hitting over 900 ever since,
p feat beaten by only two men In the
history OF the major leagues. and IL
may be said for Wagner tnat neither
Arson or Er0ufhcrs worked against the
hit spite" out Of the lot
Old Cap Arson dropped into the 800
and over" class FOR riftCcn years.
straight. beginning with 1875 and
winding up with 1890. Then old Cap
lost his oar for two years and came
back with five straight seasons hitting
above 300
Pitchers Less Formidable.
Dan Bsouthers. the other grcat hit
ting first hascm1n. scored for fourteen
We without break. beginning in
IN I'd closing his phenomenal streak
IN The pitcher did not have so
many res in the hole IN those days,
and hittcrs were not such rare
birds - they are today. That is why
the mighty Hans deserves TO rank IS
the greatest hitter OF the period Of his
service.
wee wmie KeeIer. with his placed
singles over the infield. ties wagner
with thirteen years iu the 800 class.
but the thirteenth year finished Wee
VIM. while FOR the last two years OF
his tenure he barely scrapcd throu gh-
Arson worked against nothing but
ruuud-house curves and speed. in a day
when the batter had some chance FOR
his life. His grand average FOR his fif-
teen consecutive years was sol. while
Dan brouthCrs, his rival. who happened
along five years later. tore into the
200 class and I'm fourteen consecutive
years nmassed an average OF 1852. Just
notching out OF the world renowned
Cap.
Fcclcr. the other OF the everlasting
800 hittcrs- hung up an average or $50.
was once over 400 and twice in the
$50 class. which helped him out when
fu 1906 and 1906 he hit .302 and .30f.
Wagner came along three years after
Keller and has outclaHScd him as n
800 hitter FOR the same NUM- Der Of
years. and while the other men all got
above 400 at some time TN their ca
recrs. Wagner never reached that LOFTY
cmincucc. but nevertheless is there
years.
These tlrosorne figures out OF the