The Washington herald., 1910-07-08

/ win by watching wagner.
When asked to tell how I won, was
going to refuse. because it does sound
"swelled' for a young fellow TO tell such
things. or claim 20 win, until I remem-
bered how 1t was.
~ win because Honus Wagner taught
me the game. showed me how to play
it something after his own style; so in
telling how I win I am only praising
the teacher and the man ] think is the
greatest ball player of them all.
Wagner has had me under him for
years. He began 10 show me the game
when I was a kid. and took an inter
est in me from the first He showed
me how to make PLAYS told me what
a fellow ought 10 Go and what he ought
not, and coached me all the time. Still
I wasn't a winning player until he got
me TO Pittsburg. where I could play
alongside OF him every day and watch
him. I learned more about the game just
watching Wagner than / ever thought
there was in H. The FIRST time they tried
me ] vas not ready. and they sent me
back Wagner still had faith in me and
kept coaching me along. and the second
time I managed TO stick. Whether
would have been a good ball player or
bad one but for him I cannot tell
Anyhow. he brought me up and taught
me in a couple Of years more than
could have learned in years in minor
leagues
l watch Wagner closely all during a
game. and move SO as TO be I'm the play
with him. We talk back and forth and
exchange signals once in a while, but I
think he does this more to help me and
make certain I will not make mistakes
than for anything else I know that
watching him keeps me from watching
batters and runners as closely as
ought. and that if he was out OF IL I
would have to change the system. but
I can tell more now by watching Honus
than by watching the others. No one
knows what a great ball player John
Wagner is until he has played alongside
Of him. How he knows some things
puzzles me. He seems 10 know by in
stnct where a ball is going and to judge
it almost without looking.
There are some things he has taught
me l cannot explain. FOR they are his
/ secrets. l think l am the only one he
ever has talked much baseball to. for he
does not like To talk the game or about
himeh. I know that he spends hours
thinking over players ali by himself. and
studying plays and games. He told me
to do that right from the first
I play deep field, and It was Wagner
who showed me what angles to take on
| different balls and how 10 shift for run
ners. He showed me how to hit without
changing my natural batting position at
all In fact, he seemed TO know more
about me than / knew of myself.
It was Wagner who taught me to keep
in the game every minute and to take
chances. When I joined the Pittsburg
club I found that Wagner's idea was
the idea OF the entire team I do not
claim any credit A fellow who can hit
little and Is something of a player
naturally has TO be a winning player
when he gets with that team. Clarke
and Wagner and Leach and the other fell
lows keep lighting all the time, and there
is a team spirit that makes even a bad
ball player work his head off 20 help
win and hold the gait II he doesn't do
that he doesn't belong to the team long.
We just so out there. do the best We
can, sand fight all the way, and then, if
we are beaten. we go back and fight the
same the next day. think that is what
wins for a team.
Copyright. 1910. b. Joseph B BOwleAl