The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-09
This Kind Of Talk, Howl
ever, Bores Hans Wag7|
ner, the Mighty.
BECAME PERFECT
BASEBALL MAC CHINI
Plays Any Position on the sDi;
mond With Amazing Ease
and Confidence Began
His Career in 1895 as
Pitcher at SIS a
Month.

4"If man with a voice loud et,ousl
to make himself heard all over II
United states should stand on the ii,
OF Pixies Peak and ask Who Is IA
top says in the American Magazin
."2 soc, ,O09 persons would shout wa,
ner!
There are great baseball playel
hut only one Wagner, the man who
the strenuous season just ended
Pittsburg to victory. / saw him., ~
Mr.. Fullerton. cone Sunday earl3I
September In Chicago.
"That afternoon PittsburG and EhI
Fcago were to start series that
all probability would decide wheth
Chicago's wonderful baseball machi
built by Chance was to hold the char
pionship or! surrender 1t to Pittsbur
Thirty thousand persons were jos
ling. pushing, rushing to find sea
or standing room to watch tho p1.
An elevated train was disgorginf
mob. and after the eager crowd sg
a heavy set. bow-legged. weathe
beaten. powerful man.. dressed
rather baggy clothes, a worse for we
straw hat and liberal square sho
emerged quietly and followed the rus
ing throng down the, steps.
Contcntcd German Worker.
..He looked like a prosperous, co !
tented German worker. One worI
have thought to watch the massiI
shoulders and the powerful bowed lei
that probably lie had been a brewel
wagon driver or an icelnan befo
starting his bakery, for somehow Wa
ner always conveys to me the id|
| THAT he ought to have been a bakeri|
Managers of baseball teams ass
lin terse bron1idian that Every plaE1
has a Weakness For dozen yea
4 every player and every pitcher II;
searched for WaEner's weakness al
found none. He has played every pos
ton In baseball. is as great In the Oh
! field, perhaps greater than in the
tfeld. He Is the best batter, poss
excepting Cobb, In the land, he is
/ greatest hnse runner the game
lknown since Lange
"He is one OF the best throwers, Q
of the best fielders and he Is wonde
fully fast on hases-aud he can g
He can bunt. he runs bases with s1uoy
I ment and covers an immense amou,
4 of territory. takes chances and plaI
\ the inside game perfectly. He Us 81
i
4 IFchtne ever constructed
..Besides which he plays to VIII
Y plays for his team. No umpire
ever had occasion to accuse VAST
i OF rowdyism. and his opponents
mire and like him, testifytng to
sportsmnnshtp.
"The career of Wagner In basep
4 lhas been interesting. He was reai
!, lin Carnegie. Pa before it was Carr
!. gle, and he and his brothers play !
game there. John Il wonde y how ma
!, iadmirers Of Honus. or Hans know J
name is John P.D was not "a 81
player as a boy. The brothers thous
!, he was a bit too awkward. and barr
!. him except when he wanted 10 pit.
3 Wagner Used to pitch.
{ "His arms were tremendously lef
!. and they assert around his nome s.
: when he was a kid. and MS ies W. W.
\ even more bowed than they are nc ntc
Z he could walk along and pick Up app
. without stooping. That tmmei ~ rss
= sllength of arm has been one OF Of
physical advantages that mas sonss on
make him the greatest OF tlll. al Play l;s.
,|gBesides. he has shoulders almost
$ wide as his arms are long, and he cS
s throw a.; ball with terrific speed. "a
\; cause he could throw so hard alH
d other boys boosted no ca tcller cell
Z hold u ohn, I s and made him pltcner,
presently al, who wa $ Jolin'ss 4 ol
brother, became a prof fessional spla
s. and got a job playing third base
: team at Steubenyille, Ohio. Geo
q Moreland, who is now the chief ba
g ball statistician of the country. a
=. seized with a mania for owning
managing teams. and he had bou
" the SteubenYilla club and hired
~ y yyarney. AIoreland needed q pitc
~ finf one to complete his pitchfng " =
:, untfl All Wagner came to Vim and 8
=, ~ s..Why don't you give my s srs2' nro'
~ John a chance2 !, !. s..s u,
- l".Can he pitchs' asked Moreitania r' t.l1i
~ atI don't know replied "a. spu y y
se won't cost much for YOU to md ou
~ "IIonus was playing on tllesssE ls' Sd
ss around carnegie, and Alore A NE u
IS king him II he would sisng =. q 5cons]
" to pitch for rSteubenville and ne sssss ss
sr. dav thereafte came u apo ost Y EIn ~
NV wIicf was written. Yes when DO ]
I'd. want ME? i, a. !. . 81
~ .Wagner ignored the salary sliie Y
e- entirely. and Aloreland allied Ns sAllag
I'd consultations. What MI Your pro|
ry Want?She asked. N 81 Y,
4, n.oh, anything will suit him hin, y
,rt piled Al. 3sss
nd Made s3a n Month,
"rhe salary limit Of the steupef lss
team was $500 a month. al and 4 Morsi
was within $a5 OF the limit set N IN
.a lea que. so he wrote. soi iferlng
$ s. ( Wagner So a month to pitch for4
~ nt The following day came anotHheI] a
lyt, comic card; AL grig Y asse
III .Morelanl tclegrap phed WAGNER
sll Ereport Immediately, and Wired II n r \
es road order for transportatic
telegram was aant ut O'Clock n ~
morning, and the tlrsts strain slfa|
II pittsburg for s;teubenyit 10 atayts
IN. noon reaching hsriy ssll ie 81 ~ y
Ia 1 80. til sssg /. n s..s
ne shortly before oeisaek ~
'ut;l Ri.chey who WAS i,lasiiig llth Y
lit fes sinnai en- gagetnant satd /; ltere 81
'nt the big Dutchman, and haaH sssa