The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-06-11
GREAT FINDS
OWING TO LUCK
Best Ball Players Often Are
Discovered by Mere
Accident.
ONCE FAMOUS RUSIE
WAS PICKED OFF LOTS
HOnus Wagner of Pirates
Played His First League
Game Without Shoes.

Some OF the greatest Dali prayers INC
game has ever known have been discov-
cred by accident or sheer luck. Five
players have been picked at random,
but they stand among the best just to
show the truth of the assertion.
The men are Ed Delehanty, now dead,
probably the greatest and undoubtedly
the hardest hitter who ever put on
pair of spiked shoes; Amos Rusie,. who.
many believe. was the greatest pitcher
ever in the game; Hans Wagner-by
the way his proper name IS John Paul
| Wagner; Ownie Bush and Ty Cobb
| Amos Rusie began his ball career with
the old Grand Avenue team in Indian
apolis, when Indianapolis was a mem.
Der Of the twelve club National league.
This was back in the SOS. Rusie was
| pitcher. a powerful husky young
giant, who had a world of speed. The
Grand Avenues had one large picnic
with the other teams in the Indianapo.
lis City league when Rusie pitched.
Glasscock Discoverer of Rusie.
Jack Glasscock was playing shortstop
on the Indianapolis National league
team at that time, and Jerry Denny was
| holding down third base. Glasscock
was captain Of the team. He heard Of
Rusie s pitching, and one Sunday took
Denny and hiked out TO the City league
park. where Rusie played. Glasscock
| watched the youngster work and both
he and Denny were so impressed that
Rusie was taken down town after the
game.
The next day Rusie appeared at
League park in an Indianapolis uni
form. The story of his career in the big
league is now baseball history, known
to all fans. Rusie was a wonder. but
his habits put him out of the game
! when he should have been in his prime.
Ed Delehanty, the greatest of the
Delehsnty baseball family, began on
the lots around Cleveland, his home
city. In 1856 some one told the man
ager of the Wheeling, ". Va, team that
| Delehanty was great ball player.
Some days later Delehanty received a
letter offering him trial with Wheel
ing.
Delehanty Starts on Infeld.
The youngster didn 7 have any money
and no transportation was inclosed, but
he started for Wheeling and made his
way there by riding freight trains and
walking. He was an infielder, playing
second base, and he made good from the
jump. In 1887 Philadelphia decided to
| give him trial. and along in the fall
of that year Delehanty made his ma
ior league debut, succeeding Bastian,
one of the greatest players of his time,
| at second base.
AS a big league second baseman the
man who was destined to become a ter.
ror to the best pitchers the game has
known was not a brilliant success,
Neither did he shine with the bat in his
first year, as his average for fifty six
games was only .227 In 1888 he PLAYED
| Gftx- forr nd cooka cd ,zil for
292, He alternated between second
base and left field, and in 1890 be went
| to left field and remained there until
his tragic death.
Hans Wagner owes his start in base
ball to his brother, Al Wagner Al
was a good ball player, but every one
thought Hans was too awkward to
amount to anything on the diamond,
AL was with Steubepville. owned and
time, and Moreland wanted a pitcher
"Get my brother - said AL.
"Can he pitch?" Moreland asked
"Well. he can throw ball mighty
fast" Al replied and Hans was wired
at Carnegie to report. His salary was
TO be $50 month. Wagner beat his
way from Pittsburg to Steubenville on
freight train.
Hans Wagner as Pitcher.
Frank Rowerman was catching for
! Steubenville and Claude Ritchie also
was member of the team. Wagner
pitched the first game. but after that
they put him in the outfeld. His feet
were so big il was impossible to get
to fit him, and the greatest ball player
of all times played his first league en-
gagement in his bare feet.
The SteubenvilIe team blew up.
| Mansfield wanted Al Wagner. and wired
him at Steubenville Al had another
Job, so he sent his brother. Mansfield
wanted shortstop, and, although he
had been playing the out6eld Hans
switched to short. He made good
Later the Wagner brothers went back
to Moreland at Wheeling. w Va, and
then were sold to Captain Kerr. at that
time owner of the Pittsburg club.
Ty Cobb Begs for Job.
Ed Barrows was then managing the
Paterson, \, j., team and he wanted
Wagner. Kerr thought TO make the
deal. but when Barrows explained it
was Hans he wanted Kerr presented
him with the Flying Dutchman Wag,
| ner made his big hit right there. Pitts
| burg tried 10 buy him back, but he was
I sold to Louisville. and he broke into
/ the big league with Fred Clarke in the
l L dllS NlpN. Al " "dSuci IS uOW induaH
ing Wagner Bros. circus, while what
Hans is doing is something every base.
| pail fan knows
In 1904 Ty Cobb was begging for a
[ chance with the team at Augusta, Ga.
Con Strothers was managing the team.
| Strothers gave Ty chance, and Ty was
| canned because he jumped into the air
while running bases, knocked down a
ball which had been thrown to catch
him, and was called out for interfer.
ence. He drew his release about ten
minutes later
The next year Cobb got another
4 chance with Augusta and made good.
/ Owing to an arrangement Augusta had
with Detroit, whereby the former team
| was permitted TO use Pitcher Eddie