Arizona republican., 1911-10-20
BALL FANS GALLERY
 OF NOTABLES
Copyright 1911 by W. W. AulickD ]. WAGNER
 The Indispensable.

Mir. John Wagner. of Pittsburg, as subject, has been "approached' al- most as often as a legislator at AL bany during the black horse days So frequently. indeed. has MT Wagner beed depicted that he must now be considered as a not total stranger to even tine most occasional of fans AS a nation. then. we have come to accept Master John as we accept the Statue of Liberty in the big harbor Early marvelling has given place to present acceptance and We now look with something of calm upon Mir. Wagner and Miss Liberty. But pie ture our excitement should We lost either.
 Were Honest John not given mem ton in these advices. the millions of gaping readers would doubtless de- scend upon this office and make tho sign of the Why? And should We happen to speak glowingly of the gent. the same millions might well ask-WeH. what of it? We know all about Hans
 Well. anyway-duty demands that word be given the Adonis of the diamond \ man that can and does whip for better than 600 for fourteen years hand running is going to get m, ntiOn So long as your correspond cnt has typewriting fluency.
 You're so used to thinking of Hans Wagner as Pittsburg and Pittshurg as Hans Wagner that you may have forgotten the days when they weren't married A long time ago. Wagner was a Steubenville. ohio. player. This k not set forth to incriminate or degrade him or Steubcnville. but simply as historical fact. Then it was Warren. Pa. and after that Pat terson. N J. And here it Was that Hans began to shine. He unbolted his big wallops and let go his long throws from the outfield. and the Jersey town yelled itself foolish. SD that you could hear the noiSe way out in Louisville. where Harry Pulli am was secretary for the tough club of those days
 PuIliam went on East and grabbed off the Wagner wonder for the CoIonels. and you may believe it was a good grab. Just to show T rolled up a batting score of 34i in that first Louisville year. stole twen- tv-two bases. and behaved something scandalous in the matter of fielding. Louisville couldn't hold him after 1900. and ever since he has been a Pittsburg prop. First he was an out fielder and then they gave him the job of shortstopping. which Fred Fly had held down with fine distinction. You may have forgotten Fred. but credit your little contributor. Fred was whole lot of short stop till Hans came along.
 Speaking of those fourteen years of batting excellence. you have the figures all set down for you on the official records. but to save your hunting them mp. here they are-343. 3O5. 359. 3SO. 352. @29. 349 355. @G3. 339. 3jO. 354. 339. 320. And seven times his figures were good enough to put at the head of league batting
 Some people say Hans Wagner is the greatest shortstOp that ever lived. He may be. but you cant prove it in the figures. He's never led the league at short. as Doolan. Bridwell. Tinker. Corcoran. Dahlen, Long. Turn CT. Mcbride. Wallace, Gross and those boys have done. But there wouldn't be much percentage in taking 1 bet on one of them against Hans Wag- ner's end Don't believe you could get Dreyfuss and Clarke to trade John for any shortstop that ever topped the percentage column. The old bow legged 2O0-pounder Is sort of welded to a Pirate bride. and his baseball religion doesn't countenance divorce.
 Tomorrow-John J. McGraw, who has the quality of loyalty.
 St Louis has found a gentle rob ber." and has sentenced him to three hannv Nears in a pleasant penlten-