Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-04
CREDIT TO WAGNER
Boston Shortstop's Work Fac
tor in Success of the Club.
COVERS LOT OF GROUND
Can Peg From ANY Position and
Sends Ball Like
Shot.

BOSTON, August 3-"If .Heinie' Wag-
ner's arm comes back into shape we will
have a base ball team worth talking
about-Wagner is the only problem. II
he's Wagner we may beat 'em ALL if he
isn't. don't know just what we'll do
| President McAleer of the Red Sox made
this comment before the Red Sox started
on their spring training trip this year
Then he observed:
This Wagner fellow is wonder. Las,
tall he was discouraged. His arm wen,
bad and he was afraid he would never
| come back ! met him in the fall told
| him to take it easy. forget about his
troubles and work himself gradually into
shape. 1 told him we'd stick by him until
he was his old self again. Now. Wei
wait and see how 1t comes out
!: Wagner's arm did come back: it Is
better every day of his life. and around
/ 'Heinie' Wagner now revolves team
that has beaten everything in the
American League and looks like it NIGH
wear well the title of worlds champions
this fall.
Wagner Pivot of Red sox Team.
Wagner is the pivot of the Red Soz
leaders. He is the key of the infield
-
something like one, the Red Sox could
never have approached first place
Some critics even claim that Wagner
i is the best shortstop in the American
League
/ The Red SoX have had the best de-
fensive outfield in the league-proba-
bly, the best in the world-for long
time. Last year the pitchers did not
work up to championship form. and the
1 s~a Al otnIy al
| Wagner's arm went bad, and he had to
| play second base when he played at
all.
A second division team resulted
This year the pitchers re going we'll
! Wagner is himself again and the in
field, with Jake Stahl back in harness.
finishes the championship base ball out
| fit
/ Wagner is the man who adds to the
team just what was needed to win the
pennant. His return to form has given
! the other infielders confidence. They
are the ballast: he is the driving
power.
/ Clean and Sure Player.
/ Any fly ball that comes into this ter
ritory will be taken, of a surety. by
Ieine Wagner except when Heinie is
pens to be in Speakers own pct pre-
serve.
| He is death to fly balls and is par
ticularly strong for those nifty little
Texas leaguers that usually drop back
of the inf.eld before anybody can get
under them-unless it be Heinie.
| Similarly, most ground balls that are
! jabbed into that territory are Wagner 8
| prey. He covers all OF the wide stretch
between Steve. Yerkes and Larry Card
ner an dneither Gardner nor Yerkes need
| move far out of his position. for Wagner
trails away into their territory.
He takes the balls '.clean'-that u.s. he
gets the grounders and the Founders
squarely in his two hands without the
preliminary Juggling that retards so many
infielders If the hits are too wide for q
two-handed stop Wagner has a spectacu
lar way of stabbing them with one hand
| the bare one or the gloved one alike.
Then comes the throw Wagner does
not wait to get into position He throws
from nearly any position. Hits to deep
shortfield are likely to be safe ones I'M
| less the stop is quick and clean and the
| throw is like a bullet. That is "Heinie's'
| specialty-bullet throws. and no other in
! fielder in either league can beat him at
| them. The ball goes with tremendous
| speed in straight line and is rarely in
accurate.
| Wagner now and then fumbles one or
/, throws awkward!y when somebody runs
| in front of him; that is one Of his few
| weaknesses.
Wagner covers second base for most
| OF the throws to head off base runners.
When the runner starts off first ''Heinie'
, usually waits to see if it it hit and
run" play, and is drawn out Of position
.ess by those plays than most of the
other shortstops.
Otherwise he hikes for the bag He
takes the catcher's throw on run. usual
| ~ in one hand: then blocks off the base
completely, so that the runner can't
touch 1t.
Wagner is fearless. He is one OF the
few who pay no attention to Ty Cobb's
steam eengine, feet-foremost dives for in
stance. In the Detroit series Wagner
ralmly sat before the bag and waited
| 20" Cobb to slide in. Ty was out.
Wagner is always alert. He captains
| he Red Sox. and 1t is his wits that ng-
ire i'm the field plays that frequently
set the fans on their feet with hur
| .ah.