The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-01-12
Gardner To Stay
 With Highlanders
Manager Wo.veTton of Ameri- can Leaguers Says Old Hart ford Player is Star

-ef
 The following article about Earl Gardner, the former Hartford second baseman, appeared in last nights New York Journal:
 Harry Wo verton is going to stand pat on Earl Gardner at second base for the Yankees.
 TNbe new manager of the Farrell brigade came over from his home In Philadelphia yesterday and in talk with the writer made the apoVe an is one of the greatest players that ever guarded the keystone sack, and this, despite the fact Gardner was very much off color during the last few weeks of the 1911 season
 q haven't seen Gardner play since 1909, when he was in the Eastern Lea gue," said Wolverton, put from ms work then know that he Is reg ular' player am sure l can make as good a second baseman out of him as there Is in the country
 And there is no dou6t- about the fact that Gardner can be made one of the greatest infielders that ever perform ed in the big leagues. He has the natural ability, but is lacking in phy- sique.
 Gardner, who is only twenty-seven years old, never tasted tobacco or drank anything stronger than coffee. And he Is always ip strict training last spring he weis he'd about 1856 pounds. but by July he was nothing but skin and bone. He had dried up so much that he didn't have the strength of a baby ! Other players did their best to make Gardner drink a bottle two of ale each day; but he refused to lsten. 10 how to train a bali player as well as any man in the country knows all about Gardner'E condition, and he VIII probably insist that the second base man imbibe to the extent of a little light beer or ale each day.,
 Gardner is a wonderful fielder. No-. body can dispute that fact. He ac- cepted Ernety-seven chances last year before he created an error Ewhich must be close to a record And ne sure did give the bal a good, sound walloping up until the middle-of June On the first Western trip he banged the pill at a .439 clip. : 2 There is probably no more graceful dnfieIder paying to-day than Gardner. He makes all chances look easy; he Es fast on his feet and handles the ball cIeanly His arm, however, is not any too strong, and at times last home on the hit and. run, from third base or on the squeeze when a run was needed to win for the oppositfons
 When Gardner first joined the Yan- feet together and took wide swings at the ball To-day, he stands with legs fairly we'll arart and chops at the ball and OF this aceouEf picked up in his
  litter, too. He rides with the 71ell's even better than -LaJoie, the most nat ural batsman4 that ever wie1ded the ash. HIS ore weakness scurye. but she was Fast overcoming the fault of. biting at the wide ones last year. 7
 Frank Eeaees the old Boston man ager unearthed Gardner in the sand lots of illinois, 1905. Selee was on, his way to.ft81e Western League and tiGed to get Earl to a6 to the Denver club Put the player cfdn't care to go to 4batapart of the map, even af " he signed $up.a So- Se1ee sold him to the San 4Anfonio Club in the Texas League. He played in that city in 1906 and. fin 1907 was with the Austin club of the same leagu
 Hartford was. the spot he hung hts hat in 1908. It was willie he was in the Conneoticut League that Arthur Irwin the Yank's scout decorated with gum shoes and wlliskers. first spotted him. The scout thought he had made ten-strike and had Gard ner John Hancocked to a Yankee con- tract before he started back for New York
 staahngs took Gardner South on the training tIGp in 1909, but when the Yankees returned home Gardner was shipped over to Jersey City With the club on the wrong side of. the North Creek, he played swell bal and in 1910 he was Hilltorper. He was s1cBIz- all that sea son and was unable : to perform regularly.