Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-11

" ner looms larger and larger each
day as the possible stumbling
flock to third successive pennant
'or the Giants. I am as confident
row as when the season opened that
ny club win eventually be returned
The winner. Glass usually tells in the
long run of any competitive sport,
and think my club has finally be-
gun to display the real merit that
won two straight pennants.
Every one figured this spring that
the Pirates were destined to argue
the case with US right to the end of
the campaign. PittsburR, like New
York, has an exceptionally strong
club. Like New York. It got off to
disappointing start, but. like New
York, also, it appears to have found
itself with hot weather and is pre-
pared to fight to the finish.
Wherefore l say that Hans Wagner
looms more and more ominously in
our pathway. Wagner is so much
more vital to his teams success than
any other player in org .zed base
ball Is to another team that he may
be considered pretty nearly the whole
team.
do not mean by this that Clarke
has no other players. He h. a well
balanced organization, G--sbrGz5ng one
of the strongest pitching departments
in the circuit. But Pittsburg, with
out Wagner, is a second division out
At.
Still Valuable Asset.
Wagner is one of the most remark
able characters the game has ever
known. l very much doubt if at any
time in his brilliant career of the
past seventeen years he was of great
or playing value than he Is to-day
Certainly within the past FIVE years
he never approached HIS present form.
Most players are spectacular at
times. Once in a while even the
average athlete may pull some sem
sational fielding feat that will make
the stands wild with enthusiasm. But
Wagner shows so much enthusiasm
on defense that to get hand" he
has to do the practically impossible.
Wagner is an awkward-even clum-
sy-appearing fellow in his manner
isms. He lacks the grace Of Lajoie.
Yet he carries his burden of years on
the diamond a. easily as the young
est colt No man in baseball is more
agile than Hans, and none is so sure
! with his hands. He is possessed Of
every requisite of greatness; strong
4 sure hands, exceptional reach, agili-
Ay, a powerful, accurate arm and an
y exceptionally fast thinking brain.
Sometimes IL seems almost uncan-
Fny the way Wagner handles a ball
He lowers his great hand (the gloved
one the size of a scoop shovel. al
most) and Il seems as If the ball is
attracted like a piece of steel to
magnet OF course, that is fancy. 1t
is the fine skill with which he plays
the ball. He always plays the ball;
he never lets the ball play him.
Wagner Greatest Fielder.
Wagner is the greatest fielder l
have ever seen Twice in the recent
series at the Polo Grounds ! saw him
make plays which l am firmly con-
WINGED would have been absolutely
impossible for any other living player.
one was on a faulty throw to sec
ond base to stop a stealer. This run
uer the ball and Wagner all reached
the cushion just about the same time.
The ball was high Hans had to leap
In the air for il. In doing this he had
20 protect himself. as a collision
might have seriously injured him.
Wagner not only did protect himself,
but ne made a one-handed catch and
tagged his man for a put-out while
still I'm the air so quickly that the
eve could scarcely follow his motion.
on the other occasion he started
back into left for a difficult Texas
Lacquer For such fly no one is so
sure But somehow there was a mis-
understanding with Carey. Each
thought the other was going to take
the ball, which either might have
done very handily had he not stopped.
The ball had almost settled 10 the
ground when Wagner realized that
Carey was depending upon him. With
a lightning spring that combined the
grace and power of a tigers leap
Wagner threw himself along the
ground and scoOped up the ball just
before it settled on the grass.
Is Most Feared Hitter.
Wagner's wonderful batting ability
has endeared his memory to every
nook and Granny of the old earth
where the great summer sport is
known. Years have come and gone
bringing with them their periodic
phenoms. But none has dimmed the
glory Of the mighty Hans. To-day
he stands at the head Of the class,
the most feared hitter in the National
League He has not always led the
procession; but he has never been
very far behind. And he has shown
such great consistency that he viii
rank forever as one of the greatest
figures Of baseball history