Atlanta Georgian., 1913-10-20
NJ 'GRAN DIFFERS
WITH LANCE ON
GREATEST MAN
Giants Scrappy Manager Picks
Collins, While Old SIugger
Sticks Out For Wagner.
BY Bill Lange.
Famous SIucger Years Ago.

famous managers that baseball
has known, says Eddie Collins OF
tba Athletics is the greatest player in
The game to-day, but l can't agree
H,itb him ! think Hans Wagner, OF
+ba Pirates, stands out above Collins,
and I would not even go so far as 70
sa,, that Wagner is the king of them
ali either. It's almost an imposslole
fask for anv man to pick out the KING
of ball players.
really think that McGraw was un-
6uly influenced when he made tnaI
remark about Collins. lie saw thls
wonderful young player at his best
md he noted how Collins brilliant
work was robbing him OF the chan-
,,fnnship OF the world. Many another
i,layer in either the National or the
American League might have done
the same thing had he been given the
opportunity o-ozi.
pu-a,- from Collins. but, in justice TO
Wagner, one OF the grandest balI
tossers who ever put on glove, |
simply rise to speak a few words IN
his defense.
has been playing major league pail
ever since 1897, when he started out
National League had ten teams on its
circuit He has been going ever since,
and he always has been right up with
the stars
Fans Tire of Players.
Now. Collins has been at it for four
years only. l will have to admit that
he is A remarkable youngSter and that
he has gotten away with some plays
which made the whole country talb
about him. But so had Wagner. We
were reading about Wagner and his
work when Collins was little more
than a child And still old Honus is
grinding away
This leads me to believe that some
times they tire Of the grand old men
Of the diamond. The public is looking
for new faces. Collins is just coming
TO the front, while Wagner has been
there so long that they probably con
slider him a has been. But he is still
very live and active tosser and,
barring accidents. he will be good for
many day TO come.
Now comes Collins to the front wit1
lot of his tiashy stuff. He has man
aged TO dazzle the leader of the
Giants, who saw him do more than
any Of the others to rob him Of the
Championship of the world. It's no
wonder that Muggsy takes his cap off
q. Eddie I might do the same thing
@ysplf. under the same circum-
-,4nnas but | am out of the game for
keons.
Wagner has played in a few worlds
nn9mDiOnship contests himself, and
he always did shine more brightly
trau 'nc other fellows. He was there
in the feld, at the bat and on the
bases He served his club faithfully.
took and a ALWAYS hpD9 wed
like a gentleman.
PERHAPS Collins will be ais great a
player as Wagner some day. but he
must put in 4 few more seasons be-
fore va can place nim in the same
class with the man from Pittsburg.
Let rs see If he can stand the wear
and tear like this old Pirate warhorse
has stood it during all these years.
Then. again Collins has been play
ing second base all the time. They
have never shifted him around. How
about Wagner? Why. he has done
everything hut pitch and catch, and
have heard that he is there behind the
bat and in the box, too, If it comes to
pinch.
He can fill in any place, this big
FeiioW, and he never falls down,
other They play him at first, sec
>ond, third and short. and sometimes
N me Outtteld. | VIII ADMIT tndt ne
has not been as active this season as
IN the past. but this was principally
because he was injured early In the
season and was out for some 50-odd
games. Collins, on the other hand,
was a very regular performer all year,
missing but few battles.
The great little second baseman Of
the Athletics is given more credit
than any other man on the team for
winning the worlds championship,
and / guess that ii is coming to him.
He certainly was there in every pinch
save one when he threw the ball away
IN the second game and allowed the
Giants to register two runs which
were not coming to them.
Collins Real Star.
Collins is a natural ball player He
mas the speed. the eve and the nerve.
80 has Wagner. Then, HOnus has
ABOUT twelve years of experience on
oj'ins, and, believe me. ball player
earns something each year he plays.
Nnow this from practical experience.
No, | would not want to go on rec
"'d as saying who is the mightiesJ
payer in the world II is hard. in
Heed. 10 Compare an infelder with an
nuthelder. The general impression is
mat Cobb ttops them all, but I don't
SNOW about this. The work OF the
ln1e'de"s and the outfielders is so
vastly different there is absolutely no
chanco TO work out sensible com
paTison. and, therefore, ] am not 60
ING 10 try.