The Washington times., 1913-02-16
Crack Football and Baseball
Player Reported to Have
Received Offer.
DETROIT WILL HAVE
AMATEUR AFTER JOB
Hal Chase Confident He Will Be
Success at Second Base,
Having Experience There.
By "SENATOR."

Lewis Hardage, Vanderbilts S crack
baseball and football player. captain OF
last seasons eleven, which made such a
good showing against Harvard at CAM
bridge, may join the Climbers for a
trial at Charlottesville, according to
repc rts from Nashville received today.
If he fails to land a berth here he may
60 to Billy Smiths Atlanta club for a
seasons work.
Hardage recently went on barn
storming tour with a football team
into Texas and charges of PROFESSIONAL
ism have been made against him. II
is believed that they will be sustained
and that he will be unable to represent
Vanderbilt this spring on the Diamond
the St. Louis Browns and the Climbers
but prefers to come here.
The Vanderbilt star Is looked upon in
the South as the best athlete to be
found there. His reputation on the
gridiron is second to none, while las,
spring ne was named on the ail-South-
ern college team. He is hard hitter
and a remarkable base runner for q
college player.
Action on the professional charges Is
expected some time this week: If he i:
barred from playing with Vanderbilt
1t Is more than likely that he will at.
tempt to land berth in the big show
II he is allowed to finish out his college
career, though, he may pass up the
opportunity of making good with tn,
Climbers. President Dudley, of the
Southern intercollegiate Athletic Asso
ciation, will make his decision known
this week. as to the charges of profes
donalism.
VIII Have Amateur.
Speaking of college amateurs, the De-
trott Tigers will have an amateur try
ing for first base this season in Will
bur II. Leggett, of st. Mary's College,
southern California. He made his rep.
utation largely with the crack amateur
team of MADEIRA, Cal. but played
against many major league outfits as a
member. of the st. Mary's team. He
stands six feet one inch, and weighs
LIS pounds, the ideal build for a first
sacker in the big show. He is but
twenty-one years old and should de-
velop into a big fellow before winding
up his career.
Leggett has been playing ball but
three seasons. Connie Mack, the angu-
lar leader of the Athletics, tried to get
him signed to a contract last year, but
failed. 1t remained for Frank Navin' $
scout to do the trick, and the young
ster will join the Tigers at Gulfport
and try to beat out Del Gamer and
George Moriarty for that first corner
berth.
St. Mary's generally has a fast base
ball team. Hal Chase, Harry Krause,
and Fred Snodgrass. to mention few.
graduated from its varsity nine. Chase
has reached the greatest heights of
brilliancy, but many experts on the
coast predict equal glory for Leggett.
Chase on Second.
Hal Chase, the Yankees most bril-
liant star. is delighted over the pros
pect of playing second base this sea-
son, and doesn't hesitate to say so,
either.
I've heard lot OF depressing con-
versstion about my trying to play sec
ond pase," says Handsome Hal. but
it's no new position for me. l played
there all through the season Of 1903 at
college, and was on second when l was
picked up by the Coast League in 1904.
'I played sixteen games there as a
professional before being moved over 10
the first bag. l found that being left
handed helped me, rather than hurt
me. i discovered that | could make
plays that no highlander ever could
make to second or third. On slow hit
balls got along all right, even though
/ did have to shift my feet. / was
able TO force runners at second base
when right-handers would have been
obliged to get the runner at first base.
Those hot grounders back Of second
that the shortstop can't get are easy
for me. Ny glove is on that side. you
know. Ny theory is that il takes an
out and hit to score a man from
first. but only a hit to bring him across
from second ! believe in stopping the
runner from reaching second"