Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-10-20
BILL LANCE AND
NJ GRhW DIFFER
GREATEST MAN
Giants Scrappy Manager Picks
Collins, While Old SIugger
Sticks Out For Wagner.
BY Bill Lange.
Famous SIugasr Years Ago.,

famous managers that baseball
has known. says Eddie Collins Of
rs At1letics is the greatest player IN
.ra game to-day, but | can't agree
..t5 him | think Hans Wagner, OF
.-a Pirates, stands out above Collins.
and I would not even go so far as 10
sy that Wagner is the king of them
.r either. It's almost an impossible
-4sz for any man to pick out the KING
- ball players.
really think that McGraw was un-
alIv influenced when he made that
remark about Collins. He saw tAis
wonderful young player at his oest
and he noted how Collins brilliant
work was robbing him of the cham
n.nns1ip of the world. Many another
..,yar in either the National or the
american League might have done
the same thing had he been given the
opportunity. -.
don't want to take any credit
AWAY from Collins, but, in justice TO
Wagner, one oc the grandest bal
tossers who ever put on glove, !
simply rise to speak few words in
aiS defense.
This wonderful Pittsburg intielder
has been playing major league ball
ever since 1897. when he started out
with the old Louisville club, when the
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. ( will nave to admit that
aa is a remarkable voungstcr and that
rc has gotten away with some plays
which made the whole country talk
.E1.I l.m But 50 had Wagner. We
we're reading about Wagner and his
work when Collins was little more
rnm "a child And still old Honus is
grinding away
This leads me to believe that some
times they tire Of the grand old men
nf the diamond. The public is looking
for new faces Collins is just coming
20 the front while Wagner has been
here 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 a day to come.
Now comes Collins to the front with
a lot of his flashy stuff. He has man
aged 70 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
10 Eddie. / might do the same thing
myself. under the same circum-
stances, but / am out of the game for
keeps
Wagner has played in a few world s
championship contests himself and
he always did shine more brightly
fhan the other fellows. He was there
I'm the field, at the bat and on the
bases He served his club faithfully,
took his orders and always behaved
like a gentleman.
Perhaps Collins will be as great
PLAYER as Wagner some day. but ne
must put i'm a few more easDns be-
fore we can place MIN in the same
class with the man from Pittsburg.
Let us see if he can stand the wear
and tear like this old Pirate warhorse
has stood il 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
vvrhing but pitch and catch, and
have heard that he is there behind the
bat and in the box, too, II it comes to
4 pinch.
He can fl IN any place. this big
CelloU, and he never falls down,
either. They play him at first sec
ond third and short. and sometimes
in the outfie'd. ! viii admit that he
has not been as active this season as
n the past. but this was principally
because he was injured early In the
season and was out for some 5O-odd
games. Collins. on the other hand
was a very REGULAR performer all year
missing but few battles.
The great little second ba seman of