The Detroit times., 1914-12-10
HANS WAGNER WAS ONCE A
HOLD OUT FOR $40 A MONTH
Veteran Shortstop Tells of His
Early Days On Diamond
HOldout Failed
NEXT YEAR WILL BE
18th IN BASEBALL
Managed Adrian in 1S95-Ad-
mits He's Slowing Up-Over
10 Years Old

Hans Wagner never talks for pub
lication. This custom OF his Is almost
as we'll accepted and accredited as tho
laws which govern the game. But
there is one Iule that supercedes all
others, the rule that there are Eek.
ception in the Wagner policy, for here
are some interesting facts given for
publication by the immortal Honus
himself The following is from the
special Wagner issue Of the Baseball
magazine:
IL was born on February %, 1874,
so IL | live TIL that date this winter
shall be Al years old That is old
for ball player. they say. AT least
there are not many of us hanging
around the big leagues at that age, |
guess.
II was born in Carnegie. and al
ways lived here, though the town
wasn't named Carnegie then. II was
called Mansfield when FIRST SOW IL.
II was born three or four blocks
from where | now live, and had four
brothers and one sister My brothers
were. In the order OF their age,
Charles, AL, Louis. myself and Bill.
had also sister, Carrie, now Mrs.
Gallagher Carrie was younger than
/ and older than Bill Bill was the
baby OF the family.
None of us brothers is married.
The three OF us who live In Carnegie
bach in our house. and take our
meals outside. There are hotels In
Carnegie where you can get something
10 eat il you have the price.
II played baseball when / was a
kid and liked the game. | liked all
kinds OF outdoor sport then, and do
now. was pretty fast on my feet
when | was q kid
Il have competed in sprint with
semi-professionals and won the race
have been timed quite often, once
at hundred yards in ten seconds. In
my prime | was told | did not look as
though | was running fast, because l.
took such long strides. IL never
made any difference TO me how many
strides | took, as long as took
enough to land me where | was going
II played baseball when | was a
kid. but that didn't amount TO much
| went 10 school here in Carnegie and
learned few things. Then / had TO
20 TO work | was a coal miner for
about year. Then | went into a
mill and worked for about year.
When | was IS started playing
ball here in earnest. ! began in 1891
and played that season, also in 80
and 49, In "a played with the St.
Lukes club of Mansfield
The latter part OF the season OF ga
went away 10 play ball That was
on account OF my brother AL. He was
playing with the club at Dennison, O.,
and told the manager he had a
brother who could play ball. They
believed him and sent for me. |
finished the season there.
In '95 | played with three differ
ent clubs. One of them was Steuben-
vile. o.. which was managed by
George Moreland. Moreland sent for
me and wanted me to play. He said
he would give me $35 a month told
him | wanted $40 He wrote me, 4
will pay you S35 a month. and that is
all | will pay you; II you don't want
IL you can stay home So | went |
stayed at Stepbenville only few
weeks. was also at Warren, OF the
Iron and Oil league, but most OF the
season spent at Adrian, Mich, where
/ played between two and three
months. / managed the club there,
and did pretty well. We finished in
second place.
my legs have slowed up some in
the past few years. That has hurt
my fielding little, as | can't cover so
much ground as | used to do. It has
slowed Inc UP as base stealer, too
though so long as a man can get the
start on the pitcher and slide we'll he
can steal fair number Of bases a
year even after he has slowed up a
BIT"