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
25th IN BASEBALL
Managed Adrian in lS95--Ad-
mits He's Slowing Up-Over
10 Years Old

Hans Wagner never talks for pub
licatlon. This custom OF his Is almost
as we'll accepted and accredited as the
laws which govern the game. But
there is one rule that supercedes all
others, the rule that there are ex
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. Al least
there are not many OF us hanging
around the big leagues at that age,
guess.
Il was born in Carnegie, and al
ways lived here, though the town
wasn't named Carnegie then. IL was
called Mansfield when | FIRST SOW II.
Il was born three or four blocks
from where / now live, and had four
brothers and one sister Ny brothers
were, In the order OF their age.
Charles, Al. Louis. myself and Bill.
had also a 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
TO eat If you have the price.
Il 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 kid.
II have competed in q sprint with
semi-profess ionals 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
] took such long strides IL never
made any difference 10 me how many
| strides | took, as long as took
enough TO land me where | was going.
Il played baseball when | was
] kid, but that didn't amount TO much.
! | went 10 school here in Carnegie and
| learned few things. Then | had 10
go 10 work. Il was coal miner for
about a year Then | went into a
mill and worked for about "a year.
When | was 10 | started playing
/ ball here in earnest. ! began in 1891
and played that season. also in '92
and SO In "a | PLAYED with the ST.
tLukes club OF Mansfield
The latter part OF the season OF ga
went away TO play bali. That was
on account OF my brother AL He was
playing with the club at Dennison o.,
and told the manager ne had a
brother who could play ball They
believed him and sent for me-
finished the season there.
'Tn 's5 ! 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
ne would give me $50 a month. told
him | wanted $40 He wrote me. i
will pay you $50 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. Ii 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