The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-06-01
Wallace Has Famed
Fortune Playing Baseball

Roderick Dhu Wa lace. released By
the ST. Louis team: spent ~ years OF
service on the diamond " II " IN
Wallace is in his Bforty:f FIRST year. he
was born Novembe r 4. 1874 at West
End. a suburb OF pittsburgh. He has
been ii baseball 81 years and every
year a star H "A ! NJ
He has been richly paid, but Of
course never had the advantage 3ofI
snatiching the dollar Ike the stars OF.
the present day. He went through, the
first baseball war, however, and came
out a financial winner, but Wallace in
his prime would receive today twice
what he got in the war Of 1902.
Wallace has served the Brown ban.
ners 70: IL years. In that time he has
received in salary from Col. Hedges
an aggregate sum of $4,000. He be.
gan in 1902, the first year of the war,
for $3,500. The next season he was
boosted to $500 on a flve-year con-
tract. At the expiration of the war.
time contract he was cut to $4,000. a
figure he received to this day. Whethr
ar he received a bonus for managing
the club in 1912 is not known nor ad:
mttted either by he OF Owner Hedges.
~ + What Wallace Earned.
Prior to 1902. Wallace received
$4,000 from Frank de Haas Robinson
as a member Of the Cardinals. In 1900
he drew down $1,000. His salary for
the other years, dating back to 1884,
averaged around $500 year. In his
81 seasons on the diamond. therefore,
he earned altogether $4,000.
Wallace's & nickname was never
worse than Bobby. From the day. OF
his beginning in Franklin, Pa, in the
spring OF 1894, to the terminus OF his
long Journey, be was monumenttt TO
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS habits, his
conduct on the fieldsand his attitude
towards umpires. He never drank,
never smoked, unless on a bet. one
cigar made him sick, and as Robert
Burns wrote, he glortedA in MS
shame r
Wallace was one OF the really great
n1avers who never broke into a world s
series. He also has the distinction OF
being one of the greatest figures in
baseball to be denied a Day" by the
home fans. They have had "La1ote
day" wagner day." Cobb day." Ma
'ranville day" but. never a wallace
day." This despite the fact that every
effort once was made to hold one and
Jim McAleer, then owner of Boston,
went SO far as to go to st. Louis for the
occasion. but something slipped. The
day was rubbed off the baseball calen-
dar. y ..5,
withal, Wallace isn't sorely in need
of benefits. His temperate method of
living has left him we'll fixed and he
has his share Of this world Is goods. He
was married August 10, 1906, to Miss
June Mann, OF st. Louis, and now re.
sides in that city.
Wallace began in 1894 in Franklin.
Pa, g pitcher. He went that fall
to Cieeland and the next spring de-
syeloped into third baseman, playing
81 games. He remained with CleVe-
land, later switching to shortstop, I'M
til the Spiders were transferred to s..
Louis. In 1902 he jumped sin the big
raid on Robinson Field with Jesse Bur.
kett, willie Sudhoff, Jack Harper and
Emmett Heidrick to the newly organ.
lied Browns. He has since been a mem
Der OF Hedges team. -"
No greater fielder ever lived. NO
man has vet ben found who could tag
tho runner like wallace. No man SO
graceful has ever been known to- have
lived: Hef adsanI arm offsteel.even5 up
Is three years. aE6.EiHeaneVer,2 now
ever was such aHmuctf as a3hitter,, al
though three. tim es int his career he
managed 10 wheel into the {, 80 % class
Those eventful years were 1887, 1893
and 1901.@ 4. ;4al' q. i5
Wallace had one whirl at he man.
agerial problem. He relied o Connor
in command Of the, Browns In 1911, but
registered what was commonly accept
ed as a failure and was dethroned in
mid season by George Stovau. He re-
turned to the ranks and served there
until Internationally released.
a Wallace's record as fielder and
batter follows:
Waltaee's Record.
Year. s' G. Alb. R. II: sH. sB. Pct: