Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-07-31
SPORTS
WAGNER is GREATEST
WILLIAM CHASE TEMPLE
SAYS Is BEST OF ALL
Has Played All Positions aud Never
RULED HOnchcHd Play in His
Life.

/ NEW YORK, July 30.--"Honus Wag-
( ner Is the. greatest ball player that
! liam Chase Temple. donor OF the ia
NOUS Temple Cup, and ono OF tho best
Judges OF ball players the game has
ever known.
/ For forty years-since the National,
League oesan-i have seen every star
! nent." added Temple. There were
man" brilliant ones in the past; there
are scintillatinG performers day, hut
, acne can compare with peerless Wac-
ncr He is the supcrbalI player--the
wonder of them all.
Some few players OF past aud pres
ent may have shaded Wagner in ono or
another department. OF the gamc-but :
| none can compare with him ia ALL
| around ability
Wagner never was ranked among
! the graceful shOrtstops, but who can
name player of the prescnt-or the
! past-who really outShoBe fine amaz-
/ ing tionus as ground coverer? Wag.
! her may be clumsy and awkward in
! his movements. yet. to-day, at the arc
OF forty-two, lie covers more ground
! than 20 per cent of the short fielders
! In the game,
/ Vino led the National League short (
stops in 1915: The answer is Honu,
! NaSnet-thc gray and grZzled Honus
l'itted against such rivals AS the hraiuy
lierzog. the fast Maranvllle. Bancroft
! called the greatest shortstop in the
game by w John Tener-and. all the
I - e.
outheided each and everyone. Wagner,
old and gray won the fielding cham
| pionship In his division.
wagner takes rank among the
greatest batsnen in history When he
| hits 300 for seventeen successive sea-
sons, ne hung UP Il record that may
endure for all time. And now, in his
| forty second year q decade beyond tho
end OF the average major leagues life
! Wagner is battling with the youngsters
! for the leadership OF the league. isn't
| ia Of
| proves?
| Wagner. in the heydey OF his ca
reer' had few EQUALS as base-run-
ner BIG and awkward. 1t seemed like
! FOLLY Tor him to attempt the theft OF
has; It looked like sure death. Yet,
| II you peruse the baseball records YOU
| will find that Wasner's base stealing
average. covering all OF his twenty
! years as big Lacquer shows some
thing Ike forts pliers season, a
record superior to that turned in by
! "h per cent OF the men who have play
Ell the game at one time or another
| during the last forty years.
What can illustrate better the mar
, vicious base running skill OF the
grand old man Of hasehalr than tho
| SHOW that the veteran. Wagner. with
twenty-two stolen bases. ranked
.,a1a , in tha, class: that Wagner
| Carey the league champion.
Wagner in twenty years az a big
Lacquer, never pulled n homer: he3
. HtNtr HIS Ni'tut u llcnlal tOOZle. WaT-f
her never WAS press aE-nted as being
an exceptionally brainy player; but
who is his superior in mentalityr Ono
hears much about the hraininess ot
Cobb. OF Evers. Of Collins and OF tho
others liut each aud every one has
~ some time or another slipped a
| mental cable--made an error Of tho
hcad But WagncrS record as n Think
er is nnsmudsGd
Wagner is the most sen,lemanly
duccd. He has caused the umnires
! less trouble than any other performs
! er. No mau has ever worked harder
az more conSci"utiouSly than this
same Wagner. t'or twenty years he
/ has been star. for a score Of years
/ anon him iiut they never have turns
! ed his head. tonceit is foreign to
/ Wasncr's makeup.
The grand old German realizes that
he Is paid tn play bali to the best OF
his ability; /" play with all the power
and Skill that IS his. And so has he
lac has beer out there on the diamond
giving the best that is In him to h!s
employers; faithful. Woodworking, won-
uerIul llonus Wagner.
have seen him play every posi-
ti"n on the diamond--and play each
perfectly. lie started as an outAelder,
amd Then was shifted to the inheld. nj
corner OF the diamond TO the other.
'n many occasions earlier in his ca
re"r: he has gone behind the bat.
rate pitching STAFF was shot TO pieces
ny injuries and double headers the
manager was In a quandary as To whom
lie should pitch in n certain game
IN go in" said Wagner And he
aid. He won that game. pitching in
superb fasion y week or so later he
pitched asain-and once more he was
the victor vs.
on, yes. Ty Cobb is a wonderful
h;in player: SO is Collins. Daubert,
MarahVille. l.aioie, Speaker and Evers:
so were Arson. Dclehanty Ian~s
iteifor, Williamson and the others. but
Wagner, the grand hitter, the amazing
fielder, the startling bassrInnan
naru"orkinE. mntchiess Wagner-he is
KING or them all; the greatest player
The diamond game has produced:
pi;tEcr whose like never will be seen