Norwich bulletin., 1916-08-05
GREATEST OF PLAYERS.
Honus Wagner, Crack Eastman, Base
 Runner During His 20 Years in Big League,

Hans Wagner is the greatest ball player that ever lived" is the asser- tion of William Chase Temple, donor of the famous Temple cup, and one of tho best judges of ball players the game has ever known.
 For 40 years-Since the National league began--I have seen every star that ever flashed in the baseball fir manent," added MT. Temple. There were many brilliant ones in the past; there are scintillating performers to- day. But none can compare with the peerless Wagner. He is the super
 ball player-the most wonderful of them alI
 Some few players of past or pres ent may have shaded Wagner in one or another department of the game, but none can compare with him in all-around ability.
 Wagner never was ranked among the graceful shortstops, but who can name a player of the present-or the past-Who really outshOne the aInaz- ing HOnus as a ground cOverer? Wagner may be clumsy and awkward in his movements, yet today, at the age of 42, he covers more ground than 90 per cent. of the short f1elders
 Who led the National league shortstOpS in 1915? The answer is TIonus Wagner-the gray and griz- zIed Honus. Fitted against such ri NGIS as the DralIly f1eEZOSI lIlG ldlSI MararvilIe, Bancroft (called the greatest shortstop in the game by John Tener) and all the others, Wag- ner, then aged 41, outfelded each and
 every one. Wagner, old and gray, won the fielding championship in his divisicn!
 Wagner takes rank among the greatest batsmen in history. When he hit 300 for II successive seasons
 he hung up a record that may en- dure for all time. And now, in his l 42d year, a decade beyond the end of i the average major Ieaguer's life, ! Wagner is battling with the young sters for the leadership of the | leagues. Isn't that the absolute proof of his hitting prowess?
 1 Wagner, in the history of his career, had few equals as a base run ner. Big and awkward, it seemed | like folly for him to attempt the theft of a bag-it looked like sure death. Yet, if you peruse the baseball rec ords, you will find that Wagners s base stealing average, covering all of his 20 years as a big leaguer, shows something like 40 pliers a seasOn-a record superior to that turned in by 95 per cent. of the men who have | played the game at one time or an | other during the last 40 years. What can illustrate better the marvellous base running skill of the | Grand Old Man of Baseball than the l 1915 records-the statistics which show that the veteran Wagner, with 1 22 stolen bases, ranked 18th in that class; that Wagner stole only IA less i bases than Carey, the league cham 1 pion.
 Wagner, in 20 years as a big 1 Ieaguer never pulled a 'boner'; he never has made a mental foozle.
 being an exceptionally brainy player, | but who is his superior in mentality .? | One hears much about the braininess 1 of Cobb of Evers, of Collins and of
 the others. But each and every one 1 has at some time or another slipped
 mental cahle-made an error of ] the head. But Wagner's record as a
 thinker is unsmudged!
 1 Wagner is the most gentlemanly player the diamond game has pro 1 duced. He has caused the umpiree | less trouble than any other perform 1 CT. No man has ever worked harder l or more conscientiously than this same l Wagner. For 20 years he has been a i star, for a score of years praise and i honors have been showered upon him 1 But they never turned his head. Con- | ceit Is foreign to Wagner's make-u
 '"The grand old German realizes
 that he is paid to play ball to the best of his ability; to play with all the
 power and skill that is his. And SO 1 has he played Day after day, year
 after year, he has been out there on the diamond giving the best that is in him to his employers; faithful
 hard working, wonderful Honus Wag- i neri
 T have seen him play every posi-
 tion on the dtamond-and play each 1 perfectly. He started as an outfeld-
 CT, and then was shifted to the in
 field. TA emergencies he was moved
 from one corner of the diamond tC the otheN On many occasions earlier
 in his career he has gone behind
 the bat.
 Back in 1902 or 1903, when the Pirate pitching staff was shot tc
 pieces by injuries and double head
 CTS, the manager was in a quandary