The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-07-06

he shows any results at all his team
/, will have Il following of the fans. He
knows how 10 develop players anu hana!e
men in his quiet way. lie wont be OF
The Stnllings-McGr.tw type but more OK
The Fat Moran-Conuie Mack-WilbcTt
iobinson-Fred Mitchell style OF. leader.
He will coaX the baseball out Of them.
There was an old tradition OF the
Pirates that when llonuS took fancy
10 a youngstcr this fellow would make
bali player. When lack Miller. who
played, first and second base for the
Pirates. first joined the team. iionus
began 10 pal with him. taking lin on
fishing trips in his car. which Is his
favoritc sport. Wagner loves 10 try 10
kid n fish into biting on the end or MS
line All the lime hc talked baseball 10
Miller. and Jack being Il smart fellow,
listened nr;cntiv"ly. He turned out to
De rcu big Lacquer man rated much
: higher by ball players because they
rcalizr his value 10 team than by fans
. ard baseball writer's.
The next season Il bushcr Joined the
club who was regarded as the freshest
youngSter ever Ia emerge from the
sumuc He was hollering all the time
and kidding the old players and gener-
ally getting himself in bad. Early III
the first season Of this busher's career.
Fred Clarke said to me:
We've got the freshest kid with the
team this year / ever saw in a baseball
! uniform. but for some reason. Honus
has taken II great fancy 10 him. and /
predict he viii be 4 bail player" =.
It wasn't long before young Fiox was
playing second base regularly and work.
Ing with Wagner like II machine. Honus
had made II rcnl player of him..
These are just a couple of cases.
showing Wagner has the ability to pick
out talent and develop ii. II he could
! do that with n cingle mani. he should he
able TO do it with n whole ball club.
Therefore. put it down that Wagner
knows how 10 handle men and get along
with them--a big asset 10 any manager
and An essential one. Wagner has his
! own. individual style. Of course. differ
cnt leaders treat their players in differ
rnt ways.
Next. Wagner knows Observation-Disclosures
! il rs we'll as anyone. q little better than
most. lIonus is smart. II" can pull rs
much quick stuff on tho field as John
Evers. and his mind works ms fast when
It comes TO thinking baseball as does
! Hal Chase. Hal pulls plays every day
| that II would take some big leaguers a
week TO figure out.
When wa. doing lot OF pitching I
mover used the spiIbal because thought
il delayed the game and because | be-
! lier"d IL hurt my arm. THIS was we'll
known around the league. One day some
Wise ball player said to me:
splitter. He can't hit one with a .fungc
stick. He's a sucker for splitter"
Without calling amy attention to it.
control it. The Giants were playing
Pittsburgh. The first tinio Wagner
| faced me | decided to pull my new do
livery which was going IN make him
| look helpless with hat in his hand.
! cut loose q. spitier-wtth exactly the
! same moi Ion l used in pitching a curve.
md I had wet my fingers instead Of the
ball to conceal my damp delivery. I
| had worked hard on that motion so as
not to tip or what was going To throw
linnus only kissed that one for two
bases and then began kidding me from
| second base. :.
Didn't know you could throw n wet
| one. Matty," he yelled. II like those
| Make that u regular diet"
II was the last time 7 ever handed
! him Il splitter. Rut handed nay tipstnr
piece Of MY mind. Honus is q tough