New Britain herald., 1920-03-19
bITS PULPIT FOR NATIONAL PAS7IME
l WambsganSS, Indians Star
 bond BaSenlan Chooses Baseball

i'll Wam bsganss, Cleveland second sman,l was intended for the min- Y. From the time lie was born he was 20, his father, a minis intended Bill should be a clergy Ifs Bill had not been taken
 consideration, perhaps his fla rs plan would have gone through. when Bill reached 20 he figured
 as a minister he was d good
 player.
 ill was born in Cleveland, but n he was only a year and a half
 his parents moved to Fort yne. It is said Bill then took an that some day he would return Cleveland as a big leaguer. He
 nothing to say about his re- ral from this big town, but once k, he has decided to. stick around. king out A wife, buying a home everything.
 i'll started to play baseball when father sent him, at Is, to Con- iia college, which was a prep bol for Concordia seminary at ch Rev. MT. Wambsganss eX- ed Bill to be turned out full ged minister of the gospel. Of fse, Wambsganss, ST., knew |nbsganss, Jr., was playing second for the two Concordia institu- s but he never thought that what Believed to be a healthy exercise Id change Bills career. Conse- ntly, he was surprised in 1913 In Bill wrote him he was going play baseball for living and I,o- l,s% ,-{A of S.i, ill batted but, PAY his first season Cedar Rapids in the Central Pciation but walloped the ball for
 the following season which was Ugh to cause Bade Myers. Cleve-
 scout, to advise his purchase $1,250 and a couple of players.
 was brought on for trial. He but .217 for the Maps and only
 the following year. That was last season under the Somers me. A batting average of .195 nothing to brag of. Many fans dered why Crawford was hang onto 8 player who batted so rly and figured that Cleveland led a new second baSeman. It a tough spot for Wamby, as he replaced Napoleon Lajoie, one of most famous batsmen the game
 had known.
 be Fohl, though, had confidence he late divinity student. He took South in the spring of 1916 but did not get away any too well. h finally decided to trade him to
 Orleans for Cotton Knaupp, eving another year in the minors Id not hurt Wamby. bhnny Dobbs of the New Orleans
 replied: II do not know that I to trade. Let me have a look Vamby in regular game
 ohl accordingly stuck Bill in e against Cincinnati at the Peli- park. Bill accepted eleven bril- chances without an error and ea three hits, whereupon Fohl in he'd Dohbs the deal was off for
 second base job was Bills from
 on If ever man had a posi- cinched. it was Bill. He cinched completely that Jim Dunn de- ed to trade him for Derrill Pratt bar later.
 |nce that time. Wamby has bat .o46, .255, .296 and .21S.
 1916 he displayed his versatility .n infielder by starring at second, 1t and third, playing short for months when Ray Chapman was
 performing so well there. the E were reluctant to see him switch when Chapman recovered from his ry. Tn 1917, he played first base w games and played it well.
 ill had to leave the Indians in B, Uncle sam inviting him to go to raining camp. Bill Fixed soldier so well. he was transferred to an +ers' training camp where he won bmmission as second lieutenant a the war ended and made it pos for him to go back to baseball. Xhis winter Bill has been reading meters for the East Ohio Gas pssssA--N sssef>-fg1tin should he kick
 e official scorer giving the op- kG fielder an error instead or %ing a base hit to Bill.