The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-19

America by North American Newspaper Alliance. All rights reserved.)
 Hans wagner's name appears on every All-American all-sta baseball team for doesn't know about baseball doesn't amount to much. In this the. story of his career, told by himself, he tells you what and plays the development of the Ameri- can national game. all the ins and outs that the baseball fan of today wants to know about. He gives pointers to the youngsters and the college player and he tells the old hand where he can look for new delights by watching for fine points that most of us overlook. Hans Wagner's story is more than this, however; to it knowledge of men, so that the diamond, as he talks of it, becomes as broad as the whole world. And with simplicity that makes absorbing reading, he has ae- com plished what many skilled writers fail to achieve; he has given living, full length portrait of man-himself.
 CHAPTER
 The Secret of My Batting
 By HANS WAGNER
 A fan. writing to ask that l dis cuss the art of batting, wants to know first what was the secret of my success-how l managed to hit over 300 for so many consecutive years when nobody else did.
 To be candid, I don't know. There was no secret about 1t. however. From the time I started as a boy I simply walked up and took a slam at any ball that happened to suit me. l don't believe half of them were over the plate.
 And that brings up something that might be interesting. Wilbert Rob- inson, who had more than 20 years experience behind the bat, told mo once that he had kept pretty fair tab on the kind of balls that were hit safely.
 Sixty per cent of the balls that not over the plate. big percent age of batters will strike out on balls right over the pan and will hit those on the inside and outside right on the nose. Most of the hits are made on balls outside"
 That. in a way. proves that l had the correct notion in swinging at the one that suited me whether it was sover or not The batter who is par ticular about getting the ball just right will not make many hits. He Is like the youngster who failed to offer at a single ball and was called out on strike by Bill Klem, the um- pire.
 He raised the dickens of a kick.
 You can't get any hits with that bat on your shoulder, young man, said the umpire.
 In the last big series between New York and Pittsburg when the Giants were fighting to cinch the pennant l saw a pinch hitter stand up there and take a third strike. There Is no excuse for man doing that. He is sent up there to hit and it Is his business to force the opportunity if he can't get it otherwise. The trouble Is they'd rather use an alibl than take a chance. They sort of fear to stand the gaff-dont want it brought to an issue.
 Frede Clarke had the right idea about that.
 Hit Elm Anyway.
 One day one of our players went up with men on bases. and two out, and took third strike. Everybody groaned.
 "That's the worst umpiring l ever saw" declared the batter, coming back to the bench. That ball was a foot outside"
 T 6on't care whether It was over or not" retorted Fred. If they are close enough to call strike they are certainly close enough to hit at. That kind of albi doesn't go."
 Tn my early days I use to make up my mind that l would hit at 1t whether it was strike or not. l found I got just about as many hits that way as any other.
 The whole thing In hitting base ball is your step. If you step right and time your swing with it so that everything goes into the ball at once you will come pretty near hitting safe. It Is very much the same as what they call timing in golf. No matter how well you swing or how nicely you stand at the bat you are not going to get results unless your step into the ball is made at the exact moment. That makes you pivot with your. swipgf I don't know exactly how to teach that to anybody, bat once you get the feel of it you'll know exactly what l mean. The golfers all know.
 Then when you hit you must go right on through with the swing. That gives distance. If a batter steps ahead of his swing or swings ahead of his step he will either foul the ball or lift it to one of the out fielders. To check the bat when you meet the ball is worst of all.~ That is really nothing more than long bunt. s
 That bird certainly stands nice at the bat"
 I'll bet I've heard that 10000 times. and so have you. The scouts always comment on whether fel- low has a nice position up there or not.
 Personally I don't think it makes bit of difference how you stand at the bat. As long as you time your