Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-06
continued from PAGE O.

to cut his uniform to release
him after he had damned one
Of his huge mitts into q hir
pocket to remove q plug OF
tobacco and couldn't get 1t out
In his prime he spread 20t
pounds over q 5-foot-il frame
He had enormous shoulders
Despite an awkward. elephantine
gait, he was surprisingly fast an6
he stole more than 40 bases eight
times.
Wagner, q ght-handed batter,
held more records than q juke
box. He led the National League
In batting eight years. in doubles
seven years, In triples three
years and in stolen bases five
years.
Over 500 for II Years
He batted 800 or better for
II consecutive seasons, 8 with
Louisville, then in the IL
club National League. and IA
with Pittsburgh. He played 100
or more games 10 successive
seasons, went to bat 10,427
times, made $3.50 hits and
finished with q 21-year major
league lifetime batting mark
of 1923.
His average was all the more
amazing considering that 1t
was compiled in the days OF
the so-called dead ball" and
when pitchers were permitted
to use the spitball, emery ball
and shine ball.
His greatest thrill. the Dutch
man said, came when he won the
first Of his batting titles in 1900.
the year the Louisville Club
moved to Pittsburgh.
I'VE we're playing our last
game Of the season." he related
When the game started I was
tied for the lead with Elmer
Flick Of Philadelphia. hit on
my first trip UP. So did Flick
We both failed the second time
up. He got a hit his third time
around and so did /. On his
fourth time at bat, Flick failed
and I didn't get a hit either.
Flick missed on his fifth try
and got a double to win at $50"
A Coal Miner at IL
Fourth in a family of six chill
dren, Wagner was born at Car
negie. Pa. February "a, 1874. He
was a coal miner at IL and later
joined his elder brother as a
barber, playing sandlot baseball
In his spare time.
His brother, AL, was a player
Of promise and had been offered
q contract by the Steubenville,
Ohio, club. Confident Of his 81
year-old brothers ability, AL re-
fused to sign his contract unless
Hans also was signed. Steuben-
vile offered Hans $35 a month.
II talked it over with some of
the boys" Wagner said, land
they figured that wasn't enough
money. So wired back I would
come for $40 a month. l re-
ceived a reply stating that I
could take the $35 a month or
stay home. I took it."
Some Of Wagner's friends adj
vised him not to 90, assuring him
he'd be home in a month. But
I fooled them" Hans chuckled.
Il didn't come home for more
than 20 years."
Barrow. then managing the
Paterson, N. j., team, signed
Wagner to play for him after
scouting" him throwing stones
along the Pennsylvania Railroad
tracks.
In 1897 Barney Dreyfuss, own
er OF the Louisville Colonies, pur-
chased Wagner's contract for
$4,000. When Dreyfuss moved
the franchise to Pittsburgh three
years later Wagner went with
him and remained until his re-
tirement as a player at the age
Of 43. Dreyfuss was his only
employer during Wagner's 81
years in the major leagues.
Ironically, the games great
est shortstop' broke into the
majors as an outfielder, and it
was not until four years later,
in 1901. that he played short
stop. In the interim he saw duty
at first base and third base.
Later he filled in briefly as a
pitcher.
Quit Coaching At 70
Wagner was out of baseball
from 1918 to 1882, returning to
the game as q coach with the
Pirates in 1888. He retired from
that position in 1852. eight day