Show OFTEN OVERLOOK HOOK SPEEDY PLAYERS Stallings Once Passed Hans Wagner Up as Being i Too Awkward BY HARRY NEILY NElLY Great ball players often oCten fan fall 16 to t show their class young although the opposite opposite site is the general rule The retire retirement retirement retirement ment of Hans Wagner Vagner of f the Pitts Pittsburg PIttsburg Pittsburg burg club makes his unusual advent into baseball of interest i Away back in 1893 1895 18 5 Wagner was a ayoung ayoung young oung rawboned fellow playing on the lots of ot Carnegie Pa He had at attracted attract attracted tract d little attention even in the am amateur amateur amateur ranks ronks The Iron and Oil league composed of Oil on City Franklin Bradford War Warren Warren Warren ren ren Pa and cities of that class was formed Warren got in late and had to recruit a team in less than two weeks before the season season started Charles Power sporting editor of tho the Pittsburg Dispatch was president oH o othe of the league When Harry Pickett George Gcorge Frank Franklin FrankIln lin and H W ZV V Nelly Neily Neil sr decided to put in a team they hurried to Pittsburg and Power dug up enough players to fill nine uniforms Harry Smith of the Pirates Claud Ritchey AI Al Wagner Vagner John Wagner Wanner Va ner Joe RIckert Jimmie Cooper and several sever ell others were in the bunch John Wagner Vagner came along be being being being ing a younger brother ofAl oUAl of AI and get getting getting I ting recognition for that fact Limit of Awkwardness At that time John Wagner Vagner was about the limit for awkwardness and lack la k of ot finish He played third base and wobbled wobbled wobbled bled about that station like a blind blindman blindman blindman man on stilts His playing improved gradually and In a Ii few tew weeks he was going right The Warren team won so 80 many games the league broke up George Stalling g veteran manager dropped down fr m Buffalo to get some of the Warren talent t lent He took Al AI Wag Wagner Wagner Vagner ner and Ritchey but declared John Johnw was w as s so clumsy he never would make a ball player John went to Steuben Steubenville Steubenville Steubenville ville Paterson N J and Jumped to Louisville He has been up there at atthe atthe atthe the top ever eer since Ed Barrow former Detroit and Toronto manager recognized recognized recognized his ability as did Barney Drey Dreyfus Dreyfus Dreyfus fus But at one orie one time the great John Wagner was actually act ally passed up as a dub by a baseball manager who had already won a great reputation for be being being being ing able to s see ee the good ones coming |