Show BEST BATTER IN I NATIONAL LEAGUE CLOSE RACE I BETWEEN DONUIN AND WAGNER FOR TITLE OF CHAMPION HANS SLIGHTLY IN THE LEAD Record of the Two Men since Their t Entry Into Fast CompanyWon I derful Performance of PltUburg i Man Since Joining ClubNew i York Captain In Game 12 Years The contest for tho batting suprem I ncr of the year In tho National league i between John Henry Wagner or I units or Honus WnKnor I as the great shortstop of the IlltHuiirR club I II familiarly calRd and Michael Don I II n captain and right fielder of theI i > ov York team equals In Intensity I i lie Interest that Ic being taken In the I outcome of the battle that Is being I waged for tho t championships of tho I National and American leagues Thus far Wagner leads tho lefthanded cap lain of the Giants by about 14 points the percentages a couple of days ago I being Wagner 335 i Donlln 321 I no latter however has been batting quite consistently and there are many experts who believe ho will land ahead of the formidable Plttsburgcr nt the close of the season Wagner has mado n wonderful record sInce he Joined tho Plttsburg t club In 1900 In that I year he led the National league and was also the first hateman In 1903 1904 1906 and 1907 I From the time ho played his llrst pro fessional engagement with the Stuebenvllle 0 club In 189C he was regarded as n formidable batsman The following year he joined the Paterson N J club of the Atlantic league anti remained then until July of 1S97 when tie Louisville manage nitlit outbid that of Plttsbtng and so cured the boy from Carnegie Iu Vagner remained with the Louisville I club until the close of the season of 1S99 when he became a member of the Plttsburgs along with other Louisville Louis-ville stars when the National league was reduced to eight clubs In his two years and a half with the Kentucky Ken-tucky team Wagner never failed to get behind the 300 mark In batting nor has he fallen below those flgin es in his eight and a half years connection with the Plttsburg team On July 23 last Wagner made his hundredth hit of the season Donlln being the first to score that record on July 13 and Cobb of the Detroit team of the American league the second on July 15 Mike DenIms reputation as a batsman bats-man since he joined tho National league as a member of the St ouls team In 1899 has been of a high order Whllo being somewhat fractious and I I not amenable to discipline during his I career with the Cincinnati club and nt times while with the Giants his deportment and playing ability have been vastly Improved since Manager McGraw placed him as Held com matador of the Polo Grounds team at the beginning of the preseuf season Donlln began his professional career as a pitcher of the team at Los Angeles An-geles Cal In 1S9C He had olllclatcd in 19 games and lost only two As a batsman he was preeminent leading the California league that year with Ian I-an average of 421 Three years later I he started his career In major league company with tho St Louis team and remained with that team for two seasons sea-sons the first year finishing with a batting average of 327 and the second year ho batted for 320 In 1901 John McGraw signed Donlln to play with his Ilaltimore team of tho American league Mikes batting being one of the features of the season his average leaching the splendid mark of 340 The following year JOP Kelley took Donlln to the Cincinnati team but It was not until 1903 that Mike resumed his great skill as a batsman the records of the season giving hint a murk of 351 the second best In JIm National league Ho was also second in the league In 1904 and tho following follow-ing years ho was transferred to the ranks of the New York club The principal achievements of the I ilval I batsmen follow WIIKN WAClNnil MID Till LEAOUi I 1900 Average 3SO19W Average JS I IWB AVITIIKO 3MI1W7 Average 330 IM Average 340 WAUNI3H WITH LOUISVlILi CLUB a Ait n ir Kii I AV 1107 61 241 3S S3 22 3M mi I US I 591 SO ISO 23 M ISO HI W 1r In S0 M WAGNER WITH IlTTSHUKCl CIUI1 1900 131 W 107 Ml M 3SO W1 141 riG 100 IK IS 3W w 137 MS UK in 43 3O W ll M2 97 IS2 IG M 97 171 K 310 innj 133 49 J 190 5 347 MS 1H 199 57 93 H J 318 i 11 175 53 110 iw7 112 m 91 ISO GI 300 DONUN WITH CINCINNATI 31 9 2J1 ion j 12 < 4M itO 174 W 351 1903 SOS 53 121 22 SM 1M4 W DONIJN WITH GIANT3 ooG 121 216 33 w US I P 1 gJSt O tt t5 3S 3 SH 1rJ tThlnl i tThlrd Second batsman in league atBinnn In league |