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Show THREE GREAT DIAMOND STARS OF 1916 HAVE RETIRED FROM ACTIVE SERVICE Lajoie, Hans Wagner, Mathewson and Johnny Evers to Quit Baseball Matty Will Be Seen as Coach This Summer. - NEW YORK, April 21. Three great stars of tho diamond who began the season of 1916 in active competition with tho best talent in the game have retired from active service, and a fourth may be passing. Tho graceful Lajoie has departed to labor in other fields, the grotesque Wagner has quit tho gamo, the stalwart Mathewson has laid down his pitching sceptre, and now they say that Johnny Evers is about through. Word comes from Boston that Evers may never play again because of neuritis, which has affected his throwing arm. New and brilliant luminaries are constantly flashing across the baseball firmament, but no season has ever produced four such men as Lajoio, Wagner, Mathewson and Evers. Tho gamo sustains a great loss when four Buch men drop out in one year. Matty will be seen in uniform this summer, but ho will appear only on the coaching coach-ing lines. Ho is done as a pitcher and will hurl only an occasional inning. Evers has been on tho verge of quitting for the last two years. He la not physically fit to stand tho strain of big league baseball. His Indomitable Indomit-able spirit has carried him far beyond where tho average man stops. Johnny weit into training with the Braves this spring, but was Injured in ono of tho early games. It is said that one of his arms Is sovoral inches shorter than the other, a condition resulting from a nervous affliction. oo |