Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 January 1911 — WAGNER FOUND BY ACCIDENT [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WAGNER FOUND BY ACCIDENT

Great Pittsburg Shortstop Among Famous players Unheard of Before Jumping to Big Bhow. Some of the, greatest ballplayers the game has even known have been discovered by accident or through sheer luck. Pour players have been picked at random, but they stand among the best* the game has ever known just to show the truth of the above assertion. The men are the late Eld Delehanty, probably the greatest and, undoubtedly, the hardest hitter who ever put on a pair of spiked shoes; Ames Rusle, who many believe was the greatest pitcher ever in the game; Hans Wagner —by the way, his proper name is John Paul Wagner—and Ty Cobb. Amos Rusle begap his ball career with (he old Grand Avenue team in Indianapolis, when Indianapolis was a member of the old 12-club National league. This was back in the eighties. Rusle was a pitcher, a powerful, husky young giant, who had a world of speed and a dazzling array of curves. The Grand Avenues had one large picnic with the other teams in the old Indianapolis C!ity league when Rusle pitched. Jack Glasscock was playing shortstop on the Indianapolis (National league) team at that time and Jerry Denny was i holding down third base. Glasscock was captain of the team. He beard of Rusie's pitching and one Sunday took Denny and hiked out to the City League park, where Rusle played. Glasscock watched the youngster work and both he and Denny were so impressed that Rusle was taken downtown after the game. The next* day Rusle appeared at league park in an Indianapolis uniform. The story of his career In the big league is now baseball history, known to all fans. Rusle was a-wonder, but his bad habits put him out of the game when he should have been In his prime. He is now living at Vincennes, Ind., working In a lumber yard and dredging for mussel pearls In the Wabash river. Ed Delehanty, the greatest of the Delehanty ball-playing family, began

on the lots arouid Cleveland, his home city. In 1886 some one told the manager of the old Wheeling (W. Va.) team that Delehanty was a great ballplayer. The youngster didn't have any money and no transportation was inclosed, but he started for Wheeling and made his way there by riding freight trains and walking. He w r as an inflelder, playing second base, and he made good from the jump. In 1887 Philadelphia decided to give him a trial, and along in the fall of that year Delehanty made his major league debut, succeeding Bastian, one of the greatest players of his time, at second base. As a big league second baseman the man who was destined to become a terror to the best pitchers the game has ever known was not a brilliant success. Neither did he shine with the bat in his first year, as his average for 56 games was only .227. In 1888 he played 54 games and soaked the pill for a grand average of .292. He alternated between second base and left field, and In 1890 he went to left field and remained there until his tragic death. Hans Wagner owes his start in baseball to his brother. A 1 Wagner. A 1 was a good ballplayer, but every one thought Hans was too awkward ever to amount to anything on the diamond. A 1 was with Steubenville, owned aud managed by George Moreland at that time, and Moreland wanted a pitcher. "Get my brother,” said At. “Can he pitch?" Moreland wanted to know. "Well, he can throw a ball mighty fast." A 1 replied, and Hans was wired at Carnegie to report. His Salary was to be J 35 per month. Wagner beat his way from Pittsburg to Steubenville on a freight trat^ Frank Bower man wrs catching for Steubenville and Claude Ritchie also was a member of the team. Wagner pitched the first game, but after that they put him in the outfield. His ieet were so big it was impossible to get a pair of baseball shoes In Steubenville to fit him, and the greatest ballplayer of all times played his first league engagement in his bare feet. The Steubenville team blew up. Mansfield wanted A 1 Wagner and wired him at Steubenville. A 1 had another job, so ho sent his brother. Mansfield, wanted a shortstop and, while he had*, bptm playing the outfield, Hans switched to short. He mide good. Later, the Wagner brothers went back to Moreland at Wheeling, W. Va., and then were sold to Captain Kerr, at that time owner of the Pittsburg club

“Honus" Wagner.