[Archive]

Posted By: Patrick McMenemy

As I have continued my research regarding this photo, I found a quote in Lawrence Ritter's The Glory of Their Times, which answers something that troubled me regarding the photo. If the player with the huge hands is indeed Honus Wagner, how likely is it that he would have a first baseman's mitt which is seen in the photo at his feet?

Although most people regarded Honus as the greatest shortstop, he was much more versatile. As Tommy Leach mentions on page 23 of The Glory of Their Times, "And it also turned out that Honus was the best third baseball in the league, he was also the best first baseman, the best second baseman, the best shortstop, and the best outfielder."

Leach then on page 24 states, "So Fred put me in at third base, with Honus moving over to first. That reminds me, did you know that when Honus played third he played it with a first baseman's mitt? I don't know why, but he did."