Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-11-13
A FAST BALL PLAYER
HE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE PLAYED
WITH THE RoARERs.

steve speed, Who Could Beat His |
own Throw to First and who Could |
Get Behind the Plate In Time TO |
Catch His own Pitching.
"The fastest base runner ever saw" |
said the fat ex-mascot of the Lightfoot |
Lilies in comparing baseball of the
present with that of the old days, "was
little Sammie Salmon of the Lilies. But
the fastest base runner ever heard of
was, or wasn't, as the case may have
been, Steve Speed, who played, or who
didn't play, don't know which, with
the Ringtail Roarers. At any rate,
whether he ever played with the Roar
ers or not, he was certainly the fastest
that ever came over the crossways.
You don't understand? Well, I'll tell
you all about him.
zone afternoon about month before
the last game we ever played with the
Rlngtail Roarers the boys were all sit
ting round in the postoffice discussing
our chances for the big contest. Cap
tain Slugger Burrows, who was tend
ing postoffice that day, was over in the
COTutF ItduluS TIC Ddli utWS III JOueS
County Courier that had accidentally
slipped its wrapper before delivery.
Suddenly he clutched the paper tight
ly and sprang to his feet. For heavens
sake, boys, listen to this: we have 1t
from a high source he began to read
breathlessly, that the Roarers have
unearthed phenomenal base runner,
with xyh corutcoc fhoxy fool nnnG1nnf
of wrestling the Jones county laurels
from the erstwhile invincible Lightfoot
Lilies. The newcomers name Is Steve
Speed. His extraordinary ability was
first discovered while he was in the
box one day last week. He stopped an
easy grounder and tossed it over to
first to catch the runner The ball had
no sooner left his hand than, to his hor-
ror, he discovered that first was uncov-
cred. Without n moments hesitation
he made a dive for the bag and sue
ceeded In reaching it just in time to
catch the ball that he had thrown but
an instant before, thereby scoring a
put out and an assist unassisted'
Boys said the Slugger, crumpling
the paper savagely in his fists, to Lily
park with you. Practice begins at
once. Hustle"
"Well, sir, that week we practiced.
In the morning the boys would all go
down to the station and race the trains
as they steamed out of town. After
moons they'd ease up n bit and just in
dulge in short sprints paced by the
town trolley car. AT night the daily
practice would conclude with brisk
| cross country run around the town
ship. The work began to show. AT
the end Of the week we began to have
| some hopes of beating the Roarers aft.
er ALL And then came a second copy
Of The Courier knocking our hopes
higher than taxes.
""rhe wonderful baseball feat per
formed by Steve Speed the article
said, which was published exclusively
by The Jones County Courier, has been
performance by the same player. We
have 1t from the same high source from
which we obtained our former news
that Speed has now become so prof
cient In running that he Is able tC
pitch the ball from the box and by al
Incredibly quick start reach the plate
In time to catch the ball behind thc
bat, The Roarers have released theil
catcher Wouldn't that hasten youl
pulse? 1t did ours.
"And the next weeks accounts were
even worse The Courier got straight
from their own private high source
thatkthis guy Speed was even better
than the week before. He was now Sc
super mt the game that he not only raj
down behind the plate and caught tho
balls that he pitched, but in case thu
batter knocked fly he darted out IL
the field and caught 1t himself. Th'
Roarers had, according to The Courier
released their whole outfield. Whei
we read that. Bull Thompson wanted t.
cancel the game, but the Slugge
wouldn't hear of It, The Lightfoo
Lilies, he said, may be made to lool
like tarheel thistles, but we won
wither before we're picked
"When the big game finally did COM
off, the Roarers certainly had us on th
run. For three Innings they piled NJ
| TUuS dlulOSt III VIII. but tIlcu we Dt
gan to get wise. Where was this fas
running phenom? Cy Priest was still
In the pitchers box. and the whole out
field seemed TO be In their usual places
Perhaps he was sick. The though
gave us courage, and we began to picl
up bit You all know how we finall
pulled the game out of the fire I'm til
last half of the tenth. That's mat
ter of history now. Well, after It wa
over the Slugger went up to Cy Priest
"'Sny,' he asked, where's that no
base runner of yours, Cy|
"'You mean Steve SpecdT replie
Cy, with 81 funny look In his eye 'of
we couldn't pay the salary he demand
cd and had to let him 60 The last
heard of him lie was touring the nortl
west, playing exhibition games to enoi
nous crowds
"Yes, sir; he was the hest that eve
was--if he was. AS said, don't rea
ly know. or course The Courier sal
4 that they had 1t from high sourc,
q but then Well. you know Cy Prizes
was over six feet"-New York Sun.