The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1900-11-21
A FAST BALL PLAYER
HE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE PLAYED
WITH THE ROkRERs.

Nl- W.T. Si VIZ wv iiHF ~ ~
WITH THE ROkRERS.
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 e1-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, III tell
you all about him.
"One afternoon about month before
the last game we ever played with the
Ringtail Roarers the boys were all sit
ting round in the postofice discussing
our chances for the big contest. Cap
tain Slugger Burrows. who was tend.
ing postohice that day, was over in the
corner reading the ball news in Jones
County Courier that had accidentally
slipped its wrapper before delivery.
Suddenly he clutched the paper tight
ly and sprang to bis feet. For heavens
sake. boys. listen to this: We have 1t
from q high source he began to read
breathlessly. that the Roarers have
unearthcd a phenomenal base runner.
with whose services they feel confident
Of wrestling the Jones county laurels
from the erstwhile irvincible Lightfoot
Lilies The newcomers name is Steve
Speed. His extraordinary ability was
first discovered while be was In the
box one day last week. He stopped an
easy grounder and tossed 1t over to
first to catch the runner. The ball had
no sooner left bis hand than. to his hor-
ror, he discovered that first was uncov-
cred Without moments hesitation
he made 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
put out and an assist unassiSted.'
Boys said the Siugger. crumpling
the paper savagcly 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 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 second COPY
of The Courier )s...55eelZiahg .55eelZihg our hopes
higheAhan taxes
The wonderful baseball feat per-
formed by Steve Speed the article
said. which was published exclusively
by The Jones County Courier. has been
eclpsed by an even more astonishing
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 be Is able to
pitch the ball from the box and by an
incredibly quick start reach the plate
in time to catch the ball behind the
bat. The Roarers have released their
catcher Wouldn't that hasten your
pulse? 1t did ours.
And the next weeks accounts were
even worse The Courier got straight
frcm their own private high source
that this guy Speed was even better
than the week before. He was now so
super at the game that he not only ran
down behind the plate and caught the
balls that he pitched. hut in case the
batter knocked 6y he darted out in
the field and caught 1t himself The
Roarers had according to The Courier,
released their whole outtield. When
we read that, Bull Thompson wanted to
cancel the game. but the Slugger
wouldn't bear of it. The Lightfoot
Lilies he said. may he made to look
like tarheel thistles. but we won't
wther before we're picked
When the big game finally did come
off. the Roarers certainly had US on the
run For three innings they piled up
runs almost at will. But then we be.
gan to get wise. Where was this fast
running phcnom? Cy Priest was still
In the pitchers hox and the whole out.
field seemed to be in their usual places.
Perhaps he was sick The thought
gave US courage and we began TO pick
Up bit. You all know how we finally
pulled the game out Of the fire in the
last half Of the tenth. That's mat
ter Of history now. Well. after 1t was
over the SluGger went up to Cy Priest.
Say he asked. where's that hot
base runner of yours. Cy?
You mean Steve SpcedT replied
Cy. with funny look in his eye. oh.
we couldn't pay tie salary he demand
cd and bad to let him go. The last
heard Of him he was touring the north
west playing exhibition games to enor-
nous crowds
Yes. sir: he was the hest that ever
was--if he was. AS said. don't real
ly know. OF course The Courier said
that they had it from bigh source.
but then Well. you know Cy Priest
was over six feet."-New York Sun.