The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1900-11-22
A FAST BALL PLAYER
HE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE PLAYED
WITH THE RoARERS.

own IhrOw 10 FtrSt ana VINO COu -d
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
Ringtail 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 postoflice that day, was over in tho
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 his feet For heavens
sake, boys, listen to this: We have 1t
from high source he began to read
breathlessly, that the Roarers have
unearthed a phenomenal base runner,
with whose services they feel confident
of wrestling the Jones county laurels
from the crstwhile 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 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 a
put out and an assist unassisted.'
boys. said the Slugger, crumpling
the paper suvagely in his fists, ito Lily
park with you. Practice begius at
once. Hustlen
"Well, sir that week we practiced.
In the morning the boys would all go
down to the station and race the traihs
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 a 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.
1.-The wonderful baseball feat per-
formed by Steve Speed the article
said, which was published exclusively
by The Jones County Courier, has been
eclipsed 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 he 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
from 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, but in case the
batter knocked fly he darted out in
the field and caught 1t himself. The
Roarers had, according to The Courier,
released their whole outfield. When
we read that, Bull Thompson wanted to
cancel the game. but the Slugger
wouldn't hear Of 1t. The Lightfoot
Lilies he said, may be made to look
like tarheel thistles, but we won't
wither before we're picked
"When the big game finally did come
off, the Roarers certainly had us on the
Auh. VI tHISc ihhihSo they piltu UP
runs almost at will. But then we be-
gan to get wise. Where was this fast
running phenom? Cy Priest was still
In the pitchers box. and the whole out
field seemed to he 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, CyT
"'You mean Steve SpeedT replied
Cy, with funny look In his eye. oh.
we couldn't pay the salary he demand
ed and had to let him go. The last i
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. or course The Courier said
that they had 1t from high source,
but then Well. you know Cy Priest
was over six feet."-New York Sun.