New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-17
Iris Speaker Will Nab
95.48 More in Season
than Snodgrass.
ZACH WHEAT LEADS
THE LEFT FIELDERS
Athletics Really Won Victory
Over Braves. According to
Stallings's Testimony.
BY HAYWOOD BROUN.


iris Speaker is a more valuable de-
fensiye player than Fred Snodgrass.
This il not said in the light Of carping
criticism. but only after a full exam
nation OF the fac.s in the case. quite
after the manner Of Hughie Fullerton.
In complete campaign OF l54 games
Iris will catch 95.4s flies which Fred
Snodgrass will not reach. Getting
down to the basis Of guesswork, 1t may
be assumed that of these 95.4S flies
about thirty will be hits for extra
bases; or. carrying the assumption still
further, that Iris Speaker will cut OF
just about thirty-fve or forty runs
which would be scored II Fred Snod-
grass were holding down the job IN
centre.
II is impossible TO determine sceu-
rately the value Of Speaker and OF
Snodgrass in holding safe hits down 20
the lowest possible number OF bases by
fast handling OF ground balls, but here
again il is probable that Speaker had
an advantage. Certainly the advantage
Of assists was all with Speaker. for he
threw out thirty runners TO eleven for
Snodgrass.
Getting down 20 method, the speed
marvel OF the Red Sox played in 1871
games and caught 425 flies. This was
an average of go catches game
Fred Snodgrass was in ninety-siX
games and caught two hundred flies for
an average OF 2.0s.
The difference in the range OF the
two players is, therefore. expressed by
so game. In 1874 games the difference
would be the 95.4s, as stated above.
By actual statistics, then. we know
that Iris Speaker covers more ground
than Fred Snodgrsss. What's that
you say? You knew il all the time.
Isn't that just our luck after all that
figuring.
But here is another problem Mr..
Fan TO which, perhaps, you cannot
give an answer offhand. Do you know
who gets the greater number OF flies
in season. a left fielder or a centre
fielder? II is generally recognized that
the right fielder has the fewest oppor-
tunities OF any of the outer trio, and
I for that reason the fastest men are
usually placed in centre or left. Be
tween these fields the difference is not
so marked, but II is an appreciable
definite factor just the same.
The average of go catches per game
by iris Speaker tops the mark set by
any other man. Iris, as everybody
knows, is centre fielder. but the case
! for that position rests on more eX-
/ tended evidence than simply the record
Of Speaker. Zach Wheat, LETT fielder
/ of the Superbas, attained the best
mark of any man playing that posi-
! tion with an average Of 2.29, and
George Burns, admittedly one Of the
J fastest men in the gam, could make a
! mark of only 2.ll. Barns, IL is true,
/ played a few games IN right field.
| Here are the records of a few Of the
best centre felders: Paskert. 1881;
Leach, 2.96; Strunk. 233; Shotten. 2.32.
These are ali above the mark made by
! Wheat.
The case against the right fielder is
easily confirmed Wilson, OF the Car
dinals, one of the best men in the
game, could make an average OF only
2.03 catches per game, while the bril-
liant Hooper Of the Red Sox caught
just Les.
The left fielder has an advantage
over his brother in centre, due 10 the
fact that he has the opportunity %
catching a number of fouls during the
course of year, but this is more than
made up by the freedom Of the centre
fielder from stands which interfere
with the range Of play permitted 10
the left fielder.
II seems little late in the day to
go back of the returns in the worlds
series and state that the Athletics
really won the victory. but that is
just what we purpose doing, and as
our first and only witness We call
George Stallings, manager OF the
Braves. Mr. Stallings. in his article
in The Tribune to-day, states that
THE Braves we're on TO all the little
personal weaknesses OF the Athletics"
and goes on TO describe how the Bos-
ton team used this knowledge 20 ride"
or more plainly 70 blackguard their OPP
ponents during the course OF the games
for the worlds championship.
perhaps some OF my readers do
not think il fair in indulge in CONVEX
sational tactics Of this sort" writes
Mr.. Stallings. but the practice ia as
old as the hills and the game OF base
ball itself All the great teams have
done il with the exception OF the Ath
letics. Members Of the Cubs and the
Giants have told mo that Nack's team
went through the world series with
their clubs without peep out OF them,
and | think that this lack OF com
bativeness has hurt their drawing
power during the regular season. They
do nothing but play baseball when
they are on the field. Otherwise, they
are colorless."
Possibly il will never go down in
the record books. but will not any fair
Jury of fans decide that the Athletics
won victory by standing up TO the
abuse OF the Braves and doing for
their part nothing "but play baseball"
John McGrav, Hans Lobert and
Christy Mathewson will sail for Cuba
to-day for a brief vacation prior 10
the beginning Of the spring training
trip. Captain Huston has asked the
other members Of the party 10 watch
McGraw closely, as the manager OF
the Giants has threatened 20 drop his
new golf clubs overheard in a deep
spot in the ocean just of Key West.
Charlie Deal, the third baseman, who
performed so brilliantly for the
Braves in the world series, is reported
TO have jumped 10 the Feds. Jim
GafFney said yesterday he had not
heard OF the detection OF Deal. bug
admitted that the player had been
hold-out.