The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-09-30

This is like comparing Goldberg to Michaelangelo.
 Dode Paskert, who has carried the center fields burdens for the triumph ant Phillies this year. Is the unluckfest guy in baseball in that he now must be compared with Iris Speaker. Com pared with a lot of other center field CTS, Dode would make fine showing in figures, but against that unhuman being Speaker the dope makes him look like a 1912 Ford alongside a 12-cy1in- der limousine.
 There is nothing to 1t. Speaker out classes Paskert so far that the Red Sox pile up huge lead in the dope, which will have to be offset in other directions.
 was so anxious to see how the teams compared in other departments ! that I switched from the infielders and looked over the outfeld and the fur ther one goes in the figures on those fellows the worse the chances of the Phillies seem.
 However, remember that attacking strength of any team is 6S per cent of the total game, that defensive strength
 
 strength, the pitcher is 3S per cent and the center fielder Is 4h per cent. Therefore, if a center fielder outciasses his rival and neither of them gets chance, the worst amateur is just as good as Cobb-for that game.
 But with Speaker 1t is different This fellow, with all due respect for Cobb, is the greatest defensive out Alder of the day He can go further back after fly balls, he can thow bet ter than Cobb can, since the peach injured his arm by fool efforts to pitch and he Is the biggest help to pitchers possible.
 Boston's pitching staff is fine. But there are lots of pitchers who would be great if they knew that whenever they were in the hole to batter they could groove the ball, let him nit Il as hard as he could, and that out there in center field was fellow who could romp clear to the bleachers, go either direction, cover an acre or ground and save him.
 I have figured Speaker worth almost one and d half hits a game to his pitchers In one game against Chicago l saw this fellow and Hooper catch five long driven fly balls that no one
  hsf Iaii hands upon.
 u 2askert is pretty good ball ala mechanically. He has nerve, l.a a lot of ground and he has 0f speed on the bases
 never has been rated as a smart b4li Ter and at Cincinnati, where hs sl an indeterminate sentence urt1 he finally was paroled to the pl liies he was rated a bone" He 11s zseaa. much improved ball player 1lth pniladelphia and has not shown ueah af the bone stuff the Cincinnati scriaes accused him of displaying. He slas snown more pep and ambition. The chances are that his showing at Cincinnati was due to natural lack of interest and oarelessness rather than to inability.
 He is cracking good man for pitchers because he goes back we'll after fly balls, and the Boston grounds, with their depth will afford him ample opportunity. He helps pitchers by watching closely and he shifts well around the field for bat ters and covers up close to second, pos sessing great speed in a forward dash.
 On the attack he is dangerous, and he hits lefthanders well. He runs the bases much better than his figures for this sason indicate. He has not been run ing to amount to anything this year, 1t evidently Mcrans plan of campaign ,os not include the stolen base at all yidently Paskert did not get fully into
 ambition and the stride of the team
 til late, for his work has shown im- ,vement only in marked degree since
 became evident that the Phillies were due to grab the flag.
 Paskert has little of the 'punch'' that is necessary to win and he usually uses poor Judgment when he starts aggressive work. Compared either a batter, as a. jockeyer at the plate, as a worryer of pitchers while batting or on the bases, and as a fielder or as thrower he does not compare with Speaker.
 Speaker, indeed, is. next to Cobb, the most perfect all-round player in the coun- try. He can do everything in the game, and do 1t better than almost anyone. He beats Cobb throwing, both for strength and accuracy. but he does not make the