The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-12-10
TUB SPENCER SAYS
LEAGUE HAS SLOWED
Tigers Come Back" Baokstop
Backs Up His Argument
With Real Facts.

Il FNDV ttNthf DeC. IU.--E0WAr0
(Tub) Spencer, "the man who came
: back" contends that the American
League 10 not az fast today as II was
in 1905, when he FIRST broke in az 4
| catcher for the St. Louis Browne.
Spencer. who staged a remarkable
come back" with the Detroit Tigers
last season, bases his argument ON
the difference In pitching and quotes
no less an authority than Umpire
BIZ Dinneen In support of his con-
II this be treason. Ban johnson
| may be depended upon to make the
| most OF II. Undoubtedly Ban Ia not
oyerjoyed to learn that one of hi
that the American League has lost
| some speed. spencer's views were
delivered to a Los Angeles interview.
err last week. Even Los Angeles may
not be a safe distance from the John.
| sonian wrath.
| Spencer's opinion 10 mildly shock
ing, coming as II does just after a
season OF American triumphs, BY
last season, the American stood out
as the one major league. Tubs rat
| Ing, therefore, makes an awful
bum" OF the National. Maybe that
VIII gain him Johnson's forgiveness.
In A Coed Pssitie..
| spencer In surely in a position 70
BACK up. his arguments. He was a
me catcher and hitter when he nrst
path led downward for him. Tub ~,
| CURED q reputation as the American
Laxues greatest packer of liquor
y weisss ,sat 81, He gained 90 much
was AFFIXED TO him and becam. ne
SLOW that he passed into the minors.
wnere ne spent several years In air.
'e1 Two ' sssrs !. m r,,, .,
the wagon for keeps and made such
hne record IN The Pacific Cosst
| League last summer that the Desroi,
SIub grabbed him in midseason.
for the Tigers and Tnsip a Sys% ao games s.
cause OF the fact that he was out on
| touch with American League hall FOR
so many years, Tub is immIncntIy
e ~ la as 2 critic. Had he remain.
might not have noted grsdusi
changes, but coming back sfteJ =
long absence he was struck with The
The average BAH 'G pnsYssr altar o.,
years. would be inclined TO over.rate
| the company because OF his own fad
ing ability Many critics believe
Se e Ms. ~ , q bette, man today than
/ Views by assuming that he finds the
| league slower because he IL faster
himself than In 1905.
He Says All Tkis-
Tub winds up and delivers a. fol.
lows:
| Il know you'll think I'm strtnsiur
you. but I'm convinced that the ball
played there now 10 not as good nor
as fast as that played when I broke
In with 81. Louis In 1905.
started an argument with Cobb
fsII snd sh rs , ,a,a thing one day this
ing better ball now than when I
broke In, and naturally I would think
that the class OF ball had deteriorated.
4, nin g u was ,os easier to get by now than
Then ] ran across Bill Dineen. now
an umpire In the big show, but who
was pitcher with the Red sox in oS.
my side OF the arguments, and he told
me there wasn't a doubt In his mind
that the ball OF hts day was tasted
than that OF today. Now, his opinion
must count Tor something. doesn't III
Tshe the Pitehias.
Take the pitching OF 1905. No
matter what club you stacked up
against. you met q good pitcher every
day, and a mighty good one at that.
for yourself. The Athletics had Wsd.
dell. Coakley. Bender, and Plank: the
Yanks had chesbro. orth, Griffith,
and Hosg: Detroit had Donovan, Mui.
lin. and Killian; Boston had Cy
Young. Tannehill, and Dineen. Then
there were Joss, Altrock, Rhoades,
Smith. Doc White. owen. Moore, Otto
Hess. "a Walsh, Tom Hughes, and a
what have you nowf Outside OF
the Red Sox, there isn't a team In the
American League that can show you
q top-iiner every day.
Holds Coed fer Req.
what can be said for the pitching
also holds good for the rest OF the
clubs. Catching. Unfolding. and all.
round playing ability were better In
the old days than they are now, 10
my judgment counts for anything. or
course, there are stars now, just the
I'm speaking about the general run
Of ball players, and not OF the indi'
| The point that Spencer brings out
| Is that there were more high-class
| pitchers In the American League a
| decade ago. He says that In the old
| days an American League hitter faced
| good pitching every day and had few
opportunities 10 fatten up on the soft
stun. He 10 right there, We doubt
whether the American League teams
VIII average two pitchers OF the cali
Der OF the men named. and the Ma
tionai League has less, In these
] days of long schedules and frequent
double headers managers are too fire.
4 qquently compelled to take chances
on pitchers In whom they repose little
confidence.
/