The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-09
CLEVELAND CLUB
PAYS $4,000 FOR
iris SPEAKER
Red SOx Sell Great Outfielder.
who Refused 10 Sign New
Contract.
MAY TAKE PLAYERS IN
PART PAYMENT FOR STAR

ono Of the greatest players that has
ever srarcd the diamond IN the biz
leagues was sold yesterday By the Bos-
ton club to h Cleveland Indians
According to officials OF the Clevs-
land club The price paid for the great
fielder was $4,000, the largest amount
OF money that has ever been paid for .
tall player. The full facts Of the deal
have not been disclosed at yet. but II
10 said that the Cleveland club has rne
privilege OF turning IN two ball players
a. part payment Of the $4,000. VINO
the two players are that may b traded
10 still a matter Of conjecture, but Il IL
moro tnan likely that they will b picked
rom a group made up Of Left Fielder
Jack Grancy. Larry Chsppelie, another
outnelder: Toe Evans. q third baseman,
and Sam Jones. a pitcher.
Manager Bill CTrigan Of the Boston
team announced yesterday too that the
sale had been made. but wal unwilling
10 give out an Of the details because q
the absence of President Joe Lannin Of
the Boston club.
Naturally the news Of the saie came
as a big surpris. to baseball fans
throughout the country. Only on Fri
day Speaker was In the lineup Of the
Boston team and played against the
Brooklyns. Speaker showed up to his
old form In that game and almost won
II single handel when In The eighth In
ming he hit a clean home run drive over
the right field fence scoring Foster ahead
81 him. He also made IA brace Of sin
giles and had a perfect batting average
for the day. incidentally earlier in the
same game he nipped an incipient batting
rally in the bud by throwing out Wheat
at the plate on one of the prcttiest plays
even seen on Ebbets Field.
1t'seems almost certain that a deal
OF some sort or another involving
Speaker had been In the wind for some
time. Notwithstanding this. however.
President Lannin only recently an
nounced that he practically had patched
up matters with tho famous outfelder.
who had been holding out. and that dis
posing Of Speaker was far from his
mind.
Speaker. one of the higies, salaried
| players in the big leagues. had been
threatened with u cut In SALARY, hence
the holdout. At the time the Federal
League. now defunct. was making in
roads OF the star players OF organized
baseball Speaker wus one Of the irs;
10 pe Scugnl, anu IN hTHtr 10 hsep nlU1
Lannin increased his salsr, to meet
| the offers of the Federal League agents.
II Is said that Speaker viii still en-
! joy the distinction of being one of the
highest paid men In the game. II IS
said that he will receive a salary in
excess OF $4,000. lie will repor; for
duty NJ tho headquarters Of the Cleve-
| land club tomorrow,
lie certainly .hould be Of material
assistance 20 the Cleveland club. as he
has been a consistent 800 hitter since
1904 As n fielder he is 4 marvel Cor
covering ground Last year he made
moro putouts than any other fielder In
the American League, totalling 37s IN
$50 games.
Like many another star hail pls y
Tr,g Speaker had rather an obscure
start .n the world Of professional hnse.
bal The famous ou'Hcldrr was born
IN Hubbard CITY. Tex, on April 4, 1858.
aud celebrated his twenty-cighth birth
day last Tuesday. Iic did his first ball
playing 90; Tote a; the Fort Worth Poly
'cchnir Institute in 1905. The follow.
ing year h. had his first 'sst" Of the
professional game With "lehurnc in the
North Texas League.
Speaker was transferred AT the end OF
that year to Houston In tho Texas
League and proceeded TO hit .31< In IFS
games. whereas he had hit at only a
.:s9 clip for "leburne in - Games
The man for ahum Cleveland yesterday
paid ~" hjghcat price IN the history Of
the game was bought AZ the end of that
season by tho boston He'd Sox for $500
and played three games. Roston decided
that he was not ripe for big league play
just then and loaned hir, 10 Little Rock
Of the southern League the following
season.
The climate agreed with Iris and IN
1917 games for Little Rock he slammed
tho ball for an hvrrag" ~ $50, stole
IS bases and scored 81 runs. That
made the Young ou,icidcr look pretty
swe"t 80 tn" BOSTON club and y brought
him back 10 the Hub, paying $500. Just
| DER cent Of tn. price paid for him
by cleveland YESTERDAY. To- get him
bacS.
In la0S I've took par, ~ ~ games
and DID not set IN" world ON fire by any
remarkable display Of skill, His ba'.
ting average sighed for the Little Rock
climate and thiuued out TO Aily eco.
However. the batting average was due
10 grow. and the following year Speak
cr's eye brightcucd T., such an extent
that hc slammed the bar for an average
Of .3On. stole 30 bases AND scored 70 run
in li3 games. Another year made q
still greater improvement in the batting
eye and AL ,round playing ability Of
the exam. i1lS Hi''lNs average tllTNprh
10 $40. and hjs speed on the base
as far a. stealing goes did not ~increas,
any, for his to,a' ~ stolen bases onl,
reached the - mark again. lie scoreo
% runs.
In 1911 speaker had a had year
but for many another player Il woult
have been a banner season. The TexPt
polcd ont only 1877 hits in $40 time.
a, but for IN average OF .32I. piltereu
ON, .. sacks ard drutcl the plate only
IS times. Immediately IN" word hegai
,u spread that the e~t"rlirg fielder wa
ready for tho ,ohoggin which woulo
ease his path into IA" minor leagues
Spcaker had made sue a remarkable
record that any slump "A, all was sum
Gent ro. the ralan,ity hovlers to pro
claim hat he Mas heading for tn,
pushes,
Speaker had no idea Of going back I
the miuur iriEus, however, and FRO
ce,SleJ to show what he had to say ahou
Il. In 1912. the following season, Il.
calmly came along with the best year o
his stellar career, The Texan played IL
ia games that year. apparently bein;
nXiou 10 come t. bat 40 often a. pos
slhle, He got 10 the plate $50 time
and made the most of his trips by knock
ing out a92 hits Tor an average Of IS:
against al kinds If pitching.
D Left hauders and right handlers uer
g., ali allnc To- speaker, and the terr!f
warfare, I'll" uutleldcr wng"d on 100
unoftcnsi,o has.pars hit his ,eam mt
, an American League championship AN,
eventually a worlds championship pen