Omaha daily bee., 1916-12-24
AMERICAN LEAGUE
SLOWER, SAYS TUB
Rotund Catcher Who Came
Back Contends Bans Loop
Not as Fast Now.
rs IN POSITION TO KNOW

Tubby Spencer, the man who
came back contends that the Amer
ican league is not as fast today as it
was in 1905, when he first broke in as
catcher for the St. Louis Browns.
Spencer. who staged a remarkable
Comeback with the Detroit Tigers
last season, bases his argument on
the difference in pitching and quotes
no less an authority than Umpire Bill
Dineen in support Of his contention.
II this is treason Ban Johnson may
be depended upon to make the most Of
il. Undoubtedly Ban is not overjoyed
to learn that one of his own hired
men is advertising the fact that the
American league has lost some speed.
Spencer's opinion is mildly shock
ing, coming as il does just after sea-
son OF American league triumphs. By
comparison with the National league
last season, the American stood out
as the one major league. Tubs rating,
therefore makes an awful bum" of
the National. Maybe that will gain
Johnson's forgiveness.
In Position to Know.
Spencer surely is in position to
back up his arguments. He was a
fine catcher and hitter when he first
joined the Browns, but the primrose
path led downward for him. Tub ac-
quired a reputation as the American
leagues greatest packer of liquid re-
freshmcnt. He gained so much weight
that the nickname he bears was af-
fixed to him and became so slow that
he passed into the minors, where he
spent several years in different
leagues.
Two years ago Tub clambered on
the wagons for keeps and made such .
fine record in the Pacific Coast league
last summer that the Detroit club
grabbed him in midseason. Spencer
caught twenty-four games for the
Tigers and hit over 800. Because OF
the fact that he was out of touch with
American league ball for so many
years, Tub is eminently qualified as a
critic Had he remained in the league
continuously he might not have noted
gradual changes, but coming back
after long absence he was struck
with the difference In the pitching.
Improves With Age.
The average ball player, after ten
years. would be inclined to overrate
the company because OF his own fad
ing ability. Many critics believe
Spencer is better man today than
he was in 1905, and some explain his
views by assuming that he finds the
league slower because he is faster
himself than in 1905.
Tub winds up and delivers as fol-
lows.
\ know you'll think I'm stringing
you. but I'm convinced that the ball
played there now is not as good nor
as fast as that played when broke
in with St. Louis in 1905.
Il started an argument with Cobb
about this same thing one day this
fall and he told me that | was catch
ing better ball now than when I
broke in, and naturally I would think
that the class OF ball had deterioratcd,
since il was easier to get by now than
1t was in 1905.
Then ran across Bill Dineen, now
an umpire in the big show, but who
was pitcher with the Red Scx in
1905. | asked Bill what ne thought
about my side. Of the argument, and
he told me there wasn't doubt
in his mind that the bali Of his day
was faster than that OF today. Now,
his opinion must count for something,
docsn' iti
Look Over Old Pitchers.
Take tie pitching Of 1905. No mat
ter what club you stacked up against,
you met a good pitcher every day,
and a mighty good one at that. Pick
up one of the old guides and see for
yourself. The Athletics had Wad-
dell, Coakley. Bender and Plank; the
Yanks had Chcsbro, Orth, Griffith and
Hogg; Detroit had Donovan, Mullin
and Killian; Boston had Cy Young.
Tannehill and Dineen. Then there
we're Joss, Altrock, Rhoades, Smith,
Doc White, Owen, Moore, Otto Hess,
Ed Walsh. Tom Hughes and dozen
others.
What have you nowi Outside Of
the Red Sox there isn't a team in
the American league that can show
you a top-liner every day"