The Washington herald., 1917-08-19

SPEAKER IS BEST
DEFENSIVE PLAYER
Former Red Sox Cost $500 and
Was Sold for SIS. 900.

are Just born lucky. The Red sox.
for instance. worlds champions and
fighting for a third consecutive pen
nant- There is a club lucky enough
to go on record after losing its most
valuable asset No, not losing. but
selling for a record sum.
They did say the Red sox would 70
all to smlthereens without Iris
Speaker. But the Hub OUTFIT was good
enough to spare the king Of outheld-
ers. and profited doubly by the sale.
In that Speaker made the CLEVELAND
Indians a pennant contender last
yesr. And pcnnant contender the
Indians still remain and will remain
30 long as Speaker Is able 10 stano
up TO the plate or run the hundred
yards within two seconds OF what he
can now show.
Speaker IN many respects "a a great
er ball player than Ty Cobb, ac-
cording TO the followers OF the game.
Certainly he is far better defensively.
He will cover an acre more ground,
and dc Il gracefully; he can throw
much better and more accurately
than Cobb.
offensively. Iris is almost the equal Of
Ty. He has not the wonderful speeu
% AAAt SN9A kAoNH ana NltLElolE mas
20 hit more cleanly 20 get his base
knocks He is neither so daring nor
so fiashy on the base paths as the
temperamental Tiger. Yet il is ques-
tionable IL Speakers superior de-
fensive ability does not pretty nearly
offset Cobbs superiority Of ofenSe
In the opinion Of the srnartest base
ball generals OF the last ten yesrs.
Ty Cobb is the wonder Of the game
II is generally conceded he is and has
been the greatest all-round PLAYER Of
history. II Is equally true that
Speaker has been and is the greatest
defensive outhelder Of all time. This
opinion is based on the sound iudr-
ment Of old-timers who were familiar
with Bill Lang. who was conSfdereo
The king Of gardeners tin Sneaker
won his niche in the hall Of fame
Also the question is open to debate
whether or not Iris Speaker is as
great an influence for good with the
lnolvioual club as is even the mighty
CooD. The two are Of opposite ty-pe
~ Is all nervous energy, hot tenn
pereo and Lnconsiderate Of everything
but his personal might. Ambition.
reientlessly pursued. has carried him
10 the top year after year in almost
every department Of playing value.
Until Speaker last year snatched the
batting crown from Tyrus, the Georg-
] ian Peach for nine consecutive seasons
had won the slugging laurels Of or
ganized baseball He had annexed
most Of the other titles, too-base
running. run getting, runs batted in.
Speaker. in his might, always has
| been cons iderate Of the rights Of others
He has never been known to usurp
mis- rights to the base path when
such usurpstion hazarded the life and
limb of a rival Speaker, like Wagner.
would sacrifice his base-ruuniug
record to spare a rival guardian OF
the paths from the cold steel. Speaker
therefore, is one Of the most highly
respected and generally beloved play
ers of the game
Cobb sacrifices his chances TO no.
body. Indeed. many times he has
been accused Of cutting down infeld-
ers wilfully and needlessly. There is
little doubt that Cobo often gets away
with daring base-running achieve
ments because Of the fear he has in
spired with his ready spikes
OF the two. Speaker. perhaps. has
the right to consider himself more
of a self-made player. Iris always
has been the king-pin slugger Of his
immediate associates. During his long
affiliation with the wonderful Red Sox
he stood as a hitter head and should
ers above his teammates. Cobb al
ways has had at his hack a helper
OF almost equal deadly accuracy with
the stick.
| For years il vas~wahoo sam Craw-
! ford, who always could hit a hall with
far greater accuracy and force than
even the mighty Ty. Had sam pos
sessed Ty's phenomenal speed he would
have discounted Cobb 100 points as a
hitter. When Sans eye began TO
dim and his muscles TO lose their re-
! siHency Bobby Veach WAS ready to step
into the breach. Cobb always has
had that combination OF power which
served to enhance mis- individual ahil-
ity to the highest possible degree.
No so with Iris Speaker. The Texan
always has had to stand on his own
feet.
4 There is no doubt Speaker is the
/ nearest approach TO Cobb. Iris
/ has never failed to hit better than
\ 800 since he earned a regular
berth in fast company. Had Trl-
gone to the National League il is
possible that today he would be
| considered the peer Of Hughie
/ Jennings all-around performer
Last season Speaker. after nine at
| tempts. succeeded in snatching the
batting crown from Tyrus. He
clouted the ball for 1856 to accom-
plish his purpose. Yet as far back
| as 1872 this wizard of the ash show
4 ed .3S3 to no avail. That same
year Iris stole fifty-two bases. only
u run second to Cobb in both de-
/ partments.
The same goes for Speaker in
his present relations with Clevc'
] land. Iris was sold by Joe Lam
min. owner OF the worlds cham
\ pion Red Sox. as much to relieve
himself OF a $4,000 contract as for
the ready cash involved. The dis
poSal was prompted by the general
policy OF economy that followed in
the wake OF the world war.
Speaker also has the satisfaction
OF realizing just how much he inn
| proved his value during his major
| league career, a circumstance in
which Cobb only may guess in his
particular case. Iris came to the
big show representing an invest
/ ment OF S40o. That was in 1917.
Eight years later he was sold for
s55,O00.