The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-11-07

Patsy Tebeau. who died a few months ago was one of the most picturesque ball players that ever lived. Tebeau ever will be remembered for his ag- gressiveness, his fighting spirit and his |fearlessness on a diamond As leader he had the knack of imbuing his men with the same "do-or-die" characterls- tics that made him famous.
 More than a quarter of a century ago |Tebeau assumed leadership of the Cleveland Spiders. And then began a reign of terror for their foes. Tebeau always insisted that he wouldn't nave a player on his club who couldn't "liek his weight in wild cats.' And he never lto do it day after day" And he never | did. Those Spiders of the early sos in troduced more pep. ginger and rowdy- ism into baseball than any team before or since.
 Some folks regard the Baltimore Oriole in the days of McGraw, Jennings Brodie Keeler, Robinson and Hanlon as the ultimate in fighting ability But those Orioles weren't original Tn their tactics. They are said to have Icopied many from the Spiders doing so in self defense. Any team that played the Spiders in the days of Te- | ibeau's greatest glory had to be teaH, that was willing to battle for their Hives. as we'll as baseball victory. | It was Tebeau and his band of Spid- | CTS who were first to discover that spikes could be put to uses other than getting firm grip on terra 1lrma l Those Spiders used their spikes as weauons and countless foes were rip lped and gashed by them In that early era of baseball.
 | But then came a time when the Spid- | CTS were beaten at their own game Aho that was in Pittsburg 26 years or SC lago. l Pittsburg and Cleveland were bitter .lriyals in those days and whenever tht teams clashed there was. sure to bt bloodshed of some kind. The Pirate: went to Cleveland for a series early il lthe summer and went away With hal Iof the skin ripped off their hfdes-th' result of the base running tactics of th' Spiders.
 l fingered by the treatment of his mer William Chase Temple, who then owned the Pittsburg team, determined Una Iwhen the Spiders paid their next visi to Pittsburg they were going to play ; lnice, refined game--or be beaten a their tricks -s--,.t ,.t..ae4sss- l In those days visiting teams usual! ldressed at the hotel and drove righ Into the ball park in busses. A lev minutes before the arrival of the Spid lers, Temple told all of his boys to sit ol Ithe porch railing of the groundkeeper' house near the entrance. Then he gay leach file.
 '.The minute those fellows drive tr
 you boys get busy and file on you
 spikes" ordered Temple. Don't looi
 Iup when the Spiders arrive. Just go o'
 lfilling-and file those spikes to razo
 edge"
 When Tebeau and his crew drove in
 Ito the park the first sight that greet
 ed their. eyes was Is Pirates indus
 triously engaged in sharpening thei
 spikes Tebeau, surprised and. cur -ftous, clambered down from the bus an
 iwalked over to the Pirates, Watche sEthem at their filing work for0a feN .i minutes and then trejoined his team ! lmates.g 'SSt 2ET gsT fh : Don't try any spiking today, boys,
 ordered Tebeau. '.Their spikes ar sharper than ours. Wed get the wors
 of it."
 ! The Spiders followed orders-and eve
 went. beyond They had seen enoug
 Iof those Pirate spikes to throw fear in ! to their hearts and not one Clevelan
 baseman had the courage that day t . attempt blocking off Pirate runner
 As a result, the Pirates ran bases a