Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-08-29
REFUSED TO TAKE
SPEAKER FOR $50
Minor League Team Owner Said
That He Lacked Ability as
an Outfielder
THE MEANING OF CONTROL

Iris Speaker, player manager of the
worlds champions Cleveland and one Of
the outstanding stars of baseball. was
turned down by the owner of a Texas
league team, who said that he couldn't
hit.
Fifty dollars a month, this boss said
was too much money for n man of
Speakers Calber. Yet Speaker today
is earning q salary many times $50 n
month and is one of the best hitters in
either league. Besides. he is one Of the
fieetest outfielders in the national pas
time and can cover acres of ground in
the outer gardens.
Speaker may be fair enough, but he
isn't worth $50 n month";" Morris
Block. president of the San Antonio
Club in the Texas League, was talking
He isn't the man want for my team.
I'm after regular Outfielder, somebody
who knows something about the game.
He may be all right as a pitcher fielder,
but he isn't worth fifty a month" con-
tinued the minor league executive.
Started as Pitcher
This happened years ago when
Speaker was not setting the world afro
with his doings. His leaning at that
time was toward the pitching peak, the
outfield being n place TO cavort in when
he wasn't engaged in shooting them up
10 the batters. iris was a member Of
the Cleborn team in Texas and was rec
commended to Morris as a diamond in
the rough, who under careful managing
might develop into q star.
Iris didn't look very good to me at
that time" said Morris. He was
supposed TO be a pitcher and | did not
want him at fifty month or for moth
ing. for that matter. ! was after an
outfclder. Everybody knows today
what a boner l pulled and everybody
knows what remarkable player
Speaker Is, but at that time he did not
look worth $50 month to me.
II would hate to have to carry his
salary on my payroll today.
II was little careless those days.
Morris continued, "for I let JEFF Tes-
reau get away from me, too. had
too many players at the time and turned
the future major league star away. |
was paying Tesreau at that time $50
month. He went to a small town in
Louisiana where he made good, going
to the Giants the following year.
Big Dave Davenport who was re-
Gently turned out of n league IN the
Middle West because he was too good
is another star player who started his
baseball career with me. ] give him his
first league job down in Texas and
though at first he appeared awkward
and anything but a good pitcher l de-
cided to give him a start, He went out
and won his first game, twelve inning
affair, and from then on made good"
Control the Big Asset
Ask any pitcher who ever tossed q
baseball up to the pentagOn and he will
tell you that the biggest asset twirler
must have Is control. \ pitcher may
have speed galore but unless he pos
scSScs absolute control Of his delivery
he'll never amount to row Of pins
when 1t comes to being a success where
success means something.
It Is n fact that long Rftcr speed and
curves have deserted a twirler that he
can continue to star in any league if he
has retained his control. This Is char
aCteriStc of the best Swirlcrs developed
in the game.
Probably the two best examples Of
control are ICY" Young. who in length
Of service excelled all other big leaguers,
and Christy MathewsOn. Both Young
and Matty had wonderful speed and a
brilliant curve, but it was their control
that gave them longevity in the big
leagues. When they lost their speed
and curves they retained the cunning
that comes with cOLtrOl and could still
send the batters back to the bench
hitlcss.
During the time Mathewson served
as the star twirler Of the Giants he
pitched 574 complete games, and his
record shows that he allowed but SS4
bases on balls, an average Of "a n
game. Whom 1t is taken into consider
alton that large number Of bases on
balls come when slugger is at bat
with the bases occupied, this record is
| considered remarkable.
"Cy" Young's record is even better
than that of Matty for several reasons,
and In pointing to this marvellous career
! of IL great twirler there can be no argu-
mcnt TO the contrary that his control
was simply perfect
In that length Of time records show
| that he hurled S71 games and that he
gave 1170 bases on balls and struck out
| 276S batters with percentage of / SO
for bases on balls and strikeouts OF
$40 for the game.