New Britain herald., 1926-08-17
MCOBSON,S SPEED KEPT
 HIM 9 YEARS N MINORS
Former Local Boy is Highly Praised By New York Sport Writer-Nic<named Mercury" Because He is So Fast - Work Has Earned Him Place On Brooklyn Team - Temporary Showdown Enables Dodgers to Procure Him.

Kenneth D. Smith. feature writer for the New York Graphic in last Saturdays issue of that paper has written a lengthy arti- Gle eXtolling the speed and good work that Merwin Jacobson, for mer local boy, is doing with the Brooklyn Dodgers. The article says that his excessive speed kept him in the minors for nine years and 1t was only temporary slow down tfset gave the Dodgers a chance to pick him up. Even at that, instead of having a utility berth, Jake" has, through his speed, earned himself a regular position on the Brooklyn team.
 The article as it appeared, is as follows:
 Brooklyn has an outfelder who was too fast for the major leagues Tried and convicted on the charge of speeding. Mercury Merwin Jacobson, centerfielder of the Rob- ins, was locked up for nine years in the minor leagues because he travelled too rapidly for the big show.
 Serving his term like a trusty prisoner, Jacobson finally flew out of his cage and today is attracting the attention of the National league speed cops as he fits about the Ebbets field greensward every afternoon, carefree, and eager as a freed convict.
 The fans will go to a game and see an .O97 batter drive in three runs with triple and never bat an eye; they've stomached a case like Harry Riconda's, the player who shuns publicity, but here is one 10 make them scratch their heads.
 Jacobson is so streaking fast they wouldn't let him out of the minor leagues. More than once they've examined his feet, to see If wings are attached. His deadly speed afoot has brought romance to baseball - they liken him to Mercury. the god of speed.
 Nine years ago Jacobson drift ed into the Chicago Cub fold through some obscure deal. He never played a game with the Cubs and at the end of the season was traded to Baltimore for Fur ner Barber and some odd change.
 That day was a sorrowful one for Jacobson, for it was like en- tering prison. Jake became an in- dispensable player with Jack Dunn's Orioles, and burned up the International league so much that Owner Jack Dunn discouraged every gesture made by the majors to grab this speed merchant who was compiling such a record for batting, base running and fielding in the International loop.
 He might just as well have been playing for the Sing Sing nine, for they wouldn't let him out to the big open major leagues.
 Grove and Bentley, Too.
 Jacobson was with the Orioles when they won five of their pen nants. Some of his buddies were Lefty Grove, Jack Bentley and Joe Boley. Dunn wouldn't let go of these four boys for love nor money that is. unless it was a particular ly big wad of cash. The first one to go was Bentley, the handed ukulele player. The Giants needed him so badly they finally persuaded Dunn to release his deathlike grip on this pitcher -slugger.
 The next move was Grove. Grove pitched year in and year out with startling success, but he was too good for the majors. He was so good Dunn wouldn't sell him until he was forced to, s100,00O being too