Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-03

No aAtitaE agreement RaS been
reached vita the club Ivy Bernie \eis,
who, however, seems anxious to land
with Southern Association team,
and no business has as vet been done
with .Eoe Carroll, the Little Rock
pitcher, but all others of the two
score athletes ON the roster now are
legally bound fur ~trtive,
Speaker Worth Much tn Club.
Just how much the presence of iris
Speaker III the lineup will mean to the
Nationals in the determined hid they
are going TO make this season for
their third pennant in four years prob
ably is not fully appreciated by the
fans who are gioating over his acquisl-
ton.
They probably have i pretty fair
general concept on. of his Jallar-and-
cent worth as q gate attraction. They
know that a player who has been one
of the brightest stars the game ever
produced over a stretch of nearly a
score of years cannot fail TO prove a
magnet at the turnstiles. If he were
just that and nothing more.
Furthermore, they are aware of
the fact that the realns of publicity
he received throughout the long and,
for him, dari; period. when his integ-
by a complete and convincing vindica-
lion. has enhanced his box Office value
many times over,
Familiarity with his record on the
field convinces them that in the former
luminary of the Boston Red Sox and
erstWhile pilot of the Cleveland In
dams the Griffmen have acquired a
performer who, for all-round capability
has had few equals and fewer supe-
riors in the entire history of the sport.
They recognize that with Cobb alone
excepted there probably never has
been an outfielder who combined to
such superlative degree all the es-
sentials of greatness and that in at
least two departments, ground cover
Ing and throwing. he exceeded even
the celebrated Georgian.
Great Batting Record.
As an attacking force, Speaker has
q lifetime record of BAT, covering
parts of the seasons of 1907,S at Bos-
ton and all of the campaigns from
1909 through 1915 with the Red Sox
and 1916 to 1925, inclusive, with the
Indians, to attest to his prowess. His
collection of bingles includes a gener-
Gus allotment for extra bases, espe-
cially two-ba ggers, in the manufac-
ture of which he he'd the record for
any one season with the SO he evolved
In 1923, until George Burns contrived
to amass ga last year.
On defense iris has established a
reputation second to none. with the
ability to play In closer and go back
farther for a fly bali than any gar
dener in the annals of the pastime.
At throwing, too, it Is doubtful if he
ever had q peer, not only in the speed
and accuracy OF his heaves, but in the
Judgment he displayed in picking the
bases for his targets.
How close he has approached to the
end Of his string. q question that has
caused considerable speculation in the
Capital, can best be answered by cit
ing the fact that he participated in
all but quartet OF the 1874 games
scheduled for the Indians last season.
when he was at bat $40 times. a total
which in that respect he has exceeded
IN but of the Is full campaigns he
has spent as performer In the big
show. There Is no testimony of weak
legs or falling stamina 10 be found
there.
Is Shrewd Fielder.
Granting on the evidence OF his rec.
ord that Speaker should bat heftier,
field better and throw stronger than
any one else available to team up with
Goslin and Rice in the garden. this
he IL calculated to add to the Ma
tionals. There are the finer points OF
play to be considered. These may be
overlooked by average run of the
mine" fans, but not so with Stanley
Harris, who has TO shoulder RESPONSE
bilify for the results attained by the
team.
Says Bucky: Speaker is going to
mean a lot to us out there in the pas
ture. I find that I've got all can do
and more attending to defensive meas.
ures in the vicinity of the base lines
and. not having eyes in the back OF
my head, / can't always know exactly
how things are going in the outfield
Many a situation has arisen in the
past where second sight disclosed that
a good bet had been overlooked.
With Spoke holding forth in be-
tween Goose and Sam we will be as.
sured that they will be placed to best
possible advantage at all times, for
there is no one in the circuit who
knows the rival players and their bat.
ting characteristics better than Iris.
With him calling the shots on chances
where some doubt exists as to which
should make the catch, we should
have fewer miXups, and as he will
have the entire picture before him
he can tip the others off as to where
throws SHOULD be made.
Many ball game is lost through
bit of indecision or guesswork in the
outfield and with Spoke on the jot
10 coach his fellow fielders while they
are in action, our defense will be
frightened up more than little. With
our outfielders functioning as l expecl
them to this year. lots of whacks that
ordinarily would prove sloppy hits
Will be converted into putouts and
in the course Of campaign that will
make considerable difference In the
won and lost column"
Helps Club Morale.
All Of which sound reasonable
enough, but yet does not tell the en-
tire story Of Speakers value, for the
tonic reaction OF his teammates to his
mere presence and the reverse effect
Il will have on the opposition also Is
an item of primary importance
Having iris playing with instead OF
against them will add greatly to the
confidence of the entire sGuad--the
pitching staff included-and it may be
ventured that the morale strengthen
ing prescription he embodies tran
scends as a single factor all other con
siderations IF his acquisition.
Spoke didn't get chance to dc
much work in his first appearance,
in the uniform of the Nationals. due
10 the low temperature. cloudy skiei
and high wind that prevailed yester
day. IT was the worst weather tho
Griffmen have experienced in all tn,
eight years they have been using
Tampa as a conditioning base ant
hat, despite the fact. there was n,