New Britain herald., 1928-02-06
SPEAKER ID PLAY
 WITH ATHLETICS
Veteran Out1elder Comes to
 Terms With Connie Mack

New York, Feb. { LFS - This Speaker has landed with the Phila- delphia Athletics.
 The veteran outfielder who was Washington Senator came to terms with Connie Mack over the long dis tance telephone and will report at the Athletics training quarters at Fort Meyers. March l.
 Speaker arrived in New York from. a hunting trip through the south yesterday afternoon and later in the day arranged details by tele- phone with Mack who is vacation- ing at Mount Plymouth. Fla.
 Mack's signing of Speaker fills q gap made in the Philadelphia out field by the release of Ty Cobb and Zach Wheat. Last season, Spoke" was said to have received salary from the Senators ranging from $40,o ,o00 to S50.000 which price was an obstacle this year for a renewal of contract.
 As Speaker declined to accept a. q reduction ill wages as suggested by Clark Griffith of the Washington club some time ago. it was believed that the ex-pilot of the Indians signed for q fancy figure.
 Neither Iris nor Mack would comment on the salary arrangement
 I'm satisfied with the terms and so is Connie," Speaker said.
 Mack paid Cobb a huge sum last year. some reports quoting his serv- ices commanding as high as sGO.OoO, which would be $l0,O00 under Babe Ruths' annual check from Col. Rup- pert.
 The addition of Speaker to the Philadelphia roster with give Mack a veteran outfield with Iris at cen- ter. Al Simmons at left and Bing Miller in the right corner.
 Speaker commented on his stay with the Senators as a most pleasant relationship and referred to Bucky Harris as one of the greatest mana gers in baseball.
 As to his new affiliations the Gray Eagle" declared the Athletics have fine prospects and that he look ed forward to playing under Mack with great satisfaction.
 Asked what he thought of the ap- preaching pennant scramble and the Yankees, Iris replied:
 "Of course the Yankees are a great machine but the Athletics and other members of the circuit are bound to furnish plenty of opposi- tion. The Athletics were second last year and like the other clubs they will be out for the championship"
 Speaker was born in Hubbard City. near Dallas. Texas, August 24, 1883. From the Houston club, Speaker went to the Boston Red Sox in 1907 for his first major league as- signment. The Sox paid 500 for Speaker at the time and the follow ing season sent him to Little Rock and then repurchased him in the same year for $500. By 1909, he was a regular.
 After the 1915 season, Speaker was traded to the Cleveland Indians for Thomas and Jones and a cash consideration of $55,0oo. In the middle of the 1919 campaign, Speaker was made manager of the Indians succeeding Lee Fohl. It was Speakers first experience as a play er-manager and for the first and only time in his career as a regular player for about 20 years. his bat ting average slumped below the BOO mark. His average for 1919 was .296.
 The following year, 1920. Speaker made big comeback and enjoyed one of his best seasons in baseball. batting .3Ss in the dash of the Cleveland club to an American league pennant and worlds cham pionship after 8 series with the Brooklyn Robins. Iris exceeded hts 1920 average with the Indians in 1925 with . mark of .3S9.
 After the 1926 campaign. Speaker resigned from the Indians and join ed the Senators with whom he play ed in 142 games for batting aver age of .327.
 Speaker has played in three world series. two as a member of the Red Sox in 1912 and 1915 and the other with the Indians.