| Article Title |
Though Snodgrass is Wonder, Speaker Letter Man, Declares Fullerton |
| Type |
article |
| Date |
1912-09-29 |
| Paper |
Salt Lake Herald-Republican |
| Language |
eng |
| City |
Salt Lake City |
| County |
Salt Lake |
| Page |
3 |
| OCR Text |
a THOUGH SNODGRASS IS WONDER SPEAKER A BETTER BETTER- BETTERMAN TIER MAN DECLARES FULLERTON I Bostonian One of Three Great Says Noted Diamond Exp Expert ri I I i J iBY BY DY HUGH S. S FULLERTON Now ow vaunted speed and hitting hit hit- ting ability fades tades rapidly with a careful care care- ful fuh comparison of the center celter fielders of ot tho the two teams teams Tri Speaker of tho the Red Sox outclasses either man that McCraw McGraw McGraw Mc- Mc Graw Craw cah can cai send end to the center garden further than Juan any man maz on either olther team outclass outclasses s his rival rhal in hi n the position The chances are aro a hundred to one that barring accident McGraw l will choose to play the position although there Is hi a small chance that ii ho hc may mar use UfO Beals heals B Decker Becker t fh during part JL Ul LOI mu L IV c in center or or in left t to meet tho tIle change chanso of oC pitchers by I Boston But no matter who who Is In the theIs field speaker l Is far Car better than the New pork fork York man S J I In Ty rT Cobb This ThEs should not bo be construed as a II kno knok k O on or against ag t Snodgrass who Is a capable and a much Improved man mon Spell Speaker er Is In the near-Cobb near class as a n pla player r and one of the three wonderful center cenCer fielders who vho have hare dono so much to the tho prestige of ot the Amen Amen- I scan ican carl leaguer In Th figuring J the men In base running hl hitting hilling fielding throwing and gen- gen cli In ground cO covering and anda a ability tIIt to pla play the position with head j a-j well ell as with hands and feet I have figured Speaker at 78 the highest of I any ony of oC tho the outfielders of oC either team while Snodgrass rags I have found Cound to have havo d A value alue of oC 66 on the basis of oC for perfection In everything c While Becker figures only 59 9 The Tho CI figures ures express pretty well won tho the relative U values alues of oC the thc men to their teams and to each other Development of Snodgrass la Is one of the players who ho testifies to to the efficiency of John lohri Mc- Mc Ic- Ic I Cr wa ws' ws method th of oT developing b ball bail j play play- y ers era Ho wn was with the Giants as ae a f raw youngster ster as catcher catchI and In a rather awkward unfinished manner he gave great promise of developing except t t tat at In thinking behind the bat hat he always al always always al- al ways appeared to me sluggish and too d deliberate without the tho drive and hustle n to make a fighting hustling catcher There scarcely was a doubt that he hewis hewis wis was a free tree swinging ln and natural hit hIt- ter tet likely to clean up at an any time an ani anji with will this In view yiew McGraw decided to make an outfielder of him lie Ifo was compelled to send tho the big rangy ho boy to the outfield because some because some somo on one was injured and he lie made mado good His work worl Is rather unfinished even en yet et bu hue he has learned a lot playing covers ers much ground and this season has lee been playing the field with better betler Judgment placing himself for batt batters I belle believe Mathewson l deserves of the credit for teaching him to I shit lIe He makes man many blunders as Is nat natural ral but he retrieves some of or them by Is is ran rangy speed Giants Giants' SorL orl I lo o not think he plays the balls between between be be- tween fields s well voll In Iii fact In studying the Plant Giant team you OU will find that the thu outfield work Is rather ra ragged Jed In that Too man many balls get bet through h for three and arid four bases that should behy be cut ff rc at two b by hy fast Cast covering and At 1 th t S- S Sd Snodgrass d rass retrieves r rapidly lY and PC ie e Is a strong and much improved cr His Ills fault In throwing throwing- has been largely lack of or direction but ho can bet et the ball hack back to the infield from tho center field wall caIl on the Polo about aa as quickly as an any man can cnn ind nd heave heave- It to the tho infield without without with with- ou out t a relay In Cinas Ii by Speaker kor Is almost In a class closs b by himself himself him him- self In going out after fJ fly balls balI I have hae leen een een him go almost to the bleachers bleach bleach- or ers era O oa the old Boston park and catch fly ba balls bails Is I never ne shall forget one that he ca caught g there then Ed Jd Walsh hit the ball ard It was going going- over the low bar- bar In hi front of the stands when Speaker after a run of or over eight yards turned backed up leaped and captured tur d It Tha first time timo I T over ever saw this la lad I I Fred Snodgrass i 5 f r e F S 3 J k G. p t 1 t c- c j i F v Sy A k i 4 was the season that Boston after a short tryout sent him to Little HO Kock k h. We e were down thero there on a training trip tho the next spring sprIn and scarcely paid nn any attention to him except to not nott that he could coull hit lilt until lie he went out clear t to the fence whirled un under er a CI fly and nabbed It Manages Manager Chanco Chance was as hotfooting hot hot- footing to the Little de Oe- Oe to get him when hen he learned that Boston DOMton had reclaimed him He lie went ent buck back to l Boston ston that time to sta stay Star Fellow Tris Is one ono of tho the most likable of oC players a steady grinner and a cheel cheery soul who cannot sta stay grouchy ten minutes under any circumstances al although although al- al though he came near It last season Honson He lie le hall had a poor year ear and played at times I careless and Indifferent ball bail bal lie le was waH not not at alt all satisfied then and Indeed several others were not and tho the result resul was that Hooper outplayed him having his best season Heason But this year when Stahl tahl came back and rr the management was chan changed c Speaker revived re I Interest an and went at It In carnel earnest Except Cobb ho lie Is the best est fielder er In tho the business especially going out and he lie can come In almo almost t as fast as can Cobb Ho He throws perfectly and with great great speed and accuracy the only onh fault taul buln beIng that the ball bail bal sometimes takes English when It hits his the grass and shoots making It I difficult for the catcher to handle handle l nt at the lint bind At bat Speaker Is a 1 marvel lie He hits hUs handed lef-handed left handed and ever er e since sinco ho has been Giants Giant's Came to McGraw as Awkward Catcher I In the American league he lie has hit up with the 00 class This This' season he ht has been going stronger than ever evor pressing press press- In ing tho the U mark most of the tue W way and forcing Cobb to hit to keep ahead of or h him I m. m We nh all nl admit Cobb the greatest hitter hitter hit hit- ter baseball ever has known leown yet ct In some ways waYN Speaker seems to me more remarkable able He is last fast yet not as fast last as Cobb Cobb occasionally hits bad balls and sometimes s h ho Iii Ss iS badly fooled In Jn tho the years yearn I 1 have o ha watched I Speaker I do llo not remember seeing hint him hit hi at a a bad bat ball bal unless to tu help holp in a run hit pIa play The pitchers tel tell m ins that the tho only system of oC pitching to him is to keep tho ball bal over the tho plate all the time as he lie positively declines to swing at ba bad ones He lie hits hitti Rp speed ed an and hits his his spit spit- Ed lid Walsh declares declare he would rather pitch to almost an any man In the country not excepting Cobb CobL Walter alter Johnson says Speaker is 18 the the only batter bat bat- ter he doesn't o nt try to fool He lIe le cracks tho the low curve off his lila shins and he wades Into Johnsons Johnson's speed taking a step Stel to meet It I. I Besides he is a a tou tough h n I man to pitch litCh pich to Jockeying back and forth In the batters batter's baters bater's box front and back end close to tho the plate and far awa away that and he can bunt well wel besides all aU I n 00 Hitter Snodgrass Is a normal or better hitter hiter but It has seemed to me that beter ho ito cannot hit fast curio cur pitching and that a good spit spi ball bal stops him hini Bender had him s Jn swinging ln his hea head off at fast high h ones last fall failS fal I In stu studying his record this season It I seems to me he Is hitting the fast pitch pitch- In lug ing better and ho has been getting at le least Mt his hla hll share of ot hits his off th thu good pitchers and more than titan his share good off the Lad bail ones He lie probably Is or ing Inv steadily and ought ht to show better this fall fal than titan he did lid last The National len league players tell tel me he hc has improved d a n lot hot In his lila all al round work vork this year ear and more especially In I the Ju Judgment he ho has shown hown as a base j runner Scoff coff nt at Giants Giants' hose You will wil find In discussing tho Giants with players ers of ot rival riyal National league atonal teams that the they scoff at the New York boast boat of ability to run bases an and man many of ot them will inform wil you ou that the Giants are vcr very much overrated In this respect re ro- ro sped and that the they lal make o more boneheaded boneheaded bone bone- headed plays lla's on the bases base than titan the tho av average n ax- crago team teal does This Is the evidence I of oC players of ot both tho Pittsburgh and I Chicago teams I think there Is a n rca rea son soil BOi for Cor t thle tb 11 e. e Undoubtedly the tho Giants mako man malt many bad breaks on tho the bases basee and ancl beyond a a. a doubt Snodgrass mak s his share I At that it I is tho the fault tault of the tho system rather rathor than of or tho men McGraws McGraw's the thc ory is to lo run nun the bases and keep running running run run- t ning and when m men n arc aro sent to run t ordered to run and und are arc looking for tor I Tris Speaker I I S V r 4 I L j I I j I I I t t e el e very every opening the they natural naturally steal I Imore more bases and equally natural naturally make many bad breaks that more Inure careful an and I c conservative runners would not noL not The They Thel h have ave a lot of oC ability and practice In I r running and sliding has Improved their theli r. r work Stonier Snodgrass gets ets aWa away well wel goes gocs fast I but throws himself awkwardly toward Iowan buses bases due to hi his long striding stylo m of running running- Last fall faB he made two bad breaks it In i c hopping chopping down Frank Baker twice a at nt I t third hird Some said sai It was awkwardness It I t wasn't He was wat ordered to Jump at a Baker laker and h he lie Jumped Jumpe not Jumped not not expecting t to hurt the third baseman but hut expecting that hat Baker Balter would run aW away The Tho Na Nf- Nf ional tonal len league ue clubs had hal heard hoard that tIm I Baker would lodge dodge spikes anti and perhaps S Sno Snodgrass brass was WiS as 18 surprised as anyone anone t when he cut Baker He lie will wil have o a lot of chances to cut t people pepie this fall al au as the Boston infield I blocks runners as hard hart ond takes a as m man many chances In iii blocking off runners i as ns un any team In the country countr the tho GUnts 3 j themselves perhaps excepted on in fU the hit Speaker is a whirlwind on the bases a clever deceptive starter getting hI his 3 Jump sudden suddenly He lie travels fast talt an and I slides desperately desperately and thc tho basemen de dc declare cJe- cJe clare dare ho lie Is a hard man to ta tag Between the thc two It looks as If I Speaker Speak Speak- er Is 18 better beter at every department of oC the game Comparing him with wih Beals Beats Becker Decker he lie shows even cven botor bettor better Becker mechanically Is t a better man mutt In many lany re respects re- re respects spec than Snodgrass s but hut lon long ago aso poor Beals got a reputation of being a bone boneH H Ho lo Is rather a clever felo fellow fello and real real- ly l' I think It I Is more a n ease case CISI of oC getting a u bad reputation than anything else He lie has lias had the tho Ill I luck luc to make malee bad breaks when tle they counted nn and perhaps the effort efort to tu avoid such blunders blunder and anxiety causes him bun to make them Think loc or Awry r Ho Is a fast enol enough h thinker faster even than Sno Snodgrass russ but he thinks wron wrong oftener Ho lie would add more uncertainty un un- L certainty to the l series Borle because ho he Is Red Sox Have a Big Lead in Comparison of the Two Men l likely to make malee or break his club at atan an any time by some unexpected move He lIe fields bids well wel ell throws well wel Is fast on the tho bases JeS IH and arid a n cracking good hitter hiter Besides Besides Be Be- B.- B. sides which I really think ho Is la a betten bet beta ter ten man up In a pinch than Snodgrass is provided the needed needed hit Isn't to bo bc boa a long on one Snodgrass Is Ss thero there with the up clean wallop and a a. n long lone drive often oten turns the t tide e where a short single does docs not hi help e Ip |
| Reference URL |
https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s67w7j0x/10072653 |
