Tristram E. Speaker (April 4, 1888 – December 8, 1958), nicknamed "The Grey Eagle", was an American baseball player. Considered one of the best offensive and defensive center fielders in the history of Major League Baseball (MLB), he compiled a career batting average of .345 (sixth all-time). His 792 career doubles represent an MLB career record. His 3,515 hits are fifth in all-time hits list. Defensively, Speaker holds career records for assists, double plays, and unassisted double plays by an outfielder. His fielding glove was known as the place "where triples go to die."After playing in the minor leagues in Texas and Arkansas, Speaker debuted with the Boston Red Sox in 1907. He became the regular center fielder by 1909 and led the Red Sox to World Series championships in 1912 and 1915. In 1915, Speaker's batting average dropped to .322 from .338 the previous season; he was traded to the Cleveland Indians when he refused to take a pay cut. As player-manager for Cleveland, he led the team to its first World Series title. In ten of his eleven seasons with Cleveland, he finished with a batting average greater than .350. Speaker resigned as Cleveland's manager in 1926 after he and Ty Cobb faced game fixing allegations; both men were later cleared. During his managerial stint in Cleveland, Speaker introduced the platoon system in the major leagues.Speaker played with the Washington Senators in 1927 and the Philadelphia Athletics in 1928, then became a minor league manager and part owner. He later held several roles for the Cleveland Indians. Late in life, Speaker led a short-lived indoor baseball league, ran a wholesale liquor business, worked in sales and chaired Cleveland's boxing commission. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937. He was named to the Sporting News 100 Greatest Baseball Players (1999) and to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.
It would be useless for any player to attempt to explain successful batting.
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Luck is the great stabilizer in baseball.
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If you put a baseball and other toys in front of a baby, he'll pick up a baseball in preference to the others.
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The American boy starts swinging the bat about as soon as he can lift one.
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Fact
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Made major league debut on 12 September 1907.
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Cleveland Indians All-Time Doubles Leader (486).
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He was involved in a gambling scandal with Hall of Famer Ty Cobb in 1926. Though there was no proof of Speaker's culpability, he was forced to resign his position as player-manager with the Indians.
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With Hall of Famer Harry Hooper and Duffy Lewis, Speaker was part of one of the greatest defensive outfields of all-time.
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Holds the career major league record for the most outfield assists (448) and double plays (139). He is the American League record holder for the most outfield putouts (6,706).
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He managed the Cleveland Indians from 1919 to 1926.
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Still holds the career record for doubles (793).
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Speaker played centerfield very shallow, but was able to go back quickly for a ball going deep.
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He was considered the finest centerfielder of all-time until Willie Mays.
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Led the Cleveland Indians to a World Series win as player/manager in 1920.
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Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, 1937. Played for the American League's Boston Red Sox (1907-1915), Cleveland Indians (1916-1926), Washington Nationals (1927), and Philadelphia Athletics (1928).
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Inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame, 2000.
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Kid from Cleveland
1949
Tris Speaker - Cleveland Indians Coach
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Baseball Revue of 1917
1917
Documentary
Himself
Animated Weekly, No. 20
1916
Documentary short
Himself
1915 World's Championship Series
1915
Documentary
Himself - Boston Red Sox Outfielder
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
A Hall for Heroes: The Inaugural Hall of Fame Induction of 1939
2010
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Prime 9
2009
TV Series
Himself
DHL Presents Major League Baseball Hometown Heroes
2006
TV Mini-Series documentary
Himself
Boston Red Sox: 100 Years of Baseball History
2001
Video documentary
Himself
ESPN SportsCentury
2000
TV Series documentary
Himself
Baseball
1994
TV Mini-Series documentary
Himself
Babe Ruth: The Man, the Myth, the Legend
1990
Video short
Himself
Horsehide Heroes
1951
Documentary short
Himself
Known for movies
The Kid from Cleveland (1949) as Tris Speaker - Cleveland Indians Coach
1915 World's Championship Series (1915) as Himself - Boston Red Sox Outfielder
$300,000
