Tris Speaker by Timothy M Gay
2006 Seymour Medal Finalist Tris Speaker compiled a career batting average of .345 (4th all-time) and struck more doubles (792) than anyone in history. But he was so much more than a Hall of Fame hitter. As baseball historian Richard Johnson says, Speaker was Willie Mays before there was a Willie Mays. Regarded by his peers as the greatest centerfielder of all-time, his glove was known as the place where triples go to die, and he still holds career records for assists, double plays, and unassisted double plays by an outfielder. Speaker led the Boston Red Sox to two World Series championships, and then as a player-manager in Cleveland, he carried the Indians to their first-ever World Series title while also revolutionizing the game by popularizing the platoon system and the infield rotation play. Tris Speaker tells the story of one of baseball's true legends, offering an honest look at Speaker's roughshod, frontier-forged personality. As Bill Moyers once said, Speaker was a Texan. If his flaws were large, so were his virtues. Born deep in the heart of Texas, the young Speaker would fabricate stories about his father being a Confederate hero. Yet one day, Speaker would find himself tutoring Larry Doby, the American League's first black player, on the art of playing centerfield. This long-overdue book ranks among the best in baseball biographies and in literature in the history of the game.
“Gay, who spent four years researching Speaker’s life, has crafted a rugged, no-holds-barred look at a player who encompassed all the complex magic of early twentieth century baseballSpeaker’s story exemplifies why baseball holds such an important place in the American imagination. It is our story—a story of sin and expiation, of loyalty and love, of courage and dignity. This should be required reading for any serious baseball fan.”—Sport Literature Association
"There are many passages where Gay captures the spirit of the Gray Eagle as he describes a moment of Speaker in action. These are effective because they are done selectively; this book is anything but prone to monotonous game by game summaries."—The Inside Game
"[A] richly detailed biography, the first on Speaker to succeed in situating him within an epoch of great promise and of great shame. . . . The ultimate value of this biography resides in its portrayal of personal redemption. . . . This warts-and-all account is true to a rugged individualist and offers insights to a general public often dismayed by the lack of values found in the sports world."—Library Journal
"[C]arefully researched and documented, engagingly written, and very illuminating. . . Gay has filled a serious gap in baseball history, and his effort compares favorably with Charles Alexander's acclaimed biographies of John McGraw and Ty Cobb."—Booklist
"Tristam ‘Spoke’ Speaker sits, statistically, alongside baseball’s greatest sluggers and fielders, but his story and name have largely been forgotten. . . . Gay has insured the righting of history with this biography. A worthwhile read for any sports fan."—Publishers Weekly
"An eye-opening look at baseball’s now seemingly prehistoric ‘dead ball’ era, which also was rife with gambling scandals, grudges, amoral team owners and spring training in Hot Springs, Ark., where training regimens included mandatory hikes through the woods.”—Ed Bark, Dallas Morning News
“Fans of the Boston Red Sox and the Cleveland Indians will likely enjoy this book. . . . Timothy Gay’s thoughtful biography lays bare the ugly fact that many players were often involved in sketchy gambling arrangements. . . . Speaker is now largely forgotten, and this well-told story bridges the gap between baseball before World War I and its more modern form.”—Mark E. Hayes, The Miami Herald
“The on-field brilliance and off-field shortcomings of Hall of Fame centerfielder Tris Speaker are recounted . . . Warren native Timothy Gay.”—Times-Observer
“[Gay] has done an admirable job of bringing to life this powerhouse hitter and fielding spectacle. . . . A meticulously researched gem of a biography. . . . A wonderful read—and an important read as it becomes the definitive account of this nearly forgotten legend.” —Hal Benjamin, Aethlon
Timothy Gay, a journalist and essayist, has done an admirable job of bringing to life this powerhouse hitter and fielding spectacle. Gay presents a meticulously researched gem of a biography, full of colorful anecdotes of the baseball legends of Speaker’s early century career. . . . This is a wonderful read—and an important read as it becomes the definitive account of this nearly forgotten legends.”—Hal Benjamin, Aethlon
"There are many passages where Gay captures the spirit of the Gray Eagle as he describes a moment of Speaker in action. These are effective because they are done selectively; this book is anything but prone to monotonous game by game summaries."—The Inside Game
"[A] richly detailed biography, the first on Speaker to succeed in situating him within an epoch of great promise and of great shame. . . . The ultimate value of this biography resides in its portrayal of personal redemption. . . . This warts-and-all account is true to a rugged individualist and offers insights to a general public often dismayed by the lack of values found in the sports world."—Library Journal
"[C]arefully researched and documented, engagingly written, and very illuminating. . . Gay has filled a serious gap in baseball history, and his effort compares favorably with Charles Alexander's acclaimed biographies of John McGraw and Ty Cobb."—Booklist
"Tristam ‘Spoke’ Speaker sits, statistically, alongside baseball’s greatest sluggers and fielders, but his story and name have largely been forgotten. . . . Gay has insured the righting of history with this biography. A worthwhile read for any sports fan."—Publishers Weekly
"An eye-opening look at baseball’s now seemingly prehistoric ‘dead ball’ era, which also was rife with gambling scandals, grudges, amoral team owners and spring training in Hot Springs, Ark., where training regimens included mandatory hikes through the woods.”—Ed Bark, Dallas Morning News
“Fans of the Boston Red Sox and the Cleveland Indians will likely enjoy this book. . . . Timothy Gay’s thoughtful biography lays bare the ugly fact that many players were often involved in sketchy gambling arrangements. . . . Speaker is now largely forgotten, and this well-told story bridges the gap between baseball before World War I and its more modern form.”—Mark E. Hayes, The Miami Herald
“The on-field brilliance and off-field shortcomings of Hall of Fame centerfielder Tris Speaker are recounted . . . Warren native Timothy Gay.”—Times-Observer
“[Gay] has done an admirable job of bringing to life this powerhouse hitter and fielding spectacle. . . . A meticulously researched gem of a biography. . . . A wonderful read—and an important read as it becomes the definitive account of this nearly forgotten legend.” —Hal Benjamin, Aethlon
Timothy Gay, a journalist and essayist, has done an admirable job of bringing to life this powerhouse hitter and fielding spectacle. Gay presents a meticulously researched gem of a biography, full of colorful anecdotes of the baseball legends of Speaker’s early century career. . . . This is a wonderful read—and an important read as it becomes the definitive account of this nearly forgotten legends.”—Hal Benjamin, Aethlon
Timothy M. Gay is a writer based in northern Virginia. His essays and articles on the Civil War, politics, baseball, college basketball, and golf have appeared in USA Today, the Washington Post, and other publications. He is the author of several books including Satch, Dizzy, and Rapid Robert: The Wild Saga of Interracial Baseball Before Jackie Robinson.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781496234742 |
| ISBN 10 | 149623474X |
| Title | Tris Speaker |
| Author | Timothy M Gay |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | University of Nebraska Press |
| Year published | 2023-04-01 |
| Number of pages | 346 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |