| Tris Speaker | |
|---|---|
 Speaker in 1912 | |
| Center fielder / Manager | |
| Born: April 4, 1888 Hubbard, Texas, U.S. | |
| Died: December 8, 1958 (aged 70) Whitney, Texas, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 14, 1907, for the Boston Americans | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| August 30, 1928, for the Philadelphia Athletics | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .345 |
| Hits | 3,514 |
| Home runs | 117 |
| Runs batted in | 1,529 |
| Doubles | 792 |
| Managerial record | 617–520 |
| Winning % | .543 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Managerial record at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
As player
As manager | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Member of the National | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 1937 |
| Vote | 82.1% (second ballot) |
Tristram Edgar Speaker (April 4, 1888 – December 8, 1958), nicknamed "the Gray Eagle", was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a center fielder from 1907 to 1928. Considered one of the greatest players in the history of Major League Baseball, he compiled a career batting average of .345 (ninth all-time).[1] His 792 career doubles represent an MLB career record. His 3,514 hits are fifth in the all-time hits list. Defensively, Speaker holds career records for assists, double plays, and unassisted double plays by an outfielder. He held the major league career record for putouts by a center fielder (6,592) until he was surpassed by Willie Mays in 1971.[2] His fielding glove was known as the place "where triples go to die."[3]
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 seven 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 27th [4] in the Sporting News 100 Greatest Baseball Players (1999) and was also included in the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.
- ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Batting Average". Baseball Reference. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
- ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Putouts as Center Fielder". Baseball Reference. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
- ^ Gay, p. 130
- ^ 100 Greatest Baseball Players by The Sporting News : A Legendary List by Baseball Almanac