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“Tris Speaker: A Leader among Men”

Tris Speaker is considered one of the greatest hitters and center fielders of all time. He is rarely considered a great manager, though his rallying Cleveland to the 1920 World Championship after the death of Ray Chapman is acknowledged. His remarkable achievement in managing the Indians in 1921—keeping them in the pennant race against all odds—is overlooked.

This paper looks at a leader of extraordinary skill, with a particular focus on the 1920-1921 Cleveland Indians, their personnel, and how they were used. It looks at the elements of Speaker’s success, the building blocks of his style and strategy. Heywood Broun wrote of him in Vanity Fair in October 1921,

“He is a leader who never gives up and never allows his team to give up in spite of the circumstances of a game. It seems to me that he is by far the finest manager in professional baseball.”

For more on the SABR Convention, go to www.sabr.org/sabr.cfm?a=cms,c,2473,17